Bartlett launches committee to promote bicycling, running
Bartlett could be the perfect rest stop for bicyclists riding from Elk Grove Village and other suburbs to the Fox River, Bartlett resident Terry Witt says.
And now that Witt, director of advocacy with Bartlett's Spin Doctor Cyclewerks, is on the village's new five-person Bike and Run Plan Advisory committee, he and the other members will help advise the village staff on bike and run projects and initiatives.
Bartlett Village Trustee Michael Camerer was appointed to chair the group, and committee members Joe Stacy, Dan Palmer and Bruce Hendricks were announced Tuesday.
Witt says he hopes the committee will also advocate for Complete Streets, a concept that improves conditions for bicyclists and pedestrians at intersections. Three Bartlett intersections along Route 59 will undergo construction this summer, and Witt says a Complete Streets plan should be incorporated.
"We should make it safe for pedestrians and make it safe for bicyclists," Witt said. "The goal of Complete Streets is to make it safe for the most vulnerable."
Bartlett Village President Kevin Wallace expects the committee will promoting wellness and getting more people to bike to the Metra station instead of driving.
"There aren't as many villages placing a big enough emphasis on bicycles," Wallace said.