Elmhurst Faces Pressure On Bridge Plan

ELMHURST, IL – Residents along an Elmhurst street are pushing the city to change its plan for a pedestrian bridge on the north side.

Fay Avenue residents object to the idea of an 8-foot-wide path in front of their houses leading up to the bridge.

They are holding a town hall at 6 p.m. Thursday at Fay and West avenues.

Resident Antonio DeBlasio emailed the mayor, aldermen and other city officials, inviting them to the event. He said Alderman Michael Bram is the only one so far who has accepted.

"Many residents of the area believe that this proposed sidepath over residential driveways will needlessly risk the safety of children and residents in the area, especially with the increased use of e-bikes," DeBlasio wrote. "We hope that you will come to the meeting, view the site, and better understand how the proposed sidepath poses a danger to children and residents."

Earlier this month, DeBlasio and another Fay Avenue resident spoke to the City Council about their concerns with the path.

At the meeting, aldermen approved hiring an engineer to design the bridge over Route 83.

Bram was the lone dissenting vote. He called the project a "nice-to-have," not a "need-to-have."

Officials have long said the city needs a pedestrian bridge over Route 83 on the north side. South Elmhurst enjoys the Illinois Prairie Path bridge.