Bike Traffic - April 2005

April 2005

Crossing That Bridge By Keith Holt

"Hey Keith, you're one of those bike advocate guys, right?"

Yeah, that's right. I do liaison for the South Side and the Chicagoland's black community.

" Well, I got an idea. If you could pick a single bike project that would have maximum impact, improve the quality of life for tens of thousands of Southland residents, what form would that project take?"

I don't know. What do you have in mind?

"How about a 26-mile trail that runs along the Calumet-Sag Channel, from the Indiana border to the I&M Canal Trail in Lemont? "

Wow, that is a great idea.

I wish Chicagoland Bicycle Federation could take credit for it; but this idea belongs to everyone involved over the last couple of decades who believes such a trail would make the far South Side of Chicago and the inner ring south suburbs a better place to live.

Steve Buchtel, CBF's Southland coordinator, and yours truly are attempting to breathe more than just a little life in this grand idea. CBF wants to gain interest, support and implementation of just such a trail now. We call it the Calumet-Sag Channel Trail Proposal.

We are promoting the construction of this regional, paved multi-use trail along the Cal-Sag Channel from the I&M Canal west of Palos Forest Preserve to the Burnham Greenway and the Indiana border. The Cal-Sag Trail would be a new path between established state and regional trails, and between diverse communities. Such a facility would open up the Cal-Sag corridor as a recreational resource for the communities along it, including many economically-depressed inner ring suburbs. It would help create economic development opportunities along the Cal-Sag.

The Cal-Sag Trail would also provide a sorely needed east-west non-motorized transportation corridor with the possibility of nearby connections to public transit. The trail would preserve and enhance the Cal-Sag as a natural resource as it offers an inviting amenity to area residents and visitors.

Along the Cal-Sag Channel lie 16 economically- and racially-disparate communities, many of which are polluted by dumping and irresponsible industry, with few recreational facilities, little access to the Southland's other trails, and no safe, convenient non-motorized east-west travel corridor.
By linking these diverse communities, the trail would help to pull together a region segregated by expressways and the exclusion of the non-driving public in transportation planning and development.

This project offers a healthy, affordable way for the average Joe citizen to exercise, thus helping to fight the obesity problem that affects many of our citizens.

Where are we at? I will tell you next month.

Editor's Note: Grand Victoria Foundation has committed to development of the Cal-Sag Trail with a recent grant of $15,000.

Keith Holt is the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation liaison to Chicago's South Side and the African-American community