Wheeling seeks input on village bicycling, walking conditions
Wheeling will hold a public meeting next week for residents to discuss local biking and walking conditions, part of the village's ongoing plan to improve transportation in town.
The Active Transportation Alliance is hosting the meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 22 at the Indian Trails Public Library, 255 Schoenbeck Road, in Wheeling.
Residents are invited to share thoughts on how to improve conditions for alternative means of transportation in Wheeling, including access to trails, safety and awareness. The input will help Wheeling build a strategy for improving walking and biking in the community.
The village hired the Chicago-based organization in November to create a plan for bike and pedestrian paths. Wheeling is funding the effort through an $80,000 grant from the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning.
“We're trying to make the streets more accessible for bikers, walkers and people who take public transportation,” said Barb Cornew, community outreach manager for the Alliance. “We want to know what the residents like about their streets and what they need.” Alliance members last week took a 16-mile bike ride through the village to get a feel for the community.
Cornew said some parts of the plan will be simple, such as educating the community on bike safety or encouraging community bike rides, while others will be more involved, such as reworking bike and pedestrian paths in the village. The plan will be unveiled to village officials this fall.
Those who cannot make it to the meeting can take an online survey at www.surveymonkey.com/WheelingBikeWalkPlan or Cornew at barb@activetrans.org or (312) 427-3325, extension 383.