A Chicago walking and biking trail along a former railroad right-of-way has been a labor of love for local residents.
A group of community advocates is at the heart of a 30-mile trail that traces the path of the former Chicago Great Western Railway. “Broken into two segments due to geographical hurdles, this trail is a labor of love, continuously championed by the Friends of the Great Western Trail.”
As Maya Norris explains in a post on the Active Transportation Alliance blog, “There are no plans to connect the two sections of the trail because the DuPage County Airport stands between them.” However, Friends of the Great Western Trail works with local jurisdictions to improve safety and signage on the two segments of the trail.
The group says reaching out to elected officials has been key to their efforts. “Don Kirchenberg, chairman of the Friends of the Great Western Trail, emphasized that collaboration and communication have been crucial to improving the safety and connectivity of the trail.”
FULL STORY: Community spirit pushes the Great Western Trail forward
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City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research