Springfield trails, parks to get bike repair stations
Cyclists with flats or mechanical hitches will soon be able to rack up their bikes at a series of small repair stations that will dot bike trails and parks around Illinois' capital.
Springfield is following the lead of Decatur, Bloomington and Champaign in installing the stations. Each of the seven stations will consist of a bright yellow stand that can hold a bike while it is being repaired, a heavy-duty air pump and basic tools.
The Springfield Bicycle Club and other donors will cover the cost of the stations, which are about $1,000 each. The park district will pick up the installation costs.
The first station will be dedicated Wednesday at the Wabash Trail trailhead.
Evanston launches pesticide-free parks program
A Chicago suburb plans to launch a pesticide-free parks program with a local business. During a one-year pilot program, the city of Evanston will use alternative methods to control weeds. For instance, city officials will keep lawns taller to increase root strength and shade out weeds.
The city is joining with Greenwise Organic Lawn Care, which is based in Evanston. Evanston's Public Works Department Assistant Director Paul D'Agostino says in a statement that it's the city's largest partnership of its kind.
City officials are also offering up tips for natural lawn care. They include not watering deeply more than once a week, which can encourage deep root growth and to mow the lawn only as needed.
Railroad embankment trail links Chicago parks, opens in June
A new park and trail system on Chicago's northwest side will open in early June. Mayor Rahm Emanuel's office and the Trust for Public Land announced Tuesday that "The 606" park and trail system will launch with processions and events June 6.
The centerpiece of the system is a nearly 3-mile recreational trail along an old railroad embankment. The Bloomingdale Trail eventually will connect six ground-level parks. Four of those parks are set to open, along with the trail.
Funding for the $95 million project comes from government and private donations with the Trust for Public Land leading the effort.
The project is named for Chicago's 606 ZIP code prefix. The trail will connect the neighborhoods of Bucktown, Wicker Park, Logan Square and Humboldt Park.
Park group's CEO quits amid fights over park use for library
The leader of a Chicago group that opposes proposals to use lakefront and park land for the George Lucas museum and Obama presidential library has stepped down from her position.
Cassandra Francis was appointed head of the Friends of the Parks group last year. She said in an email Tuesday that she's leaving the organization, but didn't give a reason.
She says she plans to stay connected to the cause of protecting Chicago's public parks and open spaces. Francis is an urban planner who also played a role in preparing the city's unsuccessful 2016 Olympics bid.
Friends of the Parks filed a lawsuit in November to stop construction of the Lucas museum on a parking lot along Lake Michigan. It's also threatened a lawsuit if park land is used for the Obama library.
