Editor’s note: This is an edited version of Ralph Banasiak’s Along For the Ride column Sept. 10 in the Daily Herald.
Cook County boosted bicycling to the tune of over $1.5 million when Board President Toni Preckwinkle and the Cook County Department of Transportation and Highways recently announced Invest In Cook grants for five suburbs and the forest preserve district.
Oak Forest, Oak Lawn, Oak Park and Streamwood earned project construction funds, while design funds were awarded to Niles and the forest preserve’s Des Plaines/Salt Creek Trail system. Nearly $8.3 million was granted for 32 transportation-related projects this year.
Since 2017, the Invest In Cook initiative, part of the Connecting Cook County – Long Range Transportation Plan, has invested nearly $73 million in 310 transportation projects.
Bartlett Road path in Streamwood
Streamwood was awarded $250,000 in construction funds for multimodal improvements along Bartlett Road, from Streamwood Boulevard to Timber Trail, including a 10-foot-wide path in the west parkway with LED pedestrian lighting. This path will complete an 1,800-foot connection between Streamwood and regional facilities.
“The new path will replace an existing sidewalk and fill in a gap between Jefferson (Lane) and Timber Trail,” said Matt Mann, public works director and village engineer. “(The) intersection of Streamwood and Bartlett roads will also be improved for pedestrian and bicycle access.”
Already initiated engineering work should be complete in October 2026. Construction is expected to start in April 2027 and finish that October. The total project cost, including engineering, is $1.15 million. Streamwood also secured $250,000 in Safe Routes to School funding for the same area.
The project was one of the few dozen suburban projects rejected for the latest “Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program” funding awards in May; $857,000 was requested. It also comes on top of the bike-pedestrian bridge being built to the west over Route 59.
Oak Park’s Neighborhood Greenways
Oak Park was awarded $250,000 to help fund construction in 2026 of its Neighborhood Greenway-Bike Boulevards.
Per village engineer Bill McKenna, the system has been under construction since 2023. According to the July 2025 Oak Park Bike Plan Update, it’s a network of low-traffic, residential streets designed to prioritize bicycle travel and improve safety for riders of all ages and abilities.
Improvements include designated lane markings, signage, bicyclist/pedestrian- activated flashing beacons, speed limit reductions, curb bump-outs and other traffic calming facilities.
Design for approximately 10.6 miles of 2026 work is underway, with the village expected to seek bids in early 2026, begin construction next summer and finish in October. The estimated cost of the 2026 work is $2.5 million, with local capital improvement funds planned for the project.
Des Plaines River/Salt Creek trail system
In the Cook County forest preserves, $218,000 in design engineering funds from Invest in Cook will help address two significant gaps in the Des Plaines/Salt Creek Trail system near Riverside and Brookfield: an 0.85-mile stretch between Parkview Road and Ogden Avenue, and 0.59 mile between Millbridge Road and Ogden Avenue.
Completion timelines are unavailable this early in the design phase. The current cost estimate for construction is $1.7 million, including a new bridge over Salt Creek and a segment of boardwalk.
Oakton Street path in Niles
Niles received an $80,000 grant for design of a shared-use, 10-foot-wide path extending 2,200 feet from Waukegan Road to Caldwell Avenue on Oakton Street’s south side.
Improvements include ADA accommodations and safety buffers, plus a connection to the North Branch Trail.
According to Mitch Johnson, Niles communications and multimedia coordinator, the design phase is expected to be complete in 2026. The overall project cost, estimated at $2.9 million, covers detailed design engineering, construction engineering, and construction.
Niles anticipates applying for construction and construction engineering funding through the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program and other grants.
Oak Forest and Oak Lawn
Other Cook County suburbs earned construction grants: $416,000 for Oak Forest’s Natalie Creek Trail-Central Avenue Segment, and $306,000 for the Oak Lawn Park District’s Wolfe Wildlife Bike Trail.
Oak Forest already got a $2.2 million Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program grant in May for a 10-foot path along the north side of 151st Street between Ridgeland Avenue and Central Avenue. It was one of the 38 suburban bike-ped projects to secure such grants.
The Oak Lawn Park District got a $1.7 million ITEP grant for the Wolfe Wildlife trail in 2023, according to news in The Reporter. The project is to replace the paths and lighting at the Wolfe Wildlife Refuge, at 109th Street and Laramie Avenue.
Also getting money but …
Several suburbs also earned grants for roadway or pedestrian projects that incorporated bicycling improvements — though it’s unclear now what will happen with one of them.
Rolling Meadows was awarded $50,000 in preliminary engineering funds for its plan to reduce about a milelong portion of Kirchoff Road from two lanes in each direction to one, with a center turn lane. Bike lanes were to be added. But the city council just rejected that plan.
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