Gurnee has plan for improving village's pathways

Responding to residents' concerns that the sidewalks and bike paths in Gurnee are lacking, a village commission has created a list of 30 projects they say will improve accessibility and connectivity for pedestrian and bicyclists.

The recommendations include adding multiuse paths to areas currently without sidewalks and turning some high-traffic sidewalks into wider paths to allow for two-way bicycle traffic.

"You guys have exceeded all of my expectations," Mayor Kristina Kovarik told the committee members after their presentation to the village board Monday. "I can promise you this will not sit on the shelf ... this is great and very useful."

Gurnee's sidewalk infrastructure and walkability was a top priority among residents during the development the 2016-2021 strategic plan.

Kovarik said that after officials got that feedback they formed the commission to provide specifics on where paths should be built and why. The committee also recommends which government agencies the village should partner with to get projects done.

"We have limited funds and this helps us know where to get the best bang for buck," Kovarik said.

Hunt Club Road is one area that the committee identified as being both highly trafficked by pedestrians and bikers and also suboptimal for properly accommodating them.

To fix this, the committee recommends building an 8-foot-wide path on the west side of Hunt Club Road from Washington Street to Dada Drive. Doing so would provide a direct connection to multiple businesses, including grocery stores, as well as a link to existing pathways in the village, according to the commission.

Commission Chairman Richard McFarlane also recommended that the village look into adding more signs to direct people to existing paths.

"If you drive around (Gurnee) you wouldn't know where the existing bike paths are," said McFarlane, a village resident.

Village Administrator Patrick Muetz commended the committee on their hard work, which was accomplished over the course of 10 months.

"You guys knocked it out of the park on this," Muetz said. "This is another tool in our arsenal."

Kovarik said officials immediately will begin looking for ways to start the projects recommended by the commission.