Des Plaines River Trail Ribbon Cutting Ceremony And Bike Ride

Mayor Martin J. Moylan and the Des Plaines Police Department are pleased to announce that the Des Plaines River Trail Ribbon Cutting Ceremony and Bike Ride will be held on Saturday, June 4, 2011, at the Public Works Garage Facility, 1111 Joseph J. Schwab (Campground Road), one block east of River Road, off Algonquin Road.

Registration for the ride, which will be appropriate for all levels of bicyclists, will take place beginning at 8 AM at the Public Works facility, where the ride will commence and end.   Giveaways will be provided to the first 200 participants.  All bicyclists are required to wear a helmet and sign a waiver.  Representatives of Advocate Lutheran General Hospital will be selling helmets for $10.  

Des Plaines Police will escort bicyclists along the trail.  Professional cyclists, Project 5 Racing Members, Village-Verdigris Racing Team Members and representatives of other local bike racing teams will be present.  In addition, Executive Director of American Bicycle Racing Bob Lundberg will be on hand to answer questions about the sport. 

At approximately 9 AM officials will cut a ribbon followed by the onset of the ride which is approximately 9 miles and will conclude with a free lunch.  Hotdogs, provided by the Des Plaines Police Department, and pizza, compliments of Roselli’s Pizzeria, 1128 Lee Street, will be served.  104.3K Hits Radio will entertain at the lunch.  

Currently, sponsors include the Journal & Topics Newspapers and Sam’s Club.  The ribbon cutting and ride will mark the culmination of a 3-year effort by the City of Des Plaines to improve the existing Des Plaines River Trail through the City.  The project consisted of improving 2.8 miles of the existing Des Plaines River Trail with stone surface, construction of new trail along the north side of Ballard Road, in order to close an existing trail gap, safety improvements at the roadway crossings, and new wayfinding and interpretive signage.  The project was funded in part through a Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program grant awarded to the City in 2008.  The trail improvements were conducted in coordination with the Forest Preserve District of Cook County which owns the trail and surrounding Forest Preserves.  Additional information and a project map are available on the City’s website, http://www.desplaines.org/rivertrail . 

 For more information or to register before the event contact Des Plaines Police Officer Colin Johnson at 847-391-5410.