Chicagoland question for local knowledge folks

[saab2000]

Question for those familiar with Chicago and the western and southern burbs…

How does one cross Interstate 55 safely? I live north of 55 (Naperville) and would like to ride to the Des Plaines River south of Bolingbrook and get to the trails over there without having to drive. Looking to go south along the River or north towards Lemont.

I’ve done some recon and lots of map studying but haven’t spotted a decent place to safely get across 55. Philosophically, I don’t like driving to bike rides if I can ride.

Ideas are welcome!

[marsh]

I think making your way on the North Side of 55 East of 355 to Woodward is your best bet. Long ago I crossed at Veteran's Parkway - it wasn't terrible but it was later at night with little traffic.

[oliver1850]

Originally Posted by marsh

I think making your way on the North Side of 55 East of 355 to Woodward is your best bet. Long ago I crossed at Veteran's Parkway - it wasn't terrible but it was later at night with little traffic.

I mapped it on RWGPS just to see, and it also routed me to Woodward. Then I searched existing maps and found these two, which both use Woodward for access to the river area.

https://ridewithgps.com/trips/40726059

https://ridewithgps.com/trips/40726059

[saab2000]

Thanks! I’ll go scout that out with Woodward.

[Gsinill]

Originally Posted by marsh

I think making your way on the North Side of 55 East of 355 to Woodward is your best bet. Long ago I crossed at Veteran's Parkway - it wasn't terrible but it was later at night with little traffic.

Yep, Woodward also shows up on the Google Bike Trail Map.

[mstateglfr]

I used to live there and still visit a few times a year- the western and SW burbs are where I now ride.

83rd E-W crosses 355. You can take that just east of 355 and get on Woodward that then heads N-S. That is just west of Argonne/WaterfallGlen area. Take Woodward south across 55 to the DP river trails. Its a bunch of side streets and paved MUPs in that area.

Or head down Naper/Washington which sorta turns into Veterans and cross over 55 on Veterans. On the south side of 55, Veterans ends. You can go south into Romeoville and pick up the DP river trail or go east and there is a quieter road going east(dont remember what) that gets you to the Lemont area of the DP river trails.


I55 splitting everything up is such a disappointing thing to see as an adult. I never thought about it as a kid. 355 is similar, but it seems like there are more crossings for 355.

[Louis]

Originally Posted by mstateglfr

I55 splitting everything up is such a disappointing thing to see as an adult. I never thought about it as a kid. 355 is similar, but it seems like there are more crossings for 355.

You can blame Robert Moses and his brethren across the country for this sort of thing.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/21/n...smid=url-share

[saab2000]

So I scouted out Woodward yesterday by automobile and it doesn't look like a viable option due to heavy traffic. It's not a bike friendly route. I'm about to recon Veteran's Parkway to Centennial Trail Schneider's Passage trail entrance but I'm not optimistic.

I'm absolutely not against winding my way through residential neighborhoods. In fact, that's my preference. But they're sort of cut off as well, without a ton of connectors that aren't main thoroughfares.

The idea that these super highways divide communities is absolutely correct. There needs to be places they can be traversed that aren't themselves highways or busy roads. There are indeed more places to cross 355 but they're not really plentiful either.

There are a lot of positives about these suburbs and even some good bike routes if one gets creative but these super highways are not well conceived for folks who don't only want to use cars. I use 355 and 55 weekly for my commute so it's not like I'm against them. And super highway is accurate given they have like 4+ lanes for most of my drive into the city from Naperville.

[mstateglfr]

Originally Posted by saab2000

So I scouted out Woodward yesterday by automobile and it doesn't look like a viable option due to heavy traffic. It's not a bike friendly route.

There is a dedicated MUP on the east side of Woodward. Paved path that is separate from traffic.
There is a MUP on 83rd too as it crosses over 355.

...am I talking about an area different from you?

[saab2000]

Originally Posted by mstateglfr

There is a dedicated MUP on the east side of Woodward. Paved path that is separate from traffic.
There is a MUP on 83rd too as it crosses over 355.

...am I talking about an area different from you?

No, you are actually correct. I did another recon today and found that 83rd and Woodward may in fact be good. I had gone via Hobson Rd. yesterday and thought the stuff north of 75th wasn't good but it looks like if I head east another way I can make it safely to 83rd and then southbound on Woodward. That looks better than Veteran's Parkway.

Since some of this route will be on unpaved trails near Greene and 53 it'll have to wait a bit because it still has the consistency of Pea Gravel Soup but once it firms up it's actually viable on a road bike I've learned. Thanks for the Woodward suggestion. It appears viable.

Do any of you locals use this routing?

[mstateglfr]

Originally Posted by saab2000

Do any of you locals use this routing?

Not local still, but I use it almost each time I am in town. I take off from Darien and head south into Waterfall Glen area then access Woodward right where 55 and 355 meet to head south towards the river.
Once at the river I usually head east toward Western Springs, but I have ridden down into Joliet and beyond a handful of time too. Past Joliet is the Midewin Tallgrass Prairie(though past Joliet is packed crushed stone).