The Stearns Road missing link: Bike-ped projects not getting state funds

The state in May announced 66 bicycling and pedestrian projects that will get the latest “Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program” funding awards, and 38 were in suburban Chicago.

But about three dozen suburban bike-ped projects were rejected for funding. Among them was a much-needed off-road path along Stearns Road that would connect a path on Munger Road in Bartlett with James “Pate” Philip State Park to the west. Other projects would finally build a bike path into Morton Arboretum from outside it, from downtown Lisle in this case, as well as an intriguing idea for Dunham and Kirk roads in St. Charles, and paths under Route 59 in Bartlett and Route 14 in Des Plaines.

The approved projects included bike-ped bridges, new trails or off-road paths, accessible streetscapes, and other “projects designed to encourage safe travel across various modes of transportation at the local level,” an IDOT press release said. An “all-time high in funding was made available,” it said.

One document (below) puts the Stearns Road missing link project at 1.67 miles, but the state list of rejected projects puts it at 2.8 miles, extending it east to Sayer Road just west of Route 59, with $3 million requested. A path does already exist east of Munger, though it soon turns into a basic sidewalk to Sayer; a full path of varying quality resumes after Sayer and goes all the way to County Farm Road.

The state said projects were “awarded based on their readiness, connection to transportation networks and other economic drivers, as well as their ability to secure public support and provide public benefits. Additional consideration was given to projects serving areas with higher needs.” The department received 233 applications; the next call for projects will be in 2026.

The rejection for the Stearns Road path leaves DuPage County and maybe Bartlett leaders ​looking for other ways to allow bicyclists riding the nice new path on the west side of Munger Road, or coming from east Bartlett, to more safely travel the less than 2 miles west to Pate Philip State Park. Their option now is to ride the Stearns shoulder, which may or may not be a comfortable ride.

The video below demonstrates the ride, as well as a bit of the ride back east to get to Munger in order to cross back over to the existing Stearns Road trail.

Other grants could be sought for the work, such as from IDOT or the federal Safe Streets For All program.

These would be nice, too

Other suburban projects rejected for state funding are rather good ideas. To wit:

South Barrington: Three bike paths, on Penny Road, Mundhank Road and Bartlett Road. More serious and maybe casual bicyclists ride these roads now, but it’s a snug fit with traffic. (What’s needed, too, is a path along Barrington Road between Mundhank and Central Road, where a path then takes riders across the tollway into Hoffman Estates.)

Cary: Nearly 3 miles of off-street paths and bike lanes along Rawson Bridge Road, which would take riders across the Fox River into Port Barrington and elsewhere in Lake County. Again, serious road cyclists ride this, but there is traffic to be sure. (Here’s a video of some of this lovely stretch.)

Streamwood: A 10-foot off-road path along Bartlett Road from Streamwood Blvd. to Timber Trail. This would help residents get around Bartlett Road a little more safely. The request was for $857,000.

Aurora: An off-street path on Eola Road leading to Waubonsie Creek Trail, presumably providing a connection from Waubonsie Valley High School and retail to neighborhoods. Eola gets particularly busy around there. Also requested was $2.9 million for a 1.44-mile path and sidewalk along Odgen Avenue.

Bartlett again: A underpass with a 10-foot path, under Route 59 at West Bartlett Road. $960,000 was requested. An ambitious idea, but it’d sure be nice to avoid crossing busy Route 59.

Lisle: A 2.3-mile, 10-foot path from the downtown Metra station north to the Morton Arboretum entrance. Could there really be a nice way to bike to the Morton Arboretum? This was also only a $960,000 request.

Wheeling: An 8-foot off-road path on Wheeling Road between Palatine and Dundee roads, plus a sidewalk. Wheeling could use more north-south connections. (What would happen north of Dundee and south of Palatine Road?)

St. Charles: A 3.9-mile multi-use path along Dunham Road, Kirk Road and Foxfield Road that would create a triangle. It definitely would be nice to have help on Dunham and Kirk. Only $483,000 was requested for this. (Help would be nice on Dunham north of the Kirk intersection to the Illinois Prairie Path and Stearns Road, too.)

Skokie: Bike lanes, pedestrian refuges and more along the length of Main Street. Increased bike-ped safety in a busy area is always a good idea.

Richmond: A 10-foot shared-use path along routes 12 and 173 to allow residents to get across this small town just south of the Wisconsin border. The village has just released an impressive community-driven bicycle and pedestrian plan.

Des Plaines: A bicycle-pedestrian underpass at the Northwest Highway S-curve. Always like safer ways across Route 14.

Lincolnshire: A 1.2-mile multi-use path along Milwaukee Avenue. Not a bad idea in this busy area near the Des Plaines River Trail.

Other rejected projects

These are also on the list of requests. Bear in mind, again, that the rejection for state funding doesn’t necessarily mean the projects are dead. These are listed in order of “review score” on the state list. Projects for only sidewalks or beautification are not included.

• Johnsburg: Riverside Drive multi-use path.
• Westmont: Pedestrian underpass between Cass Avenue and Adams Street.
• Hillside: A half mile of bike lanes along Taft Avenue.
• Roselle: Pedestrian improvements along Roselle Road. A bike path in Goose Lake also was rejected. A big project along Irving Park Road did get funding.
• Oak Brook: Reconstruction of 1 mile of path along York Road.
• Plainfield: Shared-use path and pedestrian bridge downtown.
• Glencoe: Two pedestrian truss bridges near North Shore Congregation Israel.
• Hazel Crest, Markham, Harvey: 1.5-mile multi-use path along Wood Street.
• East Hazel Crest: 0.75-mile, 10-foot path along 172nd Street.
• Orland Park: 10-foot shared-use path along Wolf Road by McGinnis Slough ($3 million request).
• Algonquin: 8-foot multi-use path off Boyer Road.
• Barrington: 8-foot multi-use path off Hough Street from Route 14 to Providence Road.
• River Forest: Various bicycle and pedestrian improvements along Washington Blvd.
• Buffalo Grove: 1.24-mile shared-use path along Checker Drive.
• Lake County and Libertyville: Adler Park bike path connection along East County Farm Road (only $120,000 sought for early engineering).
• Orland Park: Bike path reconstruction at 153rd Street and Ravinia Avenue.
• Justice, Bedford Park: I&M Canal bike trail extension.
• Rolling Meadows: An 8-foot bike path across the library parking lot.
• Burr Ridge: A trailhead and pedestrian crossing signal at Joliet Road and the frontage road, by I-55.
• Spring Grove: Widening English Prairie Road to make room for 5-foot bike lanes.
• Brookfield: A bike-pedestrian path through Creekside Park to the Metra station. (Marked “incomplete submittal.”)
• Northfield: Various improvements along Happ Road, including a roundabout at Orchard Road and a bike path. (Also marked “incomplete submittal.”)

 
• Do you find information like this valuable? Consider donating to help defray the costs of this website.