Friends of East Branch DuPage River Trail is actively working with all levels of government to advocate for the full development and construction of the East Branch DuPage River Trail (EBDFT).
The East Branch DuPage River Trail is located in the central part of DuPage County, Illinois. The trail has been in the planning and funding stages for some time now. The trail was originally envisioned as a central north-south connector biking and hiking trail to enhance the trail network that many in DuPage County utilize every day for recreation, transportation, exercise, and as a way to connect to nature and natural areas. However, the East Branch DuPage River Trail remains incomplete as it has met challenges with trail construction in fairly well-built urban/suburban communities and securing funding.
Working Together
The Friends of East Branch DuPage River Trail is a group of community volunteers whose advocacy work began back in 2014, when one biker wondered when the EBDRT would be finished, considering it had been “on the books” since the early 2000s as part of the Village of Glen Ellyn’s Comprehensive Plan.
In October 2017, the Active Transportation Alliance helped connect people who wanted to work together on the project. The ATA also granted the group $250 of seed money to fund some advocacy activities and help build The Friends of East Branch DuPage River Trail website.
In 2018, a steering committee was organized to share the workload of raising awareness among the public, contacting and meeting with elected officials and staff from governmental organizations and state agencies such as IDOT, and planning the next steps.
Many volunteer opportunities exist within the Friends of East Branch DuPage River Trail group. Bringing awareness to people in a county with a population of 1 million residents without any budget is a challenge. If you’d like to help, here are a few things you can do:
- Share group info on social media
- Download materials and share them with your neighbors
- Offer to help with data input
- Offer to start and manage a social media channel
- Offer to contact and work with editors/writers of publications
Spotlight Guests
Greg Hart, DuPage County Board Member
Steve Johnson, BDRT Board Member
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