First published Sept. 9; updated with feedback contact info.
The first designs of an off-road path along Klein Road in west DuPage County have been revealed, and they have the path on … the west side, not the forest preserve side.
The Wayne Township Road District drew a good crowd at its Sept. 8 open house to start collecting feedback on the paved connector trail that would run about 3.5 miles. Many were Klein Road residents whose driveways or other property the new path would cross.
Not all were happy with that or also any possible loss of trees, but Wayne Township Highway Commissioner Martin McManamon and project engineers made it clear that the west side is where the path has to go — so that the township can control and maintain the path instead of the DuPage forest preserve district, which also wants as little as the adjacent West DuPage Forest Preserve disturbed as possible.
Wayne Township has been leading the project for more than a decade, but the project is only now in “Phase 1” of planning — the initial designs and public feedback period. Official feedback is being taken through Sept. 22 via email to the address wtrd@sbcglobal.net. “To date, the vast majority of comments have expressed SUPPORT for the project,” the Wayne Township Road District posted on Facebook.
Independently, an online petition supporting the path also has been created. The township’s project exhibit is available online, too.
There would still be a Phase 2 for final designs and Phase 3 for construction, which would be years away. A flyer indicates “preliminary design complete by end of 2027” with “construction pending additional outside funding.”
Wayne Township, the forest preserve district and City of West Chicago would be supplying equal parts of about 40% of the $5 million needed; government grants must be obtained for the rest. A small portion of the project falls in Bartlett, too.
The details
Klein Road is a great cycling road along the west border of the forest preserve. Especially on the hill halfway through the road, it offers a great view of the preserve’s prairie landscape.
But bicyclists do have to ride right on the road to get the experience. The traffic is usually light, but there are no shoulders on the road, so when traffic gets busy or simply speedy as many say it often is, it’s not so comfortable for casual bicyclists or families.
At the same time, the road is close to local paths and even a regional trail. A path on the east side of Fair Oaks Road — another Wayne Township project on the other side of the forest preserve — provides access to Carol Stream as well as the West Branch DuPage River Trail. That connects south to the Great Western Trail via an underpass that helps riders avoid crossing nearby North Avenue.
You could also ride south on Klein to St. Charles Road, which you’d take east to that river trail and underpass.
To the north, you can zigzag from Klein to Smith Road to Petersdorf Road, cross Army Trail Road and catch a path by Bartlett High School. That links to another path through Bartlett and to more DuPage preserves.
The plans create an 8-foot-wide path that would replace all those road options and make the connections. It would run off the south side of St. Charles, the west side of Klein, the northwest side of Smith and the west side of Petersdorf.
The St. Charles Road portion of the path would include a new bridge over the West Branch DuPage River. The overall path would almost complete a trail loop around the West Branch preserve.
Logistics
The township says rights-of-way and easements would be needed from more than 15 properties, including West Chicago’s Meadow Wood Park and some forest preserve land after all, particularly off St. Charles Road.
Culvers under driveways appear off a lot of the west side of Klein, but engineers say they could easily be moved and/or land graded to create drainage and accommodate the path.
Some residents worry about bicyclists and others crossing their driveways, creating safety risks or just bringing people close to their properties. Others have argued that fast cyclists will conflict with casual bicyclists and other trail users including children, and that the forest preserve district could have made a path to do the job within the West DuPage Forest Preserve when it was revamped about a dozen years ago.
But the township worried more about people having to cross Klein Road to use any path on the east side. As for cyclists on the path, the fast road cyclists are likely to stay on the road as they prefer.
In any case, the forest preserve district has long made it clear it doesn’t want a new path on its land off the east side of Klein. Wayne Township completed its own bike plan, with the forest district’s input, in 2015, and it included the Klein Road path. Forest district board President Joseph Cantore in 2016 sent a letter of support to the township, with a key caveat.
The path would “improve the quality of life for DuPage County residents and others by providing a safe transportation alternative with direct connections to residential areas, local businesses, Bartlett High School, Benjamin Middle School, Wheaton Academy, and hundreds of acres of parks and forest preserves,” the letter read.
“Because the Forest Preserve District has recently completed extensive habitat-restoration efforts at West Branch Forest Preserve, I encourage you to work closely with District staff and your consultants to determine the route that will impact natural areas within the preserve the least.”
The “very preliminary” project cost estimate was $3.1 million back then.
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There is a grass path that is already in place on the east side of Klein Rd just into the West Branch Forest Preserve. The original plan years ago was to have that new bike path improved for bicycling and walking. I guess it’s easier to push Klein Rd residents to give up a decent portion of their property and privacy, along with established landscape and driveways, than to deal with the Forest Preserve District? The proposed path is just over a half mile from Gerber Road and Army Trail Rd. where the West Branch trail that connects to the Fair Oaks path is already in place. That trail heads north to the east/west trail along Schick Rd. Spending millions for a trail that’s already in place 1/3 mile away is ridiculous. Improve the grass trail on the east side of Klein and connect it out to Army Trail Rd just west of Gerber. The argument regarding “habitat-restoration efforts at West Branch Forest Preserve” is a joke. They removed almost all of the trees in that “forest” preserve except those nearest the river and the lakes. An improved path just off the east side of Klein Rd. which is already in place seems to make so much more sense.