The Skokie Valley Trail is a planned 28-mile multi-use trail identified in the Northwest municipal Conference's Bicycle Plan as a tier one priority project. Within Northbrook, the Skokie Valley Trail will link the Village of Northbrook to the Botanic Gardens and a bike trail network that extends south to the City of Chicago and as far north as the Illinois-Wisconsin border. The proposed route for this project runs west of and parallel to the Edens Expressway and, once complete, would increase the Village's total trail mileage to seven miles. The Village is currently working with Lake and Cook Counties to plan and design this segment. Phase I engineering is complete, Phase II engineering began in FY 2019/2020, and the majority of engineering and permitting occurred in FY 2020/2021. The Village, in partnership with Lake and Cook Counties, submitted an application to the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) for grant funding to cover construction and construction oversight costs. In October 2017, CMAP awarded a grant for these costs along with the construction of a bridge spanning Lake Cook Road that Lake and Cook Counties have partnered on separately from the Village. These funds have not yet been disbursed. The estimated total cost for construction and construction oversight for the Skokie Valley Trail is $2,871,371 of which the grant will cover an anticipated 80%. While the Village anticipates the remaining 20% will be split between Cook County and the Village, the full amount is included as a conservative estimate for the project. The actual costs will be determined in an intergovernmental agreement between Cook County and the Village. Project is included Village of Northbrook Fiscal Year 2025-2029, as of May 23, 2024, an engineer has been selected and this project is in the design phase. Cook County originally anticipated the project would be let in late 2021 with the majority of construction occurring in FY 2022/2023; however, due to permitting and right of way acquisition issues, the letting continue to be delayed with no definite schedule for construction. The inclusion of this project in the CIP is meant as a placeholder for when the project is set to continue. *Project information has been obtained through a public capital improvement plan (CIP). A CIP is a financial schedule for short- and long-range projects which is updated regularly. Information listed in the CIP often evolves based on funding availability and the project details, including timeline and value, are subject to change. The content management team will continue to pursue additional details as they become available.
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