Trail Connectivity: A Major Initiative at the FVPD

Ever been pedaling, stroller-pushing, jogging or walking along a trail, only to quite literally come to the end of the road – an occurrence that requires a dismount or detour?

Sometimes more than an inconvenient hassle, right?

That’s why the Fox Valley Park District remains committed to what we call “trail connectivity,” enabling uninterrupted traffic for all users to get from Points A to B.

“We have these wonderful regional trails – the Gilman Trail, Fox River Trail and Waubonsie Creek Trail,” said Jeff Palmquist, the FVPD’s director of planning, research and grants. “Thousands and thousands of people use those, but we’re continuing to work to try to seamlessly connect our residents to our trails.”

Now up: Stuart Sports Complex and the Foxmoor subdivision at the south end of Stuart, just north of Route 30 in Montgomery.

The new, asphalt trail – about 1/3 of a mile – will connect the Foxmoor residents to existing trails in the Stuart property, which ultimately link to the Gilman Trail.

“Foxmoor residents can see the Stuart Sports Complex, but they can’t get there by foot or by bike,” Palmquist said.

The project, on track for completion this summer, is part of an intergovernmental agreement with the Village of Montgomery to support its 2018 Sidewalk Gap Installation Plan, which the FVPD board previously reviewed and endorsed.

The village has prioritized bicycle and pedestrian path connectivity through the implementation of the plan, said Jerad Chipman, Montgomery’s senior planner.

“One of the plan’s primary focuses is to connect people with the existing, wider trail network,” Chipman said. “The Village is excited to work with the Fox Valley Park District to connect the residents of Foxmoor and western Montgomery with the Stuart Sports Complex and the wider regional trail network.”

The District’s trail connectivity mission remains an ongoing endeavor – one in which collaboration with other municipalities proves most efficient.

“There’s still work to be done to get all of our residents connected on local trails by bike or foot to regional trails,” Palmquist said. “But we get more accomplished through intergovernmental cooperation than by working individually.”