Lake Forest Bike Path to Be Extended

Cyclists will gain additional room as the result of a grant Lake Forest has received to add another segment to the Robert McClory Bike Path.

The $764,000 grant from the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning’s Transportation Alternatives Program will be used to fund the construction of one-half mile of a pedestrian/bike path along the west side of McKinley Road from Illinois Road to Woodland Road. The Lake Forest project was one of eight projects selected for funding out of a field of 37 considered.

The proposed shared use path directly connects two ends of the existing bike path, which provides access to regional rail transit at the adjacent east side train station on the Union Pacific North Line. The path will provide access to the central business district and several other municipalities along the bike path from Highland Park to the south and into Wisconsin to the north.

Features of the proposed bike path include:

• Improved safety for bicyclists, pedestrians, and motorists by separating bicycle traffic from automobile traffic within the train station parking lots
• Reduced potential conflicts between bicyclists and motorists
• Improved visibility of bicyclists crossing Deerpath and Westminster
• Inclusion of new ramps and pavement markings at the two roadway crossings to move bicycle traffic to the crosswalk, making use of traffic controls already in place

Construction is tentatively scheduled to start in August and to be completed by the end of the year.