Bloomingdale Trail Set To Open This Weekend
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Today it's an empty trail connecting four Chicago neighborhoods from Humboldt Park to Bucktown. But, that changes in a big way on Saturday when the 606 will be filled with bicycles, joggers, dog walkers and kids.
CBS 2's Roseanne Tellez reports the first story that brought her to the Bloomingdale Trail was about vandals hanging out along the old railroad tracks causing trouble. Today, as one speaker put it, the trail is transformed into one of America's great parks.
Mayor Emanuel got a sneak peek of the new 2.7 mile bike trail that will connect six Chicago parks, a project he championed from the start.
"All the years of advocacy, bake sales, showing up at community meetings will finally have paid off for all the residents," Emanuel said.
Beth White with the trust for public land a partner on the project, says the only work remaining, is landscaping, striping, and laying down the running surface.
While some nearby residents had privacy concerns, folks we talked to are excited.
"The ease of us being able to get into there and enjoy other parts of city, I think it's awesome," said Stephan Mathis. "I'm very convinced that the property values will go up in these areas."
It will open at 8 a.m. on Saturday and will be open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.
The trail runs from Ashland to Ridgeway and is fully accessible and dog-friendly. It has an observatory and art installations planned.
