Municipal conference has more bicycling plans

We agree with the insightful observations in the Dec. 9 editorial, "Schaumburg's plans to be more bike friendly are great, but we need regional planning." Schaumburg's plan to expand access to resources that support bicycling in their community complements the Northwest Municipal Conference Multimodal Transportation Plan, which helps set the stage for significant expansion of bicycle and pedestrian facilities in the Northwest Suburbs.

The goal of the plan is to further collaboration across municipal boundaries and provide shared data and tools to improve regional bicycle and pedestrian connectivity. With the help of our member communities, stakeholders and residents, we collected data and performed a detailed analysis to identify priority bicycle corridors and better connect the region's existing system of trails into a comprehensive bicycle network. NWMC houses this data on our website and tracks the plan's progress via online GIS tools where stakeholders can provide comments, suggestions, and updates.

We acknowledge that effective planning does not happen in silos, and the biggest barriers to connecting our region can be complicated and expensive projects. Analysis included in the plan notes that eliminating barriers such as crossing expressways and rail lines is projected to cost just as much as building out the full network of priority bicycle corridors.

NWMC is using its role as a facilitator of intergovernmental cooperation to actively build on past plans and engage individual communities to implement the multimodal plan's recommendations. We encourage residents, stakeholders, and government leaders to continue their commitment to expanding bicycle and pedestrian connectivity and help create a more connected, equitable, and healthy region. To learn more, please visit www.nwmcmultimodalplan.org.

Mark Fowler, Executive Director

Northwest Municipal Conference

Des Plaines