



by BRIAN NADIG

The city Department of Transportation will hold a community meeting on Tuesday, May 26, on the planned Weber Spur bike and pedestrian trail that will go through parts of Jefferson Park, Mayfair and Sauganash and extend into the north suburbs.

Initial plans called for the trail to stop about two blocks north of Lawrence Avenue near the intersection of Elston and Kimberly avenues, but at the recommendation of Alderman John Arena (45th), the planned trail has been extended further south to Cicero and Sunnyside avenues. The trail would be constructed along a former railroad line.

About 3 years ago Arena asked the transportation department to consider extending the trail to along the east end of the former Mayfair Lumber site, which the city is acquiring to build new Northwest Side facilities for the Departments of Streets and Sanitation and the Water Management, Arena’s chief of staff Owen Brugh said. In that area the former railroad line runs along Cicero, which is the eastern boundary of the former lumber yard, 4825 W. Lawrence Ave.

The city is going through court proceedings to acquire the Mayfair site, while it already has purchased a smaller adjacent parcel that was used by a portable washroom company, Brugh said. Moving the sanitation facility at 4639 N. Lamon Ave. to the lumber site will provide parking, traffic and noise relief to residents who live in that area, he said.

While plans call for the water facility at 4900 W. Sunnyside Ave. also to move to the lumber site, a fueling station for city vehicles will remain at its present location, Brugh said.

Extending the trail south to along the lumber site makes sense given that there are existing bike lanes on Lawrence, from which users will be able to connect to the trail, Brugh said.

The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. in Hamming Hall at North Park University, 3225 W. Foster Ave. A formal presentation will start at 6:15 p.m., followed by break-out sessions in which participants will be asked for comments.



