Update! Support the North Branch Trail Extension

With the new Cook County Commissioner redistricting, the Old Edgebrook neighborhood now falls into Commissioner Bridget Gainer's district. She has received letters from the Edgebrook Community Association and the neighbors of Old Edgebrook to put pressure to stop the trail extension. Construction is scheduled to begin November 30, 2015 and we need Commissioner Gainer to hear from supporters of the trail. Please consider calling or writing Commissioner Gainer an email stating your support, what the trail means to you and if you live in her district. It’s okay if you don’t live in her district, but it’s important to hear from the district constituents if they are supporters, find the district map here. Email her at Info@BridgetGainer.com or call her office at (312) 603-4210 to share your support of the trail extension. Please forward this email to fellow trail supporters.

Thank you for your help and support! Hopefully this time next year I will be seeing you at the trail ribbon cutting.

Not familiar with the project? Check it out here.

Thank you!!!!

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Permalink Reply by Apie (11) on December 2, 2015 at 10:26am

Regarding safety; I rarely see cars pulling into Old Edgebrook, and I've lived in that area for almost 10 years. Yes it is dangerous with cars flying around the curve at Lehigh (I am one of them, so I understand) but I'm not too worried about residents. The Des Plaines trail crosses many fast busy roads, cyclists and pedestrians will figure it out as they did on the DPT. I'm disappointed in the extension because I liked my quiet empty Mt bike trails ;)

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Permalink Reply by Yasmeen on December 22, 2015 at 8:28am

Update: They broke ground. Streetsblog, "Never Mind the NIMBYs, the North Branch Trail Extension Is a Go"

Despite Not In My Back Yard-type opposition from some nearby residents, the Forest Preserves of Cook County is proceeding with plans to extend its popular North Branch Trail three miles further southeast into the city limits. Officials broke ground on the new segment of the path at a ceremony yesterday morning at Thaddeus S. “Ted” Lechowicz Woods, 5901 North Central.

The existing North Branch Trail has Chicago trailheads at Devon/Caldwell and Devon/Milwaukee, near the legendary Superdawg drive-in. It runs 18 miles past the North Branch of the Chicago River and the Skokie Lagoons to the Chicago Botanic Gardens in Glencoe.

The first phase of the construction will build 1.8 miles of paved trail from Devon/Caldwell to Forest Glen, with completion expected this spring. The second stage will add another 1.2 miles, terminating at Gompers Park near FPCC’s LaBagh Woods and Irene C. Hernandez Picnic Grove at Foster/Kostner.

Full article:

http://chi.streetsblog.org/2015/12/22/never-mind-the-nimbys-the-nor...

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Permalink Reply by Duppie on December 26, 2015 at 9:30am

Is that you, John Forester? ;)

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Permalink Reply by Bradley on March 16, 2016 at 1:46pm

Anyone have an update on progress of phase 1 of the extension? I can see what looks like trail building heading south as I drive by the Caldwell/Devon area. Late spring was the time given for completion of phase 1.