Orland Park To Add Bike Paths To Its Growing Bike Infrastructure

On Monday, August 12, 2013,  the Orland Park Village Board voted in favor of allocating $1.44 million towards creating multi-purpose recreational paths on 159th Street, 108th Avenue, and 104th Avenue. The additional 20 miles of paths will supplement Orland Park's existing 50 miles of on- and off-street bicycle paths. Construction of the proposed new bicycle paths is contingent upon receipt of a $5.26 million grant from the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program which will cover 80% of the project's total cost.

Village Spokesman Joe La Margo stated that the Board created and approved the plan in response to the urging of village residents. He explained "We've gotten a lot of feedback from residents and community stakeholders who feel that [making the community more bicycle-friendly] is important to them. It's not only the vision of the mayor and the board. It's also what residents have expressed an interest in." 

Orland Park's latest proposed project is one of many bicycle-friendly improvements the village has undertaken in the last several years. For instance, the village recently opened a bridge on La Grange road that connects more than 64 miles of bicycle paths. In addition, the village constructed a half-mile bike trial on 153rd Street that connects other existing bike paths. Village officials hope that these past and proposed future improvements will slowly begin to erode Orland Park's "car-centric" nature. 

The Illinois Bicycle Lawyers of Keating Law Offices applaud Orland Park's Village Board for its efforts to continue to make Orland Park a more bicycle friendly community. We sympathize with the concerns of residents who are understandably worried about the dangers of riding on a road without a designated bicycle lane. We have represented a number of bicyclists who have been struck by motorists on roads without designated bicycle lanes, often due in part to the motorists' failure to keep a constant lookout for bicyclists even absent marked bicycle lanes. Adding additional bicycle lanes will undoubtedly make Orland Park a safer community for bicyclists, while also encouraging residents to rely less upon cars as their primary mode of transportation.

If you have any questions regarding this post or an issue involving Illinois personal injury law, please contact Illinois Bicycle Attorney Mike Keating at 312-208-7702 or MKeating@KeatingLegal.com 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. All e-mails and phone calls are returned promptly. All initial consultations are confidential and free.