Mayor unveils plan to improve Chicago lakefront, parks

CHICAGO (AP) - Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel says he has a plan to improve the city's parks and recreational areas along the lakefront and the Chicago River.

Emanuel on Tuesday pitched a plan he's calling "Building on Burnham." It's a nod to Daniel Burnham, who more than a century ago recommended ways to preserve parkland in Chicago neighborhoods.

The mayor says he wants to repave seven miles of the city's 18-mile path along Lake Michigan. His plan also calls for separate lanes for bicyclists and runners in some of the lakefront path's busiest stretches.

Emanuel is also proposing additional recreation areas, such as a climbing wall and a "world-class" indoor track and field facility.

He said the costs would be covered through a combination of federal funds, private dollars and local property taxes.