Chicago was the terminus for numerous railroads. As railroads consolidated fewer railroads were required and some of the rail right of way was abandoned and sold.A logical use of the rights of way are for utility connections and trails.One excellent plan for the reuse of old railroad right of way was to convert the right of way to trails. This formed a long lineal park that interconnected communities.
The trail can coexist with an operational railroad as shown in the photo above. Or it can be the only use on the right of way, forming a nice lineal park.
A number of rails to trail retrofits have been completed or planned in the Chicago region. One that I worked on was the Plank Road Trail. These developments can be very controversial. It took 17 years from the time we first wrote the plan to when you could ride or walk on the trail. Numerous citizens who lived near the proposed trail were very opposed to the trail. After the trail was completed it became a very valuable asset, with subdivisions named for the trail and the best homes built adjacent to the trail.
More info about the Plank Road Trail at oprt.org
The Plank Road Trail is now part of the American Discovery Trail planned to be the nation's first coast to coast non motorized recreation trail.
Illinois Rail-Trail Ride Perfect for First-Timers - RTC TrailBlog - Rails ...
community.railstotrails.org/.../trailblog/.../illinois-rail-trail-ride-perfect-fo...
May 15, 2012 – Covering a spectacular triangle loop of rail-trails west of Chicago, GITy Up! is purposefully designed for those who haven't done many long ...
Trail of the Month: December 2006 - Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
www.railstotrails.org/news/recurringfeatures/trailmonth/.../0612.html
Near Madison, Wis., the Military Ridge State Park Trail runs along the ... Most of the 45-mile trail follows the old Chicago and Northwestern (CNW) corridor.
Chicago Mayor Announces Funding in Place to Begin Building the ...
community.railstotrails.org/.../trailblog/.../chicago-mayor-announces-fun...
Mar 12, 2012 – Though often prefixed by the words "long-awaited," and "delayed," the Bloomingdale Trail project to convert an elevated rail line in Chicago into ...
chicago-area trail receives national recognition - Rails-to-Trails ...
www.railstotrails.org/news/.../20080408_dc_illinoisprairiepath.html
Apr 8, 2008 – The Chicago-area trail is featured in Rails to Trails magazine and on RTC's Web site, complete with photos and a detailed ride-along ...
Bloomingdale Trail
www.bloomingdaletrail.org/
The official website of Chicago's Bloomingdale Trail project. ... Built from a formerrail line, The Bloomingdale will make Chicago's residents healthier, get people ...
Bloomingdale Line - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloomingdale_Line
The Bloomingdale Line was originally constructed in 1873 by the Chicago and ... A grassroots, non-profit organization, Friends of the Bloomingdale Trail (FBT), ...
Rails to Trails | Grid Chicago
gridchicago.com/tag/rails-to-trails/
Nov 26, 2012 – A view of the Bloomingdale Trail at Spaulding Avenue. At least one person in the audience asked for a rail car or two remain in the new park.
The Bloomingdale rails-to-trails conversion is ... - Grid Chicago
gridchicago.com/.../the-bloomingdale-rails-to-trails-conversion-is-chuggi...
May 2, 2012 – According to Beth White, Chicago director for the Trust for Public Land (TPL), the nonprofit which is assisting with the community input process ...
Rails-to-Trails: Midwest Rail-Trails Guide - RailServe.com
www.railserve.com/Rails-to-Trails/Midwest/
400 State Trail - 22-mile rail-trail on a former Chicago & North Western ... Bugline Trail - 12-mile rail-trail on the former Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul, and Pacific ...
Dog Friendly Hiking Trails in Chicago, IL, US - BringFido.com
Chicago, IL, US. The Burnham Greenway is one of 1600 rail-trails supported byRails-to-Trails Conservancy, a nonprofit organization that is working to create a ...