Park Ridge Mayor Marty Maloney announced the creation of a citizen task force with the focus on bicycling opportunities after a request from the city’s residents.
The Bike Planning Task Force will aim to improve the biking environment within Park Ridge by making recommendations and changes, according to the Chicago Tribune. Between eight and 10 members will serve on the task force, Maloney says, who will address the bicycling needs of the city and bring them to the City Council for consideration.
Melissa Hulting, a Park Ridge resident, created a Facebook group called “Bike and Walk Park Ridge.” Hulting, along with others involved in the group, asked city officials to create a task force to update the city’s 2005 bike route plan on June 13. They also requested safer biking options be implemented, including protected bike lanes.
One of Hulting’s suggestions is to create a bike lane on Busse Highway.
“Such a bike lane would help implement Park Ridge’s part of the Northwest Highway Corridor bike plan, which lays out a bike corridor from Barrington to Park Ridge that would connect the suburbs to the city,” she told the Tribune. “It would also connect the north and central parts of town.”
Anyone who is interested on serving on the task force is to complete an application by July 25, and email it to Deputy City Clerk Cheryl Peterson at cpeterso@parkridge.us. Applications can also be found at City Hall, at 505 Butler Place.
