The Skokie Valley Trail progress is potentially be blocked by a few residents who would be located near the trail. Are their motives to block the trail led by a desire to protect a private nature path or instead by their increased property expansion into public land.

1. Skokie Valley Trail
An observational study on Northfield’s Connection Gap

2. Topics in this presentation
• Access to trail difficult to locate or purposely
restricted
• Other communities, Northbrook, have established
paved pathways
• Trail is in poor state, while property owners take
advantage
• Reasons to move forward and nature for all

3. What is this
• A photographic walking study on August 23 and 24, 2020.
• Each night one hour was spent trying to locate and walk the village right of
way.
• Day one (Aug 23) - the path was approached from the north, via the
Northbrook paved bike trail.
• Day two (Aug 24) - there was not public access from the south, access to
the right of way came via a small dirt path from the old train lines.
• During both evening from 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM no other humans were
witnessed on Northfield's shoddy trail - humans were observed walking on
Northbrook's paved portion of the trail.
• Images captured what was in place during the date and time.

4. In the north the entrance to the
right of way is difficult to locate.
Must walk around a barrier.

5. In the south, Private Property Rights are
being used to restrict access to the trail.

6. In the southern portion of Northfield
section, this is the only public way into the
trail - clearly not created for public access
Wayfinding signal to enter path? How many people could really locate this?

7. Northbrook already has a path to the
north, which can be enjoyed regardless of
accessibility restrictions

8. The nature trail is in poor repair with low
branches dangling on the trail and
inaccessible for anyone with disability
Dead trees drape across the path, do these creating a liability on the village right of way?

9. An example of poor conditions, fallen trees.

10. It is apparent that the trail is not maintained or accessible to those with disabilities.

11. Fallen tree, needs removal.

12. More fallen trees, if children play here is it really safe?

13. In Northern portion of right of way, at least 3 dirt paths
have been created by property owners, clearly access to a
trail is appreciated by some owners and a safe accessible
trail would be appreciate by the larger community.
Nearby property owners, clearly see the value in the a wooded retreat.

14. In Southern portion of right of way, at least 8 dirt paths have
been created by property owners. This is a small number of
total amount of residents that are located near the right of
way - most have not created or maintained an access point
These are an example in Northfield, IL. Most home owners did not
clear out a path in the woods to access the trail.

15. Two owners decided to take an
opportunity to do their own landscaping in
the right of way of Northfield, IL.
Two individual land owners
ignored the so called
biodiversity in the village
right of way, and created their
own landscaping complete
with custom irrigation.
Did the village trustees
approve these variations in the
right of way?
Do these same resident now
oppose a bike path that would
be beneficial to residents in
Northfield and surrounding
communities?
Resident example 1 - Northfield, IL
Resident example 2 - Northfield, IL

16. Even worst, could Northfield’s right
of way used as a public dump?
An example of how one resident takes care of the public right of way

17. Upon observation the choice is clear,
clean up and link Northbrook and
Northfield through to Wilmette
• Approve Phase 2 - to plan a multi-modal trail
through Northfield, which would link up to
the existing Northbrook trial.
• Plan would benefit all people who would use
the path for leisure, exercise, and access to
local businesses.
• Creates potential for economic activity with
Northfield’s downtown being a destination for
food, shopping, and entertainment.
• Trail provides the only proper and safe way to
separate families who ride bikes and walk
from vehicular traffic.
• Support “Safe Routes to School” for students
who attend New Trier West (Freshman
campus) and Loyola High School.
Sign to Northbrook entrance of paved
portion of trail.

18. Should Northfield continue for yet another generation to not develop a hidden, under used, and
unaccessible path?

19. Should Northfield continue a hidden unaccessible path for the few and the privileged?Or look the other way as the the privileged take advantage of public land?

20. Imagine nature, peace, access, and sunsets for all future
generations.
Thank you