DuPage Forest Preserve President Supports East Branch River Trail

(Oct. 24, 2018) — Forest Preserve District of DuPage County President Joe Cantore on Tuesday voiced support to allocate funds for the planning and development of the 31-mile East Branch DuPage River Greenway Trail from Bloomingdale to Woodridge.

“The Forest Preserve District is a leader in developing and connecting trails in DuPage County,” Cantore said. “I am interested in making the long-anticipated East Branch DuPage River Greenway Trail a reality.”

The Forest Preserve District is seeking to jointly apply with the County and Village of Glen Ellyn for a Local Technical Assistance Planning Grant with the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) to fund evaluation and review of a portion of the proposed trail between the Great Western Trail at Churchill Woods Forest Preserve in Glen Ellyn and Butterfield Road (IL 56) near Hidden Lake Forest Preserve in Downers Grove.

Cantore asked Forest Preserve District staff to make it a priority to identify funding to support trail planning as part of their budget recommendations for the next fiscal year, and encouraged commissioners to approve funding.

“Hopefully, with the District’s support and the partnership of the county and others, we can move closer to the day when residents can enjoy the East Branch DuPage River Greenway Trail as an addition to the amazing trail system here in DuPage,” Cantore said.

With the completion of trail projects at St. James Farm Forest Preserve in Warrenville and a connector for the North Central DuPage Regional Trail by the end of the year, the Forest Preserve District has worked collaboratively to complete 8.6 miles of trails in the last three years. Another 4.1 miles of trails are scheduled for construction on Forest Preserve District property over the next three years.

These connections extend access to over 200 miles of regional trails in DuPage County and several hundred more miles of regional trails in adjacent counties.