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County officials tout trail and road improvements in north suburbs
Bike riders and pedestrians in Harms Woods, like this rider on the bike trail on the east edge trail, should have a safer time getting there after improvements proposed by Cook County are completed in a few months. | Dan Luedert~Sun-Times Media
WHAT: local
road repairs
and sidewalk connectivity
WHERE: Harms Road, south Glenview
WHO: Cook County Highway Department
Updated: September 3, 2012 6:09AM
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said Wednesday that making suburban county highways more accessible and improving pedestrian walkways and trails were high among the county’s infrastructure priorities.
Preckwinkle and other county officials, including Commissioner Greg Goslin, were in south Glenview to announce the repaving of busy Harms Road from Golf Road to East Lake Avenue had been completed.
The Cook County Highway Department is working on connecting sidewalks along Harms Road that lead to the Forest Preserve District’s North Branch Trail at Wilmette Avenue.
Once completed, the project will provide a safer crossing for users from surrounding areas, including Glenview, Skokie and unincorporated Cook County, Preckwinkle said.
“In a few short months, more people will be able to enjoy a beautiful walk during the spring, summer and fall.”
“This type of neighborhood sidewalk-and-trail connectivity is in keeping with the Complete Streets Ordinance recently adopted by Cook County,” she said.
Preckwinkle also said the ordinance considered all users of the public right-of-way, including motorists, pedestrians, cyclists and citizens with disabilities.
Other highway improvement projects in the north and northwest suburbs mentioned:
Lake Cook Road from east of Pfingsten Road to Waukegan Road in Northbrook and Deerfield will be reconstructed and widened starting in spring 2013.
Bartlett Road from Lake Street to Golf Road and Mount Prospect Road from Northwest Highway to Busse Road will undergo patching or base repair to the existing pavement and a final surface treatment.
John Yonan, Cook County superintendent of highways, said the department will continue to replace signal equipment with new energy efficient LED lights on all traffic signals.
Preckwinkle pointed out some of the road projects will use recycled stone and concrete for base fill.
“My administration supports and encourages environmental sustainability, so I’m especially proud that we are employing a green recycling process to improve our roads.”
