The trash pickup was part of the annual Trail Cleanup for Earth Day at the Great Western Trail, and it began in Lombard with hundreds of volunteers picking up garbage along one of northeastern Illinois' premier biking and walking paths. The cleanup Saturday was coordinated by Friends of the Great Western Trail, a volunteer group of walkers, runners and bicyclists. The group doesn't limit its trash pickups to Earth Day, according to Don Kirchenberg, its chairman. Although shorter than the Illinois Prairie Path, the Great Western Trail is significant, Kirchenberg noted, because it provides a safe, alternative commuter route for bikers and walkers to busy streets and connects to the region's other trails. Many trail users agree.
Some users so love the Great Western Trail that they've moved to be near it.
Although the trail provides recreational opportunities, there are areas of concern, particularly safe trail crossings. Friends of the Great Western Trail and others are working to promote safe access to the trail. According to Kirchenberg, one of the more dangerous sections is at the intersection of St. Charles Road and Grace Street in Lombard, where trail users make a detour, vying with car traffic to reconnect with the trail two blocks east. A railroad crossing adds to the hazard. Lombard was recently awarded a state grant for a study of the crossing and possible safety enhancements.