I walked the new First Avenue bike/walking trail on Nov. 20. It is close to completion as all pavement is in. Topsoil, sod and markings/signs are coming. The sewer project has a short section near Golfview closed off.
It will serve the purpose of connecting Riverside-Brookfield High School to North Riverside for students and many others. Some of us were asking for more of a forest preserve trail with more distance away from roadway and a break from a uniform alignment.
My dog was spooked when big trucks roared by. Five feet away from a fast-moving semi is frightening. But I think the Olmsted Society, Brookfield Zoo, Cook County Forest Preserve District, the county road department and our leaders couldn’t make it happen. So I have regrets.
But, it is a big asset to our communities. Commissioner Tobolski, Mike Zalewski, Arnold Randall and the Forest Preserve District staff, Doug Chien, Doug Hoogstra, Michelle Ryan, Rob Dixon, Mike Welch, Kevin Skinkis and mayors of Riverside, North Riverside and Brookfield all deserve credit.
It was a long time coming, but we got it done.
Randy Brockway
Riverside
