Bloomingdale Trail reveals community infused concepts and gets funding

This last week has been a victory for the tenacity of the Bloomingdale Trail (BT) Project that started a decade ago. It is a shining example of how public engagement as part of a government/private vetting process can work successfully.

The respectful behavior exhibited by all the players in this project's journey has aided in moving the project forward while building a positive momentum and excitement as talk turned to actions and accomplishments began occurring.

A big reward for that work came with the final chunk of funding needed to move into the next phase. Part of the $290 million infusion into Chicago Park District coffers announced by Mayor Rahm Emanuel this week and private donations will get the Trail its $9 million.

Held in Yates Elementary School, 1839 N. Richmond, just days before Emanuel's announcement, a 150 people at a Bloomingdale Trail (BT) concept presentation, exhibiting and discussing the Framework Plan, were told that approximately $9 million private dollars were needed to take the project to the engineering phase. Approximately $36 million of the required $46 million will come from CMAQ (Congestion Mitigation and Air Quailty) Federal funds.

While the $46 million budget will be split evenly between infrastructure and site improvement,  landscaping, ongoing maintenance and improvements will require more funding. Supported by many partnerships, the 2.7 mile the multi -level trail's primary partner ship is between The Trust for Public Land (TPL), Friends of Bloomingdale Trail (FBT), City of Chicago and Chicago Park District.

With the ultimate goal of having FBT as the long term steward of the trail, TPL is functioning as the "green infrastructure developer," as Beth White, TPL's Chicago Office Director, puts it. They are taking the lead on future fund raising efforts as well as overall coordination and management of the project.

At the Mar. 8 concept meeting, it was obvious that the community voices at the previous meetings were heard loud and clear.  Identifying the major subjects as privacy and sense of security, American Disabilities Act compliance, location of access points, celebration of nearby historical sites and defining its use based on park usage  or commuter bike trail, the presenters responded with six of the several objectives used in designing the concepts presented.

Objective 1:
Honor and enhance the Bloomingdale's unique attributes:

• Capitalize on the variety of experiences that are created by the elevated structure and its separation from cars.
• Preserve the sense of discovery on the site.
• Enhance the connection to the natural world that is experienced along the top of the trail
• Highlight the unique construction methods and scale of the existing retaining walls.
• Restore and rehabilitate the industrial infrastructure to meet current standards and allow for long-term use as a public trail and park.

Objective 2:
Balance trail and park aspirations:

• Use design and signage to communicate expectations of speed on, and appropriate use of, the path.
• Provide separate paths, where appropriate, to maximize enjoyment of the Bloomingdale by users.
• Create an environment where both pedestrians and bicyclists feel safe and welcome.

Objective 3:
Create a signature public space that is integrated into the community while honoring the need for separation between the public and private realm:

• Concentrate group gathering spaces and activities in broad embankments and nearby parks. Allow for the top of the trail to be dedicated to linear movement and smaller group activities.
• Create unique experiences when transitioning from the street level to the top of the viaduct.
• Respond to privacy desired by neighbors while also providing eyes on the trail.
• Provide a unified park experience across the length of the site by creating continuity in site elements. Introduce variety to distinguish park nodes.

Objective 4:
Integrate access to the Bloomingdale into the city's transportation, park, and social infrastructure:

• Provide a variety of access point types that respond to a range of trail and park users.
• Enable safe, shared use between cyclists and other users at access points.
• Use existing city and social infrastructure to locate access points and improve routes to them along the trail.

Objective 5:
Create a safe and welcoming environment:

• Use lighting, path design, and sight lines to create an environment that enhances the feeling of safety on the Bloomingdale.
• Communicate expectations about speed on, and appropriate use of, the path.
• Connect to the ground level in a way that is safe and sensitive to the surrounding community.
• Work with the community to create an environment that promotes safety.

Objective 6:
See and experience the Bloomingdale as a living work of art:

• Use a wide range of artistic approaches.
• Strengthen community use and stewardship of the Bloomingdale through the arts.
• Reflect local interests, concerns, and history of the structure through the arts.
• Introduce visitors to the Bloomingdale neighborhoods through the arts.

Understanding that the ideas presented were concepts, plans come in the next phase, the audience appeared pleased with the presentation. Many left the main meeting room to investigate the materials posted along the walls of the school's corridor.

A. J. Latrace, a bicyclist from Logan Square is excited about this project, "Anything that can connect multiple neighborhoods using old infrastructure makes a lot of sense. A lot of people ask "Who is this for? Is it a trail? Is it a Park? I don't think it is going to be for any particular demographic."

"The Park District will do some level of maintenance but they are limited by budgeting and staffing. That will need to be taken in consideration when the designing is done, " commented another viewer of the materials after the meeting. "These illustrations showing lush plantings will only be possible if some other entity is going to take care of their planting and maintenance."

Richard Karwowski, of the United Block Club of West Humboldt Park, commented, "Once this bike lane becomes available, property values will be going up. It will give greater access from our area to downtown via easier connections to other transportation routes."

Glenn Brettner from the United Block Club of West Humboldt Park and a member of the Humboldt Park Advisory Council, said, "I do not see the argument that this will be less safe. There will be more people and more lighting which tends to lessen not increase crime."

So what is next? More public engagement once the engineering phase is underway. Stay tuned.