EBC Members in Skokie, Evanston 60201and Wilmette --
Some of you may have noted the post by Charlie Saxe on EBC Social about the opportunity to comment on potential infrastructure improvements on Crawford between Golf and Oakton (2.2 miles). EBC itself doesn't take a stand on road projects in municipalities unless they are roads the club regularly uses and there are safety issues. But we encourage our members to participate in their own community's decision making related to making roads better and safer for all cyclists. While this stretch of road is entirely within Skokie, it is a continuation of the portion of Crawford that abuts north Evanston and becomes either Ridge or Hunter in Wilmette -- a well-used north/south corridor for many of us.
Skokie has done an unusually nice job in presenting the information about possible options (4) and providing a good survey. (I've seen quite a few of these and, believe me, this presentation is among the best and easiest to understand.) Phase 1 (this phase) is the beginning of a process that usually takes about four years from conception to completion. This is the phase where citizen views have the greatest impact on designing the scope of the project; it is usually a prerequisite for obtaining funding.
When reviewing the options and taking the survey, please respond as an individual cyclist who may want to use Crawford for either recreation or transportation (and not as someone on a group ride). For reference, the first alternative treatment (my personal fave) - Standard Travel Lane with Striped Parking and Bike Lanes and Narrower Median - is very similar to the bike lane treatment on Main Street in Skokie from McCormick to Lincoln (24' of roadway in each direction for Thru Lane, Bike Lane and Parking). You could also suggest an entirely different approach in the comment part of the survey if you wish.
I hope many of you will choose to take a few minutes to participate in this Crawford Avenue Project survey. Many thanks to Charlie Saxe for bringing this to our attention.
Barbara Miller
Community Outreach Chair |