Plan To Improve Biking, Walking In Northbrook Taking Shape

NORTHBROOK, IL — A master plan to make Northbrook more friendly for bicycling and walking is being drafted by a team of consultants hired by the village. Alta Planning and Design will present the plan to the Village board committees in the spring.

More than 50 residents showed up at a public meeting last month to get a look at the initial results of months of meetings with members of the community and research into possible improvements.

The consultants are collecting feedback through the Village of Northbrook website, holding public meetings and by interviewing residents in heavily trafficked areas – like the Metra station, YMCA, Park District and Library.

“The Master Plan will give actual recommendations on how to fix the problems and empower the Village to make changes,” said Tim Gustafson of Alta.

Intersections with the most crashes involving bicycles include Skokie and Lake Cook, Techny and Shermer and Dundee and Landwehr, the consultants reported.

Busy roads with high speeds like Dundee, Willow, Lake Cook, Pfingsten and Waukegan, pose the largest barriers to making Northbrook more bike friendly.

Residents asked for improved and safer access to top destinations like the Chicago Botanic Garden and Northbook Court. And walking for recreation anywhere outside of immediate neighborhoods is a challenge for some residents, according to the report.

Residents also prize their access to local bike trails – like the nearby Skokie Valley, Green Bay and North Branch trails.

There are plans to extend the Skokie Valley Trail from Lake Cook Road south to Voltz Road through Northbrook, where riders can follow bike lanes down Happ Road, Village Engineer told the Northbrook Star in November.

But, consultant Gustafson said in December, not all the roads in Northbrook are within the jurisdiction of village trustees, the Star reported.

Some, like Dundee, are state highways, while others are controlled by the Cook County Department of Transportation.

"We have to get them to spend money for you," he said in December.

The plan is looking to balance the needs of more serious bike riders with more casual cyclists, as well as bring more foot traffic into Northbrook businesses. The consultants will also take a look at ways to improve access at transit stops, schools and parks.

Some solutions identified so far include better crosswalk ramps when roads are resurfaces, buffered back lines or bicycle sharing programs – like Chicago's Divvy bikes, according to the Northbrook Chamber of Commerce.

Better parking at the train station and the wide and high-traffic streets around Maple School and Glenbrook North High School were also identified as issues of concern from members of the public.

The plan will next survey schools, businesses and local community groups to keep looking for ways to increase walking and biking around town.

A draft of the plan heads to the Public Works Committee and the Plan Commission in March before a formal public meeting is held in April.

» Submit your comment, find out more and sign up for more information from the Village of Northbrook's Master Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan

_{Top photo via the Village of Northbrook}