Since 2005, Homewood has been working with the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation to establish safe transportation and recreational opportunities for its residents. Flossmoor had the chance to join this partnership, but chose not to, citing that bike paths aren't cost-effective. Since then, Homewood has captured over $140,000 in grant money to support their efforts to bring alternative transportation to this region. Making routes safer not only takes care of our current residents and local businesses, but it is also a selling point for potential homeowners.
Establishing a bike path doesn't have to be as expensive as it sounds. Perhaps if the current board acknowledged that many residents in Flossmoor bike (or walk) to the train station, their kids'school, our library, and local businesses, we wouldn't have had another Missed Opportunity.
The widening of Kedzie Avenue would have been the perfect time to meet all these goals. Olympia Field's portion of Kedzie includes a dedicate Bike Lane, which abruptly ends when Kedzie crosses into Flossmoor. Even though the widening of Kedzie was a Cook County project, Olympia Fields worked with the county to get a better and safer route for taxpayers.
When the Flossmoor portion of Kedzie was under construction, a few blocks of sidewalk (from Lawrence Crescent to Vollmer Road) would have provided safer accessibility to Flossmoor Commons. It isn't unusual for residents in the Heather Hills area to "chance" the few sidewalkless blocks to get to Flossmoor Commons in order to enjoy a dinner out.
Once again, a Missed Opportunity.
Do you have a suggestion to keep pedestrians and cyclists safer? Where you think a few blocks of infrastructure would make your life easier? Your input is important to this candidate.
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