Residents of Brookfield and neighboring towns are invited to Brookfield on Foot, a walking tour of the village highlighting pedestrian and bicycle initiatives already in the works or planned for the future, on Aug. 12 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Brookfield on Foot is part of the series “Taking Climate Action by Prioritizing Walking, Biking, and Transit,” resulting from a partnership with the Metropolitan Planning Council, Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, Christopher B. Burke Engineering and the Active Transportation Alliance, a nonprofit agency that advocates for pedestrian, bicycle and public transit planning in Chicago area communities.
The Active Transportation Alliance has a long relationship with Brookfield, having held workshops to aid in Brookfield adopting a bicycle and pedestrian transportation plan, which was incorporated into the village’s comprehensive plan.
That followed in the wake of Brookfield adopting a “complete streets” policy, where elements like pedestrian accessibility and bike lanes are considered in any plan for road improvements.
For example, in 2017 Brookfield designated Arden Avenue between Washington and Brookfield avenues as a “bike boulevard,” the village’s first go at implementing the complete streets policy. When Washington Avenue is resurfaced later this year, Brookfield will get its first formally marked bike lanes as suggested by the village’s transportation plan.
During the guided tour of the village on Aug. 12, village staff, elected officials and local activists will talk about active transportation planning in Brookfield, about what it will cost to implement projects and try to build support for such initiatives.
Initiatives to be highlighted during the tour include the bike boulevard, a multi-jurisdictional effort to extend the Salt Creek Bike Trail along 31st Street to First Avenue and then south of Ridgewood Road to the Cermak Wood in Lyons, and zoning changes Brookfield has made near its Metra stations to promote transit-oriented development.
Brookfield on Foot will end with a lunch and panel discussion at the Linda Sokol Francis Brookfield Library moderated by Brookfield resident Kyle Whitehead, communications director for the Active Transportation Alliance, about the village’s successes in implementing active transportation initiatives, lessons learned along the way and hurdles future initiatives face.
The event is free and begins at Brookfield Village Hall, 8820 Brookfield Ave. Anyone interested in participating in Brookfield on Foot is asked to register online at tinyurl.com/yc2efd3n.
