Evanston Transit Alliance: Area cyclists weigh in on biking issues

Editor’s note: This is a package of two stories on area biking. To see the other story on planned improvements on biking trails, click here.

Evanston Transit Alliance recently polled a couple hundred local cyclists to see what they enjoy about biking in the area and where we can improve. 

We received feedback from more than 60 cyclists – anyone who has biked occasionally or perhaps daily through our streets and trails. 

This is by no means a scientific survey or representative of all citizens, but nonetheless we’ve captured interesting results.  

Evanston Transit Alliance is a local advocacy group dedicated to improving our connection to the regional trail network. 

We feel that our area, from Wilmette through Evanston to Rogers Park, represents a gap in this region’s network.  We promote trail connections and conduct community rides to highlight our trails and dead ends.  We recognize that our trails are valued not only by bikers but by walkers, runners and others.

Note: In our poll, you will notice many mentions of the North Shore Channel Trail here. This is our second waterfront and holds great potential for recreation and transit, with possible future connections to the Sheridan Road lanes, the Green Bay Trail, to Church Street and ETHS, along with increased access to the coming Skate Park, and off-road access to Chicago’s north side.

You will also see mention of the Weber Spur, which is a vacant railbed left behind when the Chicago and North Western Railway discontinued its use in 1958. It connected to the Union Pacific line near the intersection of Green Bay Road and Simpson Street, and angles through Evanston to the southwest. Also known as the Mayfair Cutoff, It is responsible for the vacant bridge viaducts that now have colorful murals at Foster Street and Church Street and others. Its scar-like path is identifiable by the high-tension power lines going through town, by the elevated intersection of Lake Street and Dodge Avenue, and by all the trapezoidal parcels, such as those occupied by the ETHS parking lot, Evanston Plaza at Dodge and Dempster, and the Main Street Commons. Five years ago, Lincolnwood paved their one-mile segment of the Weber Spur from Touhy to Devon. 

A. What’s your favorite local trail?

1a. Chicago Lakefront Trail: Without a doubt, the jewel of our region–made possible by the Burnham Plan that envisioned public parkland along the lakefront built from debris of the Great Chicago Fire. Apparently, they ran out of debris or willpower to extend park and trail through Rogers Park and Evanston.

1b. North Branch (Forest Preserve) Trail: Tied with Chicago’s Lakefront.  What’s not to like (other than lack of bike lanes there from Evanston)? – extensive trail through park, wetlands and woodlands.

3. North Shore Channel Trail: It’s the one true trail in Evanston, running from the dead end at Green Bay Road south to Lawrence Avenue in Chicago.  From there, one can catch the Manor Greenway to the beautiful 312 RiverRun and continue on to Belmont Avenue.  Chicago aims to expand trail access along the Chicago River, its “second waterfront”.  Can Evanston and Wilmette follow their lead and extend the trail through Canal Shores Golf Course to Wilmette Harbor?  Stay tuned.

B. Best existing bike infrastructure in Evanston

1. Sheridan and Chicago Avenue bike lanes: First place by a wide margin, likely reflecting satisfaction with links to bike lanes through Wilmette and beyond for many miles of pleasant biking.  Evanston’s portion of the lanes are destined to grow south beyond the current endpoint at Davis, to Howard where one can connect with the 49th Ward Greenway.
2. Evanston’s Lakefront Bikeway: This path runs a mile from Lee Street north to Northwestern Campus. Many no doubt think of it continuing north onto what is officially the school’s emergency vehicle route along the edge of the campus, and south of Lee Street through the private Edgemere Court. However, we pedal north and south beyond city property only out of the kindness of private owners’ hearts.
3. Church and Davis Street bike lanes: Parallel lanes that run east on Church and west on Davis.  Evanston plans to extend Church Street lanes, which currently lead to ETHS, continuing westward to the Channel Trail.  These lanes beat out the busy Dodge Street lanes in our poll– a poll that probably didn’t include any high school students.

C. Most promising Evanston bike infrastructure plan

1. Chicago Avenue bike plan (Davis Street to Howard Street): This plan would extend lanes that end at Chicago Avenue and Davis Street south to connect with 49th Ward Greenway.
2. Dempster Street underpass on North Shore Channel Trail
3. Church Street bike lane (ETHS west to North Shore Channel Trail)

D. Most promising Evanston parks initiative

1. Expansion of Mason Park (west to Weber Spur [a.k.a. Mayfair cutoff] vacant rail bed)
2. Reopening of Dog Beach (at Church Street and the lakefront)
3. Skate Park (in Twiggs Park, at Green Bay Road and North Shore Channel)

E. Evanston location with biggest need for bike infrastructure improvement

1. Southern lakefront (east of Sheridan Road and Calvary Cemetery)
2. Evanston’s section of the Weber Spur (vacant railbed running southwest from Simpson and Green Bay Road, east of ETHS parking lot and on through Lincolnwood toward the I-90/94 split in Chicago)
3. North Shore Channel (North of Green Bay Road through Canal Shores Golf Course to Wilmette Harbor)

F. East-west street in Evanston most in need of a bike lanes

1. Main Street (connecting Lee St Beach, Crown Center, business district with Skokie’s bike lanes)
2. Oakton Street (connecting recreational resources: South Blvd Beach, James Park, Rowing Center, and Skokie’s Sports Park)
3. Golf Road (connecting Emerson Street lanes to Forest Preserve)

G. Evanston infrastructure change posing biggest threat to bike transit

(Full disclosure: we provided only one answer to this question.)

1. Narrowing of Poplar Street to move commuter parking off Union Pacific property. We find this a concerning change as Poplar is a designated bike route and the entry point to the Green Bay Trail in Wilmette.  Also, the Evanston Transit Alliance is working on extending the Channel Trail to connect with the Green Bay Trail, our shortest means of bridging our trail gaps.

H. Best local community advocate for cyclists

1. Tim Gustafson (Planner with Epstein Architecture, Engineering & Construction): Tim is very knowledgeable, a great communicator, and a key player in the Chicago Avenue project and North Shore Channel Trail extension project.
2. Paul Boyd (long-time champion of The Last Four Miles Initiative from Friends of the Parks (Chicago)): ETA inspiration and role model
3. Mayor Daniel Biss: We appreciate the mayor’s willingness to listen and support the Channel Trail extension project
4. Bobby Burns (5th Ward Councilmember): ETA would like to acknowledge Councilmember Burn’s critical support on Channel Trail extension project

I. Best partner organization for improved sustainable transit

1. Active Transit Alliance
2. Three way tie: Skokie Bike Network, Citizens Greener Evanston, Go Evanston

J. Stakeholder with most room for improvement in sustainable transit

(Full disclosure: only one answer was provided, but we received some write-in candidates.)

1. Union Pacific: despite being a big player in sustainable rail transit, UP seems to be a recurring barrier to trail development (ex: Weber Spur)
2. City of Evanston
3. Metra
4. Illinois Department of Transportation

K. Best community resource for cyclists

1. Bucephalus Bikes
2. Wheel & Sprocket Bikes
3. Tie: The Recyclery and The Pony Shop

L. Best news source for biking issues

1. Evanston RoundTable
2. Streetsblog
3. Evanston Now

M. Best destination to refuel while cycling

1. Sketchbook Skokie
2. Sketchbook Evanston
3. Temperance Brewery
4. FRIO Gelato

N. On which route should ETA plan a group ride in 2023?

1. Green Bay Trail / McClory Trail toward Kenosha
2. North Shore Channel Trail south to Belmont
3. Lakefront (where possible) toward Indiana
4. Weber Spur (where possible) to Bryn Mawr and I-94

We would like to thank everyone who provided feedback to our poll.  We’ll keep the poll active if others want to share opinions. We would also like to thank those who have joined us on rides and advocacy work in the past year.

Positive developments

We’re thrilled with the momentum we’ve gained toward extending our one trail–the North Shore Channel Trail–through Canal Shores Golf Course to Wilmette Harbor.  This is a short but complex project involving many stakeholders and hurdles. It offers the prospect of linking the Channel Trail to the Sheridan lanes and to the Green Bay Trail in order to create real regional connections. This mere 1.5-mile trail extension would bridge our trail gap and make possible off-road transit from the Wisconsin border to Chicago’s north side.

We are also intrigued with efforts to utilize the Weber Spur for parkland and transit.  There is long term potential to connect with Lincolnwood’s paved portion (the one-mile Union Pacific Trail) and on to Chicago’s yet to be developed section connecting with the North Branch Trail and Skokie Valley Trail.  

The City of Evanston is also making real progress with plans of bike lanes on Chicago Avenue linking to existing lanes, north and south.  Also, extending Church Street lanes beyond ETHS to the Channel Trail is on the drawing board, as well as a Channel Trail underpass at Dempster Street. 

Work to be done

The poll touched on several areas in need of improvement– most glaring among these– our lakefront.  The south lakefront at Calvary Cemetery acts as a “do not enter” sign to Evanston.  If lakefront property is our most valuable, why is this section so neglected?  Biking, walking and running on either the narrow strip of sidewalk or Sheridan Road could be hazardous. Traveling along our lakefront requires skirting private property to access patches of parkland.  Edgemere Court is a popular biking and pedestrian route but is a private road with a narrow entry point and signage discouraging bikes.  Perhaps Chicago’s example and an increasingly volatile waterfront will inspire future generations to build a continuous protective strip of parkland and trail along the lake, accessible to all. Let’s begin by reconsidering the design of our southern lakefront.

Improved access along our lakefront and channel, plus enhanced east-west bike lanes, could transform Evanston from the place where the tails end to the center of regional active transit. 2022 has been a great year for bike and pedestrian transit plans.  Please join ETA to help build these connections, and come on any of our group rides in 2023. Join our Facebook group or email us for more information.