We spent Thanksgiving weekend visiting my mother in suburban Chicago. We didn't bring the bikes, because Chicago supposedly got snow the day before Thanksgiving, but there wasn't any snow, and the weather was sunny with a high of 45. Oh well...
I want to talk about this because Schaumburg Illinois shows the potential for bike trails. We think we have a pretty nice trail system in the Pittsburgh area, but it is trivial compared to what Schaumburg offers. Schaumburg has won national awards for their trail system.
Schaumburg is a high-growth suburb of Chicago, comparable to Monroeville or Robinson in the Pittsburgh area. The largest mall in the Chicago area is in Schaumburg (where do you think all the TV stations had their reporters on Black Friday?). When I grew up there it was mostly farmland, but now it is busy roads, strip malls, residential developments, business parks, and bike trails. A LOT of bike trails. 85 MILES of bike trails. In residential areas there are bike lanes on many of the roads. Main roads have a separate bike lane (like a sidewalk) that parallels the road. There's even several loops in a nearby forest preserve. You can literally get anywhere in the community by bike, plus the trails link with the bike trails in adjoining communities.
But it is more than just bike lanes. Developers are required to include parks and playgrounds in their developments, and these are linked by the trails. Businesses are required to include bike racks out front. Drivers are taught to respect the cyclists, and cyclists are encouraged to ride safely (we were once given free Slurpee coupons because we were using bike helmets). There are annual rides to encourage cycling in the community.
Maybe Pittsburgh will be like that someday...
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