Residents want Elk Grove Village to be more bicycle friendly

A newly-formed group of cycling advocates wants Elk Grove Village to become a more bicycle-friendly community.

Residents Lee Skinner and Dave Simmons of The Friends of Cycling in Elk Grove made a presentation this week before the village board.

The group would like to see Elk Grove recognized as a bicycle-friendly community by the League of American Bicyclists, Simmons said.

Naperville and Schaumburg already have earned bronze-level designations as bicycle-friendly communities, while Elmhurst and Warrenville have received honorable mentions from the league.

“We’d like to do what we can to help us join that trend,” Skinner said.

With gas prices expected to soar this summer, cycling is the more economical and green choice for residents when driving short distances around town, Simmons said.

“What we’re trying to do is get people excited about cycling in Elk Grove,” Simmons said. “We want to encourage residents to choose a bike over their motor vehicle whenever possible. Residents can save a little money and get healthy at the same time.”

The Friends group has 26 core members, including residents, business owners, park district staff and village Trustee Pat Feichter, and has access to a database of more than 600 email addresses of residents it plans to reach out to, Skinner said.

The group also is active on Facebook, he added.

Skinner said the village board’s endorsement would lend more credibility to the group’s efforts.

The group’s long-term goal is implementation of a community bike plan or to have the village adopt the regional bike plan promoted by the Active Transportation Alliance.

“We’d like to collaborate with the park district, village, library, schools, businesses and residents,” Simmons said. “A community that has more cyclists is a more vibrant community.”

Group members also aim to work with the police department to educate motorists and cyclists about the rules of the road regarding cycling.

The village’s support could help the group secure grants for cycling-related improvements to village streets, Simmons said.

“We are not looking for tax dollars,” he said. “We would seek improvements through grants. Working with the park district and village would create some clout.”

Elk Grove Mayor Craig Johnson, himself an avid cyclist who put the village on the cycling map with the Tour of Elk Grove, said he was excited by the group’s efforts and directed staff to draft a supportive resolution for the board to adopt.

“We’ve got probably one of the best bike trails in the world right in our backyard,” Johnson said alluding to Busse Woods.