The existing sidewalk located along the south side of Clavey Road is a 5' sidewalk. As part of the Clavey Road Improvements Project, an 8' multi-use path is proposed. The design criteria and requirements are different for a sidewalk compared to a multi-use path. The sidewalk is intended to carry only pedestrian traffic. The multi-use path is intended to carry pedestrian traffic as well as bicycle traffic. The existing pedestrian and bicycle traffic on Clavey Road initiated the requirement of a separate multi-use path. In addition, this multi-use path also provides the needed connection to the east and west as outlined in the City’s approved BikeWalk HP2030 Plan.
Why is the 8' asphalt multi-use path on the south side of Clavey instead of the north side?
As part of the planning process, the City explored installing the proposed 8-ft multi-use path on both the north and south side of Clavey. The elevation difference between the roadway and parkway area to the north is significant enough that any multi-use path installation requires a retaining wall, and the retaining wall would not allow for the path to be ADA accessible. In addition, if the path was on the north side, the Clavey Road bridge would need to be shifted southwards thereby creating an alignment concern for the entire Clavey Road corridor area. The parkway area would also be reduced between the bridge and the multi-use path. Lastly, placing the walk on the north side entails extending the right-of-way onto private property and removal of private trees. Currently, there is a 5’ sidewalk on the south side and expanding this to an 8’ multi-use path will provide the connectivity to Skokie Valley Trail on the west side and the Green Bay Trail on the east side.
The construction of a separate 8-ft multi-use path is in line with City-approved BikeWalk HP2030 Plan whereby a safe pathway is provided for recreational bicyclist or pedestrians. Currently, there is a 5’ sidewalk on the south side. With an 8-ft separate bike path, separate from the roadway, a connection is provided to two major bike trails on either side of project limits, Skokie Valley Bike Trail on the west side and the Robert McClory Bike Path (Green Bay Trail) on the east side and connection to Green Bay Road, a major arterial street to access Ravinia Festival.
Clavey Road is a major east-west roadway with a posted speed limit of 35 mph and few driveways or streets intersecting the street. For such long stretches of roadway, with no driveways to the north, a separate pathway for multi-users such as bicyclists and pedestrians increases safety. In addition, a bridge exists on this stretch of roadway whereby pedestrians/bicyclists and motorists are to be separated. Providing a separate multi-use path, similar to other bike-pedestrian paths in the City, ensures the safety of all traffic. Recently, the City completed a multi-use path on the north side of Walker Avenue from Highwood City limits to the west to Oak Street to the east. See questions 11 and 12 for additional information.
Will residents and businesses have access to their driveways throughout the project?
The City works with residents and businesses to minimize impacts to driveways during construction. However, there may be times when access is affected. In those cases, the City will coordinate with all affected properties to ensure that access issues are worked out in advance.
Is there anything that could be done with paint lines (e.g., painted bike lanes and/or protected bike lane on bridge and on Clavey west of 41) to help improve connectivity for pedestrians in the short term?
Yes. The City will install additional pavement markings to help improve the connectivity for pedestrians in the short term.
Can you install a yellow line to separate the traveled direction along the proposed multi-use path?
The plans will be updated to include a yellow line on the new path to separate traffic flow.
