Illinois Page 4

EYE ON: Illinois' Bloomingdale Trail

Posted 10/09/13 by Laura Stark in | Tagged with Design Strategies, Featured Magazine Articles, Illinois, Local Organizing, Urban Pathways

At nearly 20 feet above four northwestern Chicago neighborhoods, the Bloomingdale Trail (a.k.a. The 606) will be a park in the sky. It's a lofty project to be created from an elevated rail line that once was referred to as "an overgrown linear jungle." Plans for the rail-trail include a dramatic facelift, featuring art plazas, entertainment venues, flowering trees, winding nature walks off the main trail, an astronomy observatory, and benches where trail users can rest and enjoy the views.

Illinois' Constitution Trail - a Backbone of Thriving Communities

Posted 10/03/13 by Garry Little in America's Trails, Success Stories | Tagged with Illinois, Local Organizing, Trail Communities

For almost 25 years the Town of Normal and the City of Bloomington have been working together to build a linear park treasured by the community that provides residents and visitors with a variety of terrains and experiences. Now a connected web of trail weaving in and throughout "Blo-No," the Constitution Trail is known and loved as one of Illinois' most important trail systems.

Illinois' Old Plank Road Trail

Posted 10/01/13 by Laura Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with Illinois, Local Organizing, Overcoming Opposition, RTC in Action, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month

Traveling along the tranquil Old Plank Road Trail today, you would never know the site was once the cause of heated debate and a contentious struggle lasting 20 years. The paved 22-mile rail-trail now offers a canopy of oak trees and sugar maples rustling overhead, delicate prairie grasses that stir with the passage of bicyclists, and soft purple wildflowers that peek up through the green underbrush.

Rock Island Trail, Illinois

Posted 07/01/13 by Laura Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with Illinois, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month

Midway between Chicago and St. Louis, lies a rail-trail of such character and beauty that it inspired a lifetime of trail advocacy in not just one, but two recipients of our highest honor, the Doppelt Family Rail-Trail Champion Award. One of these champions, former U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood grew up in Peoria, which anchors the southern end of the Rock Island Trail that winds through central Illinois.

From the Capitol to the Countryside, There's a Lot Going On in Illinois

Posted 06/06/13 by Rhonda Romano in Policy | Tagged with Illinois

Here at Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, we got a lot of love for the Prairie State. Illinois is doing some terrific things related to its trails and bike- and walkability, from downtown Chicago to the rural reaches of the southern part of the state.

In Chicago, Safe Sidewalks a Valuable Medicine

Posted 05/07/13 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in Health and Wellness | Tagged with Illinois, Schools and Young People, Urban Pathways

Occasional Rails to Trails magazine contributor John Greenfield wrote in Chicago Streetsblog and Newcity magazine of the Consortium to Lower Obesity in Chicago Children (CLOCC), a group based out of the Lurie Children's Hospital which focuses on walking, biking and active play to help kids maintain healthy weight levels.

Report Released: Making Trails Count in Illinois

Posted 03/30/13 by Eric Oberg in Trail Use | Tagged with Case Studies, Facts and FIgures, Illinois, Tourism and Economic Stimulus

Today, our friends at Trails for Illinois released the Making Trails Count in Illinois report. This 13-week study of trail use was done in partnership with Rails-to-Trails Conservancy. The study documented that some trails in Illinois are receiving as many as 100,000 visitors a year.

Canton, Illinois Moves Quickly to Reuse Vacant Rail Corridor

Posted 02/04/13 by Kelly Pack in Building Trails | Tagged with Corridors and Railbanking, Illinois, State and Federal Programs

Illinois Rail-Trail Ride Perfect for First-Timers

Posted 05/15/12 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with Encouraging Trail Use, Illinois, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Wild and Wonderful

Covering a spectacular triangle loop of rail-trails west of Chicago, GITy Up! is purposefully designed for those who haven't done many long rides before but are keen to take the plunge. The route is flat and largely car-free, and there will be plenty of mechanical and gear support on-hand.

Chicago Mayor Announces Funding in Place to Begin Building the Bloomingdale Trail

Posted 03/12/12 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in Building Trails | Tagged with Champions, Illinois, State and Federal Programs, Urban Pathways

Though often prefixed by the words "long-awaited," and "delayed," the Bloomingdale Trail project to convert an elevated rail line in Chicago into a multi-use recreational space is moving ahead pretty quickly these days.

Caring For a Common Space: Research Connects Urban Greening With Safer Neighborhoods

Posted 02/21/12 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in Building Trails, Success Stories | Tagged with Case Studies, Facts and FIgures, Illinois, Maryland, New York, Overcoming Opposition, Pennsylvania, Safety and Law Enforcement

The results demonstrated that vacant lot greening was associated with consistent reductions in gun assaults across all four sections of the city, and consistent reductions in vandalism in one section of the city. There were also a number of stress and wellness benefits for local residents associated with transforming the neglected sections.

Chicago's Englewood Neighborhood Aims for its Slice of Green with New ERA Trail

Posted 10/19/09 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in Building Trails | Tagged with Illinois, Trail Communities, Urban Pathways

Running through the Englewood neighborhood, which was recently described by the Chicago Sun-Times as "impoverished and desperate," the New ERA Trail would run on a nearly two-mile inactive elevated corridor currently owned by Norfolk Southern.