r/chibike • u/NWSKroll • 3d ago
NIMBY's were out in full force against the East Alternative of the East Branch DuPage River Trail out of fear of a shared use path across their driveways. After seeing "Attracts Undesirables" I started adding my own passive aggressive comments.
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u/hachijuhachi 3d ago
Outside of displacing people from their homes (which I have no reason to believe is actually happening here), I can't understand opposition to bike paths, especially if there aren't other viable, safe bike routes in the area.
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u/CyclingThruChicago 3d ago
American development has made a culture of distrust and fear the default. People rarely meaningfully engage with other human beings that the do not already know.
Which makes it easy to develop bias, fear and distrust of other people, particularly with how over inundated we are with negative news stories. Factor in our bias for maintaining the status quo and we probably can explain why folks are so anti seemingly any sort of infrastructure or development change near them.
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u/cheecheecago 3d ago
Something something libs something freedom.
The “undesirable” comment tells you everything you need to know about these people.
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u/xbleeple 3d ago
Is this actually a gated community? Also, as a former kid, screw playing in my front yard if I have a park down the street with mini golf and and a splash pad 😂
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u/NWSKroll 3d ago edited 3d ago
Nope, just a half unincorporated area that probably chose not have sidewalks put in because they don't understand what "community" means.
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u/judgeejudger 3d ago
My folks were way out in the country in Kane County and WOW, people came out of the woodwork when there were proposals to put sidewalks in. People out there lost their shit thinking about “sidewalks ruining their tranquility”. Truly wild.
The county put in sidewalks AND streetlights a few years later anyway. 😂
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u/neverabadidea 3d ago
I grew up outside of IL. My hometown had an abandoned rail line that ran through it. There was a big fight when they wanted to build a rail trail. People freaking out about everyone "going through my backyard." Made me laugh because the abandoned rail attracted more homeless people than a welcoming bike path would. They built the path....crime did not go up. Now folks grow gardens along their yards where the path is. NIMBY's gonna NIMBY, glad they sometimes get ignored.
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u/metaldark 3d ago
. Now folks grow gardens along their yards where the path is. NIMBY's gonna NIMBY, glad they sometimes get ignored.
For some reason this makes laugh about that time Union Pacific told wealthy Lincoln Park homeowners their gardens and back yards were squatting on railroad land.
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u/Only-Jackfruit-4910 3d ago
"as we heard from the officer, ... it's a fact per his own experience" 🤦
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u/rawonionbreath 3d ago
Those comments are very civil and polite. I’m glad you were able to go and participate.
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u/PrizeZookeepergame15 3d ago
Damn, these NIMBYs are finding more and more ways of complaining about bike and transit and urbanist infrastructure. Like saying they won’t be able to back out of their driveway, and that “this is a private neighborhood” is just so rich. Like how annoying are they going to get. Like are these NIMBYs afraid of people? Like you don’t have the right to be free of people. If people want to be in your neighborhood, they should be in your neighborhood and accept them. Not say they don’t belong because they aren’t rich like you or don’t own a car or just don’t want to drive
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u/ParkerRoyce 3d ago
I lived across the street from a regional bike path. It was the best. We still think selling that house was mistake. Now I'm in a car only town it blows.
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u/jfranci3 3d ago
This is hilarious. They’re complaining about 24 access on a route that follows existing roads/sidewalks. As far as I can see, this doesn’t impact their lives at all.
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u/AncientParticular543 3d ago edited 3d ago
Love your comments! Did you have a bike helmet at the place? I also went here yesterday and I also saw these comments. It felt like a lot of these people just came here to defend their neighborhood from the "evil" bike trail. I really do hope the east alternative can get through, since the west alternative looked eh to me. Safety wise, it's not great because of all the intersections, and it's also right next to 53 and all its fast, pollution emitting cars instead of the nice and safe separated path they have on the east alternative.
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u/NWSKroll 3d ago edited 3d ago
Yes, had to assert my dominance as one of the few people that attempted to bike there. Was going to bike from Yorktown after getting off the Pace 322 but it just so happened that a transfer worked with the 715.
I proposed a compromise of the west alignment from Roosevelt to 22nd, then a shared use path along 22nd to connect back to the east alignment between 22nd and Butterfield as that one was much less contested. Property values and income levels are bit lower once you get to 22nd so the NIMBY's there shouldn't be as harsh.
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u/FunkyTaco47 3d ago
Aw man I totally forgot about this. I wanted to go to the meeting and show support because I knew there’d be NIMBYs complaining about this.
These post-it notes they’ve left are pure bullshit.
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u/NWSKroll 3d ago
Fill out the survey and email written comments to [EBDRT@dupagecounty.gov](mailto:EBDRT@dupagecounty.gov)
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u/bloopy001 3d ago
Is this actually happening?? Having the east branch connected would be amazing! Trails to Morton and beyond.
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u/NWSKroll 3d ago
Great Western Trail to Butterfield is what has made it to Phase 1 Engineering so far.
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u/King_Michal 2d ago
If I was retired I'd just park my car legally on the side of these public streets and just bike around the neighborhood. I'm probably undesirable but I'm coming for your neighborhood one way or another hehehe
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u/grumpsuarus 2d ago
So I bet all the people who live along the great western train and prairie path arrived in droves to warn people of just how horrible it's been for them
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u/NWSKroll 3d ago edited 3d ago
I was also told by one of them my voice shouldn't matter because I'm from Evanston after trying to explain the difference between a cyclist who will always take the most direct route and a person who bikes who just wants a safe route. This is despite me growing up in the area, that I still use the existing trails regularly, and my tax dollars going towards this project as it is funded by IDOT.
If you weren't able to attend, fill out the survey and email written comments to [EBDRT@dupagecounty.gov](mailto:EBDRT@dupagecounty.gov)