Elgin bike plan set to roll

Elgin leaders are ready to shift their citywide bikeway plan into high gear.

City council members on Wednesday likely will give the green light for several agreements with an engineering firm and the Illinois Department of Transportation.

In all, the moves will OK spending some $3.9 million on 9.7 miles of dedicated bicycle lanes for the northeast and southwest areas of the city.

"Bicycling is part of being a complete city. There's a lot of people who like riding bicycles and we want them to be safe," Mayor Ed Schock said. "This a greening, recreational and safety issue."

The city is on the hook for only about $772,000, or about 20 percent of the total cost.

That's because city leaders, with the help of residents, crafted a citywide bike plan and used that to help acquire a grant from the federal government in late 2008.

Councilman David Kaptain said the bike lanes will encourage alternative transportation, connect neighborhoods and parks, and give riders a clear route around town.

"It's an important step for us," he said. "It gets vehicles off the streets. It will pay long-term dividends for the city of Elgin."

The city has launched a comprehensive sustainability effort, aiming to revamp city codes, use more green technology and encourage people to think beyond just fluorescent light bulbs.

Both Schock and Kaptain believe the bikeway project could help pave the way for even more grants in the future, even if it's not related to bike riding or alternative transportation.

In the northeast, a 2.7-mile trail will be created to connect Kimball Street and the Fox River Trail to Congdon Avenue. In the southwest, the 6.7-mile trail will connect a trail at Bowes Road on the far west side to Hendee and National streets.

Work on the bike lanes is expected to begin next summer. In many cases, the bike lanes will striped along existing roads.

Last summer, city officials angered some business owners after the city eliminated parking along the south side of Walnut Street to create dedicated bike lanes.

Schock pledged to have more communication with residents and businesses this time around so the plan can be adjusted if needed.

"Businesses have different needs than residents," he said. "We frankly didn't do a good job taking into account their needs."

Bikes: Work begins next summer