Title
Joint resolution authorizing and supporting the designation of United States Bike Route 37 (USBR 37) through Lake County via the Robert McClory Bike Path.
Staff Summary
· Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) Application for the Designation of USBR 37.
· The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) have identified a proposed corridor crossing in northern Illinois to be developed as USBR 37.
· The 25.5 mile corridor of the proposed USBR 37 within Lake County is known locally as the Robert McClory Bike Path, 17 miles of which are owned and maintained by the Lake County Division of Transportation (LCDOT).
· The designation of USBR 37 within Lake County connects the Lake Michigan lakeshore communities of Winthrop Harbor, Zion, Beach Park, Waukegan, North Chicago, Lake Bluff, Lake Forest, Highwood, and Highland Park as part of the national bike system.
· This resolution authorizes approval and support for the designation of USBR 37 to include the County's portion of the Robert McClory Bike Path.
Body
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, bicycle tourism is a growing industry in North America, contributing $47 billion a year to the economies of communities that provide facilities for such tourists; and
WHEREAS, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) has identified a proposed corridor crossing in northern Illinois to be developed as USBR 37, see map attached hereto; and
WHEREAS, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) Trails for Illinois, the Adventure Cycling Association, and other stakeholders, have proposed a specific route to be designated as USBR 37 within the state of Illinois, from the Illinois/Wisconsin state border to Buckingham Fountain in Chicago; and
WHEREAS, the proposed USBR 37 southern terminus at Buckingham Fountain in Chicago will connect with USBR 36, which extends to the Illinois/Indiana state border; and
WHEREAS, the 25.5 mile corridor of the proposed USBR 37 within Lake County is known locally as the Robert McClory Bike Path, 17 miles of which are owned and maintained by the LCDOT; and
WHEREAS, the Robert McClory Bike Path is a key north-south regional bikeway that provides connectivity to other regional and local bikeway networks; and
WHEREAS, the designation of USBR 37 within Lake County will connect the Lake Michigan lakeshore communities of Winthrop Harbor, Zion, Beach Park, Waukegan, North Chicago, Lake Bluff, Lake Forest, Highwood, and Highland Park as part of the national bike system; and
WHEREAS, the proposed designation of USBR 37 within Lake County can therefore provide a benefit to our residents, communities and businesses; and
WHEREAS, we have investigated the LCDOT portion of the Robert McClory Bike Path proposed as USBR 37, found it to be a suitable route, and desire that the route be designated as USBR 37 so that it can be mapped and signed, thereby promoting bicycle tourism in our area.
NOW THERFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that Lake County hereby expresses its approval and support for the designation of USBR 37, and requests that the appropriate officials see to it that the route is officially designated by AASHTO as soon as this can be achieved, and authorizes the posting of signs within the LCDOT right-of-way of the Robert McClory Bike Path identifying the route once the official designation has been made.
DATED at Waukegan, Lake County, Illinois on April 8, 2014.