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A group of local bicycle activists hope DuPage County officials will take them up on their suggestion for safety improvements at a busy intersection.
Recently, the Carol Stream Bikes organization sent a letter to Deborah Fagan, the trail systems coordinator for the DuPage County Division of Transportation, about the intersection at County Farm Road and the Great Western Trail, located between Carol Stream and Winfield.
| Learn more To see a video of traffic at the intersection, read the letter sent to DuPage County, or for more information about the Carol Stream Bikes group, visit csbikes.org. |
Members of Carol Stream Bikes said the busy at-grade intersection is an ideal place to add a refuge island for trail users. The refuge island, a small section of pavement or sidewalk surrounded by asphalt or other road materials, would give pedestrians a place to stop before finishing crossing the road.
“In my experience, there’s a lot of traffic at that particular intersection every time I cross,” said Robert Guico, who heads up the Carol Stream Bikes organization.
He said the traffic there seems to comes in clusters.
“There will be a lot of traffic and then a little bit of traffic,” he said. “You end up darting through and hoping you make it to the other said. At 45 miles per hour, that’s not something I recommend people do.”
Fagan said she received the organization’s letter.
“(That intersection) has been on our list to take a look at for several years,” she said. “We’re analyzing the information (Carol Stream Bikes) submitted and hope to get a response to them soon.”
Fagan praised the community involvement from area bicyclists, joggers and walkers who regularly submit suggestions for improving the area’s trail systems.
“Sometimes it’s just a quick e-mail that says, ‘Hey, I saw a problem here,’” she said. “Sometimes they take the time to write a letter.”
The DuPage County Division of Transportation manages a 92-mile recreational trail system in the county. About 40 miles of trails make up the DuPage County section of the Illinois Prairie Path, which is in the right-of-way of the former Chicago, Aurora, and Elgin Railway. Almost 12 miles long, the Great Western Trail is within the right-of-way of the former Chicago and Great Western Railroad. Pedestrians, bicyclists, and horseback riders are all welcome on the trails.
Guico hopes to get more people interested in the Carol Stream Bikes organization.
“The whole goal is to get more people biking and walking to destinations, like getting groceries and restaurants,” he said. “Plus, it fits in with the (Carol Stream) Park District’s goal of being active, which is kind of cool.”
A group of local bicycle activists hope DuPage County officials will take them up on their suggestion for safety improvements at a busy intersection.
Recently, the Carol Stream Bikes organization sent a letter to Deborah Fagan, the trail systems coordinator for the DuPage County Division of Transportation, about the intersection at County Farm Road and the Great Western Trail, located between Carol Stream and Winfield.
| Learn more To see a video of traffic at the intersection, read the letter sent to DuPage County, or for more information about the Carol Stream Bikes group, visit csbikes.org. |
Members of Carol Stream Bikes said the busy at-grade intersection is an ideal place to add a refuge island for trail users. The refuge island, a small section of pavement or sidewalk surrounded by asphalt or other road materials, would give pedestrians a place to stop before finishing crossing the road.
“In my experience, there’s a lot of traffic at that particular intersection every time I cross,” said Robert Guico, who heads up the Carol Stream Bikes organization.
He said the traffic there seems to comes in clusters.
“There will be a lot of traffic and then a little bit of traffic,” he said. “You end up darting through and hoping you make it to the other said. At 45 miles per hour, that’s not something I recommend people do.”
Fagan said she received the organization’s letter.
“(That intersection) has been on our list to take a look at for several years,” she said. “We’re analyzing the information (Carol Stream Bikes) submitted and hope to get a response to them soon.”
Fagan praised the community involvement from area bicyclists, joggers and walkers who regularly submit suggestions for improving the area’s trail systems.
“Sometimes it’s just a quick e-mail that says, ‘Hey, I saw a problem here,’” she said. “Sometimes they take the time to write a letter.”
The DuPage County Division of Transportation manages a 92-mile recreational trail system in the county. About 40 miles of trails make up the DuPage County section of the Illinois Prairie Path, which is in the right-of-way of the former Chicago, Aurora, and Elgin Railway. Almost 12 miles long, the Great Western Trail is within the right-of-way of the former Chicago and Great Western Railroad. Pedestrians, bicyclists, and horseback riders are all welcome on the trails.
Guico hopes to get more people interested in the Carol Stream Bikes organization.
“The whole goal is to get more people biking and walking to destinations, like getting groceries and restaurants,” he said. “Plus, it fits in with the (Carol Stream) Park District’s goal of being active, which is kind of cool.”
