NEWSLETTER Fall 2001
New Campaign to Save the Special 8
Environmental Impact
Prevent a New Street Crossing
Importance of Open Space Unless we act now to provide for open space preservation, more valuable natural areas will be lost forever. The loss of open space also leads to the destruction of wildlife habitats. More than 2,000 species of fish and wildlife in the United States are listed as threatened or endangered. "In addition to saving these 8.3 pristine acres, we need to prevent any new street crossing and protect the thousands of trail users on this very busy section of the IPP. We are asking all trail users and everyone interested in preserving the Special 8 to contact the following local and county officials," Kirchenberg said.
Write a Letter!
Remembering Joan Birnie Hamill Equestrian and Longtime IPP Board Member Next to her family Joan Hamill loved horses best, and trails like the Illinois Prairie Path where she could ride horses. Her equestrian passion developed early as she was growing up in Chicago, where she learned to ride a pony in Lincoln Park. It continued through her school days at the Masters School at Dobbs Ferry, New York, and college years at Vassar and the University of Chicago. In 1937 she married Corwith Hamill who understood her fascination with horses. When the Hamills moved to Wayne, Joan's interest in children, environmental causes and horses deepened. She volunteered as a member of the Wayne School Board, as a Girl Scout leader and as a director of the former Ridge Farm Preventorium, now the Chapin Hall for Children. She was also a founding member of the women's boards of the Field Museum and the Chicago Zoological Society and a world traveler with her husband Corky to interesting nature preserves around the globe. She helped found the first units of the United States Pony Club in the Midwest and served as an instructor and coordinator at the Wayne DuPage Hunt Pony Club. She also served on the boards of the U. S. Equestrian Team and the U. S. Pony Clubs. She liked training and caring for horses, and riding in competitions and long-distance events, as well as fox hunting in the United States, England, Ireland and France. Although Joan was also one of the founders of The Illinois Prairie Path not-for-profit corporation and made sure that the trail was open to horses, she modestly did not want her name listed as a member of the first board of directors. It should have been. She was our longest serving treasurer, from 1968 until she resigned in 1991, when she was named honorary chairman of the board. She was renowned for her skill in generating grants and contributions to the fledgling corporation and then stretching those dollars to pay for trail building. Joan, 84, died of Alzheimer's disease on July 22 at her home in Wayne. She is survived by her husband Corky, son Jonathan, daughters Nancy Hamill Winter, and Elizabeth Bramsen, seven grandchildren and one great-granddaughter. A beautiful memorial service was held at the Little Home Church on Army Trail Road in Wayne. As the church bells tolled and the hundreds of mourners filed out after the service, they watched members of the Wayne DuPage Hunt in their red and black coats ride by followed by a symbolic riderless horse with boots reversed in the stirrups. A tribute to a rare and courageous woman who always said what she thought and fought for what she believed in.
IPP Cook County Update
Cook County Cleanup Once again, Borg Warner Corporation graciously supported the IPP cleanup with donuts, coffee, orange juice, bags and gloves. The 2001 cleanup was completed at three locations with one group from the Boys and Girls Clubs starting in Maywood at 1st Avenue heading west; another group starting in Bellwood at Mannheim Road and heading east; and the Borg Warner, IPP, and Morton South volunteers tackling the middle section around 25th Avenue. The students worked in a section of the IPP that had never before been cleaned up and over the next two hours removed a small mountain of recyclables and litter. The cleanup removed several loads of trash and recyclables.
Bellwood Prairie 2001 This is the second year that the Borg Warner Corporation has supported the Bellwood Centennial Project with staff, refreshments and financial contributions. The hard work of the volunteers, a couple of good prairie burns, several cleanups, and the selective use of herbicides to control a thistle problem have helped transform a previously litter strewn, thistle infested area into the IPP's newest demonstration prairie. In 2002 we hope to continue the success of the past two years and once again double the size of the Centennial Prairie.
Borg Warner's Executive Workday Once again, The IPP wishes to extend its sincerest thanks to the Borg Warner Corporation for ongoing support of The IPP, and our sincerest congratulations to Plant Manager Dan Paterra and his wife, who celebrated their anniversary on August 13.
News from League of Illinois Bicyclists
10 Years of Bicycle Facility Funding - "TEA" for Trails Have you noticed that it's been a pretty good decade for trails and bicycling? Since 1991, federal transportation money spent for bicycling has gone from essentially nothing to $15-20 million each year in Illinois. Projects on the Illinois Prairie Path have included the Batavia Spur Kirk Road bridge and the eastward extension to Maywood. Grand Illinois Trail segments have been built, such as the Old Plank Road Trail, the Burnham Greenway, the I&M Canal Trail between Rockdale and Channahon, and this year's 61-mile addition, the Hennepin Canal Trail. Illinois now has a full-time state bicycle coordinator (and an assistant). Bicycling planning has become a required part of long-range transportation plans in urban areas throughout the country. These changes are the result of the landmark Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA), the first federal legislation to recognize bicycling and walking as forms of transportation. Trails and bicycle projects improving transportation have been emphasized over short recreational loops, as bicycling has been viewed as a part of a broad solution to air quality and congestion problems. The momentum of ISTEA's policies and funding has trickled down to the counties and several towns served by the Illinois Prairie Path. ISTEA revolutionized bicycling and other areas of transportation, including public involvement in decisions. These reforms were kept in the 1998 reauthorization of ISTEA, known as the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21). However, bicycle facility funding will once again be under attack during the next funding renewal in 2003. Road-building groups want to reclaim this small 1-2% of the total pie. A national coalition of bicycling and trail advocacy groups, including the League of Illinois Bicyclists, worked hard to maintain this funding in 1998 - and we'll be at it again over the next two years. Stay tuned, we'll be asking for your help!
Butterfield Road Expansion to Impact Illinois Prairie Path, Other Trails Butterfield will be widened to four lanes, probably during 2004. A wide right-of-way (200') allows a "rural" road cross section with an 18-30' median to accommodate left-turn lanes and 10' paved shoulders for traffic-tolerant bicyclists and pedestrians. Local agencies can request any new sidewalks or parallel trails. If they can prove a "transportation need" for these facilities, IDOT will pay 50% of the construction costs. The League of Illinois Bicyclists is heading an effort to ask IDOT to change their local cost-sharing policies for sidewalks (and parallel trails). Illinois towns pay much more for state highway sidewalks than their counterparts in other states, so many are not built. The Illinois Prairie Path has requested that the trail remain open - or have a suitable bypass - during the construction. Specific IPP concerns were also mentioned. The Batavia Road crossing may be brought adjacent to Butterfield for increased safety. Improvements to the Winfield Road crossing will be examined, along with the Blackwell Trail's crossing of Butterfield at the same intersection. The underpass at St. James Farm will be maintained. The DuPage Forest Preserve District asked IDOT for grading to facilitate their connection from that same underpass to Herrick Lake Forest Preserve. Push button (pedestrian-activated) lights were requested for each major intersection - possibly higher on the pole for equestrians. Other trail opportunities were explored. A wider bridge over the DuPage River's West Branch would accommodate sidewalks or trails parallel to Butterfield - and Warrenville residents going to Blackwell Forest Preserve. A longer bridge might enable a trail underpass for the West Branch trail system, if stormwater issues permit. Wheaton requested sidewalks on the north side from Cromwell to Wiesbrook. A potential trail on the south side from Orchard to Cromwell could then be connected to the Forest Preserve's Danada Trail. After further discussions, formal requests, and studies, the next step will be a public meeting to display the plans. This should take place later this year.
DuPage CountyTrail NewsHighlights
New State Funding to Build Regional Trails
Villa Park and County Working Together on New Trail Improvements The second component of the project is to construct the connector path between the GWT and the Illinois Prairie Path. At the present time, knowledgeable trail users proceed through a series of parking lots and side streets to access the eastern terminus of the GWT. However, for most people, it is difficult to find the GWT without traveling on Villa which is a busy street. This new connector path will provide a safe off-road link between these two regional trails. The total cost for these improvements is $389,339. Villa Park has been successful in securing federal and state grants to pay for the majority of the project cost and the County and Village will be sharing the required local matching funds. Design engineering will begin immediately and construction is expected to be completed by 2003.
New Logo for GWT
Proposed Southern DuPage County Trail Some of the major features of the proposed trail include:
The preliminary estimated total project cost for new construction to complete this trail is $7.6 million. Funding sources have not yet been identified. |