ILLINOIS TRAILS CONSERVANCY
AUGUST 2008 TRAIL NEWS
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR YOU BE AWARE OF: The proposed FY2009 CMAQ Program has been released for public comment. The public comment and review period will end August 26, 2008. See http://www.cmap.illinois.gov/cmaq/fy2009_cmaq.aspx for the proposed program and more information.
NEWS FROM ITC MEMBERS IS HELPFUL, FUN & INFORMATIVE.
ITC received $100.00 membership renewals from Eberhard Veit from Crystal Lake & Keith Mistrik from Palatine. Nancy Boldt from Rockford renewed her membership that had lapsed in 06. THANKS TO EVERYONE FOR YOUR SUPPORT
Bob Bendel from Loves Park & Tom Callum from Wheaton both notified ITC of e-mail address changes.
DuPage County Planning mailed ITC a new DuPage County Regional Bikeway Plan. Bev will have it laminated and share it with other communities as an example of wonderful Bikeway Planning. DuPage County has 462 total miles of bikeways. Check out the DuPage County website at www.dupageco.org/bikeways PLANNING IS IMPORTANT.
Jim Gehrke from Lake in the Hills has done a GREAT JOB with the ITC website to make it more informative and full of videos, photos and links for you to find out more about Trail opportunities.. Find it at www.ILLTrails.com Jimmy is also cautioning me about my AOL connection. Please let me know if you have problems contacting me at my aol e-mail address. I hate to change addresses when all my brochures list me as bebomoore@aol.com THANKS TO MEMBERS WHO SHARE SKILLS & INFORMATION.
Maurice Gianesin from Rockford and Tim McTaggart with the Starved Rock Cycling Club are monitoring conditions on the I & M Canal. Bev shared information with them that FEMA will be supplying some funds to make minor repairs but the big blowout project is dependent upon a supplemental appropriation. A few letters to the Governor might be helpful. FINDING FUNDS IS NO FUN. ITC will hold funds in a special account for repairs if you would like to make a specified donation.
Charlie Johnson from Lisle stopped in to see Bev in Capron and expressed concern about a bridge project on Highway 173 parallel to the Long Prairie Trail. He thought a flood was eminent. Sure enough, later that day the road was closed. The Trail was still open. GOOD JOB CHARLIE STAYING ALERT ABOUT WHAT IS HAPPENING ON TRAILS.
Sylvia Kellogg from Hinsdale e-mailed Bev minutes of the BRATS meeting of June 10. BRATS are so GREAT. Every community should have a local Trail Group like this one. Their next meeting is August 12 at Wheaton Park District.
Carol Krohm from Harvard shared information about Scott Krohm's run for US Congress as a Green Party candidate. She also shared information about energy conservation in Stephenson County via Illinois Energy Bike Project.
David Maki from Elmhurst shared information about the opening of a tunnel under a busy four lane road near St. Charles Road North of the Salt Creek trail that goes about half a mile. He also mentions a new bridge to take the trail over Salt Creek and into Villa Park. MORE GOOD NEWS ABOUT TRAIL EXTENSIONS & CONNECTIONS.
Bonnie Pink from McHenry has been helping Bev out watching the Side By Side Cycle Shop when Bev is involved with Trail Projects, Events and Meetings. ITC MEMBERS ARE GREAT.
Albert Whetter from Western Springs thanked Bev for rescuing him when he had a flat tire in Boone County. He did make his trip up to Sauk City Wisconsin with no more problems. ITC MEMBERS ARE TOUGH.
Gabby Greg Valent from Chicago sent Bev an article about some new substance for sealing bike paths. It is called RePlay, a soy-based asphalt "rejuvenator" and sealant that does not contain any petroleum products, penetrates deeper and dries in the fraction of time of a traditional sealer. GOOD NEWS TO SHARE. Greg also shared info from Lake County Forest Preserve about the extension of the DesPlaines River Trail north of Estonian Lane. Lake County is waiting to purchase the 1/4 mile corridor to the north. Sections of the Green Bay/North Shore/Robert McClory Trail have been repaved as well as the very urban North Shore Channel Trail through parts of Lincolnwood, Evanston & Skokie. He rode out to Mount Prospect on July 4 and found Campground Road, which runs from the trail end of Algonquin Road near the Methodist Campground to Northwest Highway US 14 at the DesPlaines River has been widened & repaved with MARKED DEDICATED BIKE LANES in each direction. MORE GOOD NEWS FOR BICYCLE RIDERS. On his return trip on July 13 he saw that more work had occurred. On July 23, Greg found out about a Feasibility Study of Use of UP Tracks as Bike/Walking Trail that would connect downtown Northfield south in Glenview & Wilmette and North into Glencoe & Northbrook. The Villages of Northfield, Glenview, Wilmette & Northbrook are working on a railbank lease in order to develop the railroad right of way.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOU IN 2008:
August 2 - POKER RUN ON THE LONG PRAIRIE TRAIL - Volunteers & Riders contact Bev at bebomoore@aol.com
August 5-10 - BOONE COUNTY FAIR - Come Visit Bev at the ITC booth where we will share info about Trails.
August 9 & 10 - Renewable Energy & Sustainable Lifestyle Fair See www.illinoisrenew.org for more.
August 12 - BRATS Meeting @ Wheaton Park Dist. Community Center - 7:30-9:00 p.m.
August 12 - "Climate Change: How Does it Affect Alton?" - 6:30 p.m. at National Great Rivers Museum.
August 16-23 - Lincoln Trail Bike Ride from Kentucky to Springfield, Illinois. Call Todd Volker at 815-431-1999.
August 13 & 14 - Safe Routes to Schools Training & Conference in Normal www.biketraffic.org/saferoutes for info.
August 23 – Party on the Path Fundraiser for Riverfront Trail in Belvidere - Building a Path to a Healthy Tomorrow
September 10 - APPLYING CONSERVATION DESIGN IN YOUR COMMUNITY. www.theconservationfoundation.org
September 17 - CNT's 30 Anniversary Celebration @ Garfield Park Conservatory. Call 773-269-4029 for Info.
September 21 - North Shore Centry Bike Ride - Contact Evanston Bicycle Club to register.
September 25 - Illinois Environmental Council 6th Annual Leadership Dinner. Call 217-544-5954 for reservations.
September 26 - Scientific Symposium on the state of Illinois' natural resources
September 27 - Natural History Survey Expo - Visit http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/150/index.html for information.
October 12 - Ride the Rivers Centry Bicycle Ride in St. Louis. Contact www.trilnet.org/century.php for information.
November 15-18 - 2008 NATIONAL TRAILS SYMPOSIUM IN LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS. Theme is Innovative Trails: Transforming the American Way of Life. See www.AmericanTrails.org/2008 for information.
ITC BOARD MEMBERS ARE BUSY WORKING FOR YOU
George Burrier from Morton sent Bev a postcard from Yellowstone National Park where he & Sandy are working as Camp Hosts through September 5. SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD WAY TO SPEND YOUR SUMMER.
Bob Hargis from Charleston was pleased to see that TREC will receive RTP Funds for their 2.7 mile long asphalt bicycle and walking trail as Phase 1 of a multi-use trail spanning Effingham County. ANOTHER GOOD LOCAL TRAIL GROUP. Bob also reports that Champaign County Forest Preserve, IDOT & Sodermon Engineering have agreements in place for another trail railbanking opportunity. BUILDING TRAILS TAKES A LOT OF PATIENCE.
ITC ACTIONS IN JULY INCLUDE:
July 1 – Created, copied & distributed JULY TRAIL NEWS to 237 ITC Members
July 2 - Received e-mail from Amy Madigan re American Hiking Society 2009 National Trails Fund Applications. To apply go to www.AmericanHiking.org before August 15.
July 2 - Received e-mail from Diane Banta at National Park Service re projects across America. ITC linked them to our web
July 2 - Received information about changing our insurance coverage. Bev completed & mailed back a questionnaire.
July 8 - Mailed a packet of Equestrian Trails to Bob Haraden in Libertyville.
July 8 - Received e-mail from Eric Oberg, Manager of Trail Development in the RTC Office in Ohio. RTC can supply you with Trail User Surveys, GIS Data and Feasibility Studies at eric@railstotrails.org or from the RTC link on our web site.
July 8 - Received e-mail from Todd Hill at IDOT in Springfield that our IABWG meeting will be reschedule to August.
July 8 - Received Recreational Trails Program and Transportation Enhancement Activities information forwarded to me from Dick Westfall at IDNR. Let Bev know if you would like to have a copy forwarded to you.
July 9 - Received e-mail from Dick Westfall that the Greenways & Trails Council Meeting would be July 16 as scheduled.
July 9 - Received e-mail from Todd Hill that he would provide ITC with boxes of Bicycle Maps for the Fair Exhibit.
July 9 - Bev clipped a newspaper article about a retired Byron teacher who biked 3,159 miles coast to coast.
July 10 - Mailed a letter to North Boone School District re opportunities for funds from Safe Routes to Schools.
July 14 - Received forwarded information about RTP Snowmobile Estimates for FY 2008 from Dick Westfall.
July 16 - Received a notice of the Busse Woods Walk on July 19 in Elk Grove Village. Wish I could have attended.
July 16 - Attended Greenways & Trails Council Meeting in Springfield. Talked to Pat Hartman from Freeport who indicated that he would be willing to serve on the ITC Board to represent Snowmobile Clubs. Vote was taken to approve FY09 Recreational Trails Program for Illinois. $2,356,000.00. IDOT agreed to fund a IDNR Seminar Workshop so Trail Builders and Developers could meet and share information. PARTNERSHIPS MAKE THINGS HAPPEN.
July 21 - Received a photo from Lovely Lynn in Marengo of the HUM Trail being "BLACKTOPPED" Imagine that!!
July 21 - Mailed a letter to IDOT to ask for shoulders on IL 116 East of IL 47. WIDE SHOULDERS WORK.
July 24 - Received e-mail address change from Mike Ulm, former Director of Illinois RTC Office. Mulm61@gmail.com
July 28 - Mailed Registration to Attend the Conservation Foundation Seminar at Waubonsee College on Sept. 10.
July 28 - Received Regional Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning News from Tom Murtha at CMAP.
July 30 - Mailed information regarding the Rakow Road project to Eberhard Veit in Crystal Lake.
July 30 - Received Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Canadian National Railway Company Acquisition of the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway Company.
July 30 - Received a forward regarding US Transportation Secretary Mary Peters Approach for America's Transportation Future which I understand totally ignores alternative forms of transportation. Apparently she wants us all to drive cars and use gasoline. YUK. Time to write more letters to the Office of Policy and Public Affairs.
MORE INFORMATION FOR YOU FROM ITC:
OUTDOOR ILLINOIS MAGAZINES are WONDERFUL. Subscribe by calling 1-800-720-3249.
Bike Traffic from CBF, Natural Land Institute, Wanderings from Hennepin Canal, McHenry County Pedaler, Illinois Environmental News, Illinois Trails of Tears & Confluence Newsletters are all available from BEV.
CONTACT ILLINOIS TRAILS CONSERVANCY at www.ILLTrails.com Contact Bev about anything mentioned in TRAIL NEWS. E-Mail her at ITC bebomoore@aol.com for info. Illinois Trails Conservancy is P.O. Box 10, Capron, IL. 61012. Cell phone is 815-289-1024.