Des Plaines begins bike network improvements

Des Plaines began implementation of the first stage of its bike network this week to coincide with Bike to Work Week, June 11 through 17.

Workers will be installing wayfinding signs for bike routes, and paint shared lane and parking lane pavement markings on select streets throughout the city. The work is expected to be completed by the end of July.

The city’s bicycle network routes were established through a joint effort by the local bicycle community, the city and the Des Plaines Park District over the past few years. The network was refined based upon the city’s participation in the Northwest Municipal Conference regional bike planning effort and in cooperation with neighboring Mount Prospect.

Additional connections are expected to be added to the network later this year as part of ongoing work with the Active Transportation Alliance under a 2011 Model Communities Grant Award to the city. The network is funded through a 2008 Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program grant. For more information about the city’s Bicycle Network initiatives, including a project map, visit desplaines.org/bikenetwork.