By Ed Lowe
Senior Writer
The Mayor's pleas for additional parkland for the City and his destruction of Meigs Field make the efforts of a small group of near northwest side residents all the more poignant. The group, calling itself Friends of the Bloomingdale Trail, have been seeking public funds to further their plan to take some unused railroad right-of-way and convert it into a running and bike path that knifes through parts of the City least served by public facilities.
The trail would run roughly between North Avenue and Courtland 2 3/4 miles west to the Humboldt Park YMCA. These abandoned tracks cut through Wicker Park, Bucktown, parts of Logan Square and some of Humboldt Park. At one time the heavily industrialized area served such familiar Chicago icons as the Schwinn Bicycle Company, Armour Meat Packers, and Illinois Steel, all victims of the shrinking of the industrial base in Chicago.
Now, a group of young community activists want to see this area redeveloped. New condos are being built or converted along the way, new retail merchants are thriving in the areas involved. The members of the Friends group feel it's time for the City to take action to help with this improvement. A similar trail in Manhattan along its West Side Highway has proved very popular there.
According to Tim Lane, the general manager of the Goose Island Brewery Restaurant at 1800 N. Clybourn Ave., and an active member of the group, they are very low key. They have virtually no money to pursue their dream but they have a lot of enthusiasm for the project. Lane told Inside that the four aldermen, in whose wards this right-of-way runs, will each have to give their approval for the project. The four are Billy Ocasio (26th), Rey Colon (35th), Manny Flores (1st) and Ted Matlak (32nd). Then, there will have to be a federal grant to further the project. This could come as a result of some 1991 legislation called Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act. Applying for funds under this act would involve the help of Congressman Luis Gutierrez and the federal government.
The work that has to be done represents a considerable expense. Viaducts over major thoroughfares will have to be upgraded or rebuilt. Fencing will have to be installed for safety reasons along the entire length of the track. The only serious objection so far comes from a few condominium developers who feel that the raised tracks will interfere with their apartments' elements of privacy.
Currently, according to Lane, the areas involved are used by some homeless people and squatters whose presence he feels also interferes with condo sales. The basic problem is that the raised tracks are at about the same height as condo windows. Then, there's the complexity of getting access to the right-of way. Currently the property of the Canadian Pacific Railway, the railroad must formally abandon the track. Then, federal authorities must rule that the line no longer serves its original industrial purpose. Only then can the City take over the strip of land. To their credit, Canadian Pacific has agreed to deed the right-of-way to the City for $1.
The Chicago Department of Transportation has a plan, called "The Chicago Trails Plan," which would encourage the development of biking trails throughout the City. One of the considerations of the sponsoring groups is the fact that this trail will be cut through a number of Hispanic areas and their literature reflects this awareness with its bilingual presentation.
Each of the areas through which this trail would pass has specific interests. So far, the City has done nothing to attempt to coordinate the various legitimate concerns of these parties.
The Friends of Bloomingdale Trails needs volunteers and it needs money. To get more information or to get involved, contact the group through its Web site, www.bloomingdaletrail.org, or email the group at info@bloomingdaletrail.org. Efforts of organizations such as Friends of the Parks and other community groups who have both organizational expertise and sources of funding are sought. |
