Palatine Bike Path Plan Headed to Village Council

Since September 2010, Palatine officials have been working on a plan to create a bike plan that would serve recreation and transportation needs throughout the community.

Bike trails and lanes, shared bike paths and side paths are a handful of the initiatives the village council will consider at its July 18 meeting.

Another goal of the plan is to link Palatine to neighboring communities.

“We want to make connections for people to shopping, stores and destinations such as the train station, but also provide connectivity with our adjacent neighbors such as Arlington Heights and Rolling Meadows,” said Harry Spila, Palatine’s director of community services.

While bike lanes and shared bike paths could be created near quieter roadways and residential streets, Spila said side paths will be recommended for major thoroughfares such as Dundee and Rand roads and Northwest Highway.

Palatine Road would have a mix of potential bike-friendly avenues, such as a wider shoulder west of Cedar Street and a combination sidewalk and bike path east toward downtown Palatine.

Spila said that during the month of June, the proposed bike plan was on the village website to garner public comments.

“The public was highly supportive of the plan, but there were a number of concerns about how motorists and bicyclists will receive education on how to co-exist together on the roadways,” Spila said. “People want public information about what laws apply for drivers and bicyclists.”

Under the new plan, Spila said there also would be bicycle-activated traffic lights, complete with detectors in the pavement to trigger signal changes.

A majority of the plan, according to Spila, centers around a brainstorming session held last fall, when dozens of bicycle enthusiasts came to propose ideas for a successful bike plan.

After a presentation of the plan Monday, the village council will vote on whether to approve it.

The plan will be available as an attachment to the village council agenda on the village website, www.palatine.il.us, before Monday’s meeting.