Improved Des Plaines River Trail open for biking

A three-year effort to improve the Des Plaines River Trail through Des Plaines will culminate with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and bicycle ride on Saturday, June 4.

The project involved improving 2.8 miles of the existing trail with a stone surface, construction of a new trail along the north side of Ballard Road to close an existing trail gap, safety improvements at the roadway crossings, and new wayfinding and interpretive signage.

The project was partly funded through a Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program grant awarded to the city in 2008. Trail improvements were made in coordination with the Cook County Forest Preserve District, which owns the trail and surrounding forest preserves.

“We invite and encourage everyone to come out for the Des Plaines River Trail Bike Ride,” Des Plaines Mayor Marty Moylan said in a news release. “A lot of planning and hard work went into the development of this bike trail and now it is time for us to enjoy it. This is a wonderful opportunity for us to experience nature, have fun, and celebrate the community of Des Plaines.”

The ribbon cutting ceremony will be held around 9 a.m. at the city’s Public Works Garage Facility, 1111 Joseph J. Schwab Road (Campground Road), east of Des Plaines River Road and off Algonquin Road.

Registration for the bicycle ride, open to all levels of cyclists, will begin at 8 a.m. The roughly 9-mile ride will begin and end at the building.

A free post-ride lunch will be provided by the Des Plaines Police Department and Roselli’s Pizzeria.

All bicyclists are required to wear a helmet and sign a waiver. Representatives of Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge will be selling helmets for $10. There will be giveaways for the first 200 participants.

For information or to preregister contact police officer Colin Johnson at (847) 391-5410. For trail information, go to desplaines.org/rivertrail.