JULY 2009 TRAIL NEWS - Happy Fourth of July!!


INFORMATION RECEIVED FROM RAILS TO TRAILS

  • $1.5 billion fund created by ARRA may be used to build “new or improved biking and walking infrastructures”. TIGER Discretionary Grants first round applications are due Sept. 15, 2009. Consult Federal Register/Vol. 74, No. 94/Monday, May 18, 2009 for details.

  • First draft of the federal surface transportation bill was released & approved unanimously by the House T & I Subcommittee on Highways & Transit. It contains the creation of an Office of Livability that would be responsible for the full array of active transportation programs such as Enhancements and Safe Routes to School.

  • Letter from the Federal Highway Administration states that “the TE portion of the stimulus funds will retain their character as TE funds (in recipient states) which reflects a change from previous online guidance that could have been spent on road or highway projects.

  • Transportation Enhancements Summary of Nationwide Spending indicates Illinois Cumulative Funds available FY92-08 = $361,439,705; Programmed $295,111,820 81.6%; Obligated $252,367,695 69.8%, Reimbursed $225,236,033 89%; with only $29,311,837 8.1% Rescinded.


ITC ACTIONS IN JUNE INCLUDE:

  1. June 1 – Created, copied & distributed JUNE TRAIL NEWS to 218 ITC Members & Groups

  2. June 1 – Received an invitation to the Calumet-Sag Trail Dedication on National Trails Day, June 6, 2009 at 4:00 p.m.

  3. June 3 – Mailed a letter to Governor Pat Quinn supporting Ed Barsotti’s Letter regarding the need for improved administration of federal bicycle related grant programs for local and state agencies. LIB does good work.

  4. June 3 – Attended a public meeting for Poplar Grove Road Plans for the future.

  5. June 3 – Composed a letter to Boone County Highway Engineer thanking him for the planned bike trail along Poplar Grove Road all the way from Poplar Grove to the edge of Belvidere. Good planning for the future works.

  6. June 4 – Received a letter from Representative Robert W. Pritchard thanking ITC for our suggestions.

  7. June 4 – Composed a letter to Ted Villaire that contained a foreward for his Bicycle Trails Book coming out in 2010

  8. June 5 – ITC members Jean Collins & Albert Whetter from Western Springs came to visit and ride the Long Prairie Trail.

  9. June 8 – Mailed ITC information to Grainger Matching Charitable Gifts Program to enable them to send us funds.

  10. June 8 – Received news from RTC regarding TIGER Discretionary Grants which I forwarded to agencies building trails.

  11. June 8 – Forwarded information from IDNR regarding applications for Conservation Police Officers to others.

  12. June 8 – Compiled information in Board Packets for each ITC Board Member.

  13. June 9 – Found information about a company that will duplicate Bike Trail Videos produced by ITC Staff Diana Cooper.

  14. June 10 – Made reservations for Route 66 Media ride for ITC Board Member Dr. Bruce Perry & Staff Diana Cooper.

  15. June 11 – Received a request from Amy Madigan at IDNR for 2010 Events to be listed in Outdoor Illinois Calendar.

  16. June 11 – Attended planning meeting for Bike Path Event in Belvidere.

  17. June 15 – Mailed 300 cards informing others about Mid-America Trails & Greenways Conference in Kalamazoo in Oct.

  18. June 15 – Received e-mail from info@keeponbiking.com about free listings for Bike Shops & Clubs. ITC is listed as Club.

  19. June 15-20 – Clipped newspaper articles about GITAP ride from Rockford Register Star.

  20. June 16 – Mailed out 12 renewal notices regarding June expirations.

  21. June 18 – E-Mailed Amy regarding 2010 Events – June 5, 2010 National Trails Day Celebration of the Grand Illinois Trail.

  22. June 19 – Called RTC to have them mail out Trnasportation Enhancements Summary Booklet.

  23. June 19 – Received confirmation from Grainger that ITC is now qualified for matching funds from employees.

  24. June 23 – Attended Workshop at Klehm Arboretum regarding Conservation Design for Transportation & Development

  25. June 24 – Met ITC Member Rennie Ballagh & friends at the North Nippersink Trailhead and rode the Hebron Trail

  26. June 25 – Attended Riverfront Development Meeting and Path Planning Event in Belvidere

  27. June 25 – Received information from RTC regarding unanimous approval of surface transportation bill draft.

  28. June 26 – Received e-mail from Dick Westfall at IDNR with a multitude of information about trails in Illinois.

  29. June 29 – Received a phone call from a group of Michiganders who are coming out to ride the Long Prairie Trail on July 4.

  30. June 29 – Received information from RTC regarding stimulus funds that will retain their Enhancement status.

  31. June 29 – Received a draft of the Rockford bicycle map from LIB and e-mailed Ed back with suggestions for changes.





ITC BOARD MEMBERS ARE BUSY WORKING FOR YOU

  • Tim Bartlett from Urbana Park District will be available for Annual ITC Board Meeting in Oct. or November.

  • George Burrier from Peoria helped with Peoria Heights Kellar Branch Clean Up. 22 volunteers & Peoria Heights Mayor Mark Allen participated. George e-mailed minutes of the Trail Advocates Meeting. George & Sandy will be in West Virginia at the New River Gorge National River in Sept. & October. They are headed to the Cayman Islands in November.

  • Ray Hoven from Gurnee sent Bev information about the Lake County Forest Preserve land acquisition of 698 acres.

  • Keith Mistrik from Palatine will be available for the Annual ITC Board Meeting in Oct. or Nov. He will be at the RV Show in Rosemont February 10-14.

  • Bruce Perry from Port Byron will be riding in the Route 66 Media Ride in August & September.

  • John Wilson from Lan Oak Park District will be in Salt Lake at the NRPA Congress in October.. He suggested dates for our Annual ITC Board Meeting in October or November.


ITC MEMBERS ARE ACTIVE AND TOTALLY SUPPORTIVE:

  • ITC received $100.00 Trailblazer membership renewals from Christine Stocker in Lemont & Randall Miller in Lombard.

  • Jean Collins from Western Springs sent a nice note following her visit in Capron with Bev.

  • Deborah Fagan at DuPage County shared information about the Bike To Work Week helping bicycle commuters at Metra stations across DuPage County. Deborah suggested that Mid-America Conference might want to provide attendees with education credits. She also sent Bev a copy of the Trail Maintenance Policy agreement with Commonwealth Edison along with several letters of recommendations & a Press Release. See DuPage County website at www.dupageco.org/bikeways

  • Louise Grobl from Naperville shared information about her visit to Kalamazoo. She also shared that water covered the Prairie Path just east of Army Trail Road but people were riding through it anyway. She is hoping Bev will keep on working at ITC even though she is no longer the President of Capron. Bev’s passion is for Illinois Bike Trails…NOT LEAVING.

  • Tom & Francie King from Springfield will not be available to help with Media Coverage of the Route 66 Ride.

  • Chuck Oestreich from Rock Island shared info about the washouts on the Hennepin Canal Trail @ http://www.qconline.com/archives/qco/display.php?id=442371

  • Bonnie Pink from McHenry also rode the Hebron Trail in June. On a bike ride down to Carpentersville she met Bev’s friend Patty from Crystal Lake. Bonnie rode 53 miles down to St. Charles headed towards Sycamore.

  • Robert Thornberry from Alton sent Bev his new e-mail address. He came to Chicago for a visit of the Windy City.

  • ITC ACE REPORTER Greg Valent from Chicago has been keeping track Chicago area trails. Skokie Valley Trail, Solidarity Drive Tunnel, Old Plank Road Trail, Centennial Trails and City of Chicago Saugahash Valley Line Trail. If you have any questions about Chicago Trails you can e-mail him at gjvalent@ameritech.net Greg has photos to boot. GREG REALLY GETS AROUND ON HIS BICYCLE…..WOW.

  • ITC LOCAL ADVOCATE Eberhard Veit from Crystal Lake shared his suggestions for improvements to a local roadway that is currently under construction. His suggestions are solid, well-thought out and reasonable & got positive replies. WOW


OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOU IN 2009

  • July 11 – Tour de Donut in Staunton, Illinois – E-mail stauntonchamber@hotmail.com for info.

  • July 11 – Natural Land Institute Party on the Prairie – 6:00 p.m. - $75.00 per person.

  • July 12 – L.A.T.E. RIDE IN CHICAGO – contact Nancy at lateride@hotmail.com for information.

  • July 15 – Greenways & Trails Council at IDNR in Springfield

  • July 16 – GIT Executive Council in Lincoln @ 9:00 a.m.

  • July 18 – McHenry County Farm Bureau 7th Annual Tractor Trek from Harvard to Candlewick.

  • July 25-26 - Chase the Moon Bike Ride sponsored by Conservation Foundation. www.theconservationfoundation.org

  • August 8 - POKER RUN ON THE LONG PRAIRIE TRAIL – 8:00 a.m. until Noon. Contact Bev for info.

  • August 10 – GIT COMMITTEE MEETING IN ROCKFORD at 10:30 a.m.

  • August 11-16 - Boone County Fair in Belvidere

  • August 29 – Sept. 3 - ROUTE 66 MEDIA RIDE FROM ST. LOUIS TO CHICAGO.

  • September 19 – Lena Community Park Dist. Fall Bike Tour – 7:00 a.m. Call 815-369-5351 or see www.lenaparks.org

  • October 25-28 – MID AMERICA TRAILS & GREENWAYS CONFERENCE IN KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN.


ITC HAS NEWSLETTERS TO SHARE FROM: The Confluence, Conservation Foundation, Illinois Enviro Bulletin, Friends of the Parks, Iowa’s Bicycle Trails, McHenry County Pedaler, Natural Land Institute, Rails to Trails, Trailnet & OUTDOOR ILLINOIS. Subscribe at 1-800-726-3249.


CONTACT ILLINOIS TRAILS CONSERVANCY at www.ILLTrails.com Contact Bev about anything mentioned in TRAIL NEWS. E-Mail her at ITC bebomoore@aol.com for info. Illinois Trails Conservancy is P.O. Box 10, Capron, IL. 61012. Cell phone is 815-289-1024.