Greene Valley Trail Link ribbon cutting Oct. 18
Representatives from the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, the City of Naperville, the Naperville Park District and the Lisle Township Highway Department will join together to celebrate the ribbon cutting for the Greene Valley Trail Link on Tuesday, October 18 at 1:30 p.m. at Greene Valley Forest Preserve. Members of the public are invited and encouraged to join in the ribbon cutting. Parking is available along Thunderbird Road off 79th Street.
“Trails are a great part of forest preserve features offered to hikers, bicyclists, equestrians, cross-country skiers and other recreation enthusiasts by the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County,” Forest Preserve District President D. “Dewey” Pierotti Jr. said. “After learning about neighbors' and forest preserve visitors' concerns about connectivity to the Greene Valley Forest Preserve trail system, the Forest Preserve District worked with the City of Naperville, Naperville Park District and Lisle Township Highway Department to plan, finance and construct a trail link, which will serve as a valuable community resource. ”
This new 1,500-foot trail connection links the Greene Valley Forest Preserve and a neighborhood bike path, which ends at 79th Street and Yackley Avenue in Naperville. Previously, neighborhood users traveled down 79th Street, a two-lane township road without shoulders or sidewalks, to reach the Greene Valley trail system.
“The safety of Naperville's residents and visitors is the City's top priority,” Mayor A. George Pradel said. “We want all outdoor enthusiasts, especially our families, to have safe and convenient access to regional recreational opportunities. This trail connection is yet another example of how different governmental entities can work together to make life better for area residents.”
The new trail link offers access to a much wider trail network, as Greene Valley's existing 11-mile trail system is connected to the Southern DuPage Regional Trail, which runs east-west from Burr Ridge and Hinsdale to Aurora, and will be part of the planned East Branch DuPage River Trail, which is slated to run north-south from Bloomingdale to Woodridge and into Will County when complete.
“By collaborating with other agencies in this trail project, the Naperville Park District can help meet the need for an expanding network of multi-use trails, which remains one of the most requested outdoor recreation amenities for our community,” said Naperville Park District Executive Director Ray McGury.
All four agencies in the intergovernmental agreement made equal monetary contributions to this project. In addition, the Forest Preserve District and Commonwealth Edison Company approved a lease agreement to permit trail construction across ComEd property that runs through Greene Valley.
“I'm pleased this project is moving forward,” Lisle Township Highway Commissioner Michael Dow said. “This trail link will make this area much safer for residents of Naperville and Lisle Township. It's a great safety measure long overdue. I'm grateful to the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County for helping make this happen. I know that people have wanted this kind of trail access for a long time.”
For more information about the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, visit www.dupageforest.org. For more information on the City of Naperville, visit www.naperville.il.us. For more information on the Naperville Park District, visit www.napervilleparks.org. For more information on Lisle Township, visit www.lisletownship.com.