Did You Know?
Lathrop Homes path adds to growing Chicago River Trail
Biking, walking and access to the local bus route is about to get easier at Lathrop Homes with the expected completion of a riverfront path this summer.
Lathrop Homes, a housing development north and south of Diversey Avenue along the Chicago River’s North Branch, includes a new half-mile long trail that runs alongside the housing development on the east side of the Chicago River.
The path ducks under the Diversey bridge and features a decked trail in the river south of Diversey (see below).
It’s exciting to see another section of the river trail opening soon, moving the city closer to a continuous 27-mile Chicago River Trail. A complete Chicago River trail would promote walking and biking and support healthy communities, cleaner environments and a vibrant local economy.
The path is part of the reconstruction of Lathrop Homes, a 34-acre housing development that broke ground in 2017. This project is led by developer Related Midwest with support from Lathrop Partners, which includes Bickerdike Redevelopment Corporation and Heartland Housing.
Active Trans recently created a Chicago River Trail coalition to help with the process of building support for a continuous trail. And one of the main tasks of the coalition is ensuring that trail sections completed by the city and those completed by private developers will eventually connect to one another.
We’re pleased the trail at Lathrop Homes will offer sustainable transportation options to middle and low-income residents, making it easier for people to avoid the high-costs of car ownership.
The trail will make it easier to walk and bike to neighborhood destinations like the retail corridor surrounding Clybourn Avenue and the Boys and Girls Club on Leavitt Street south of Clybourn Avenue. Trail users will also have the option of exiting the path and hopping on the CTA’s #76 Diversey Bus to reach destinations east and west.
To the north, Active Trans is working with residents and neighborhood groups to connect the trail at Lathrop Homes to the 312 RiverRun at Belmont Avenue. With this connection, people walking and biking could access destinations all along the river, from Diversey Avenue north to Lawrence Avenue.
We also have our eyes on two near-term opportunities to connect the Lathrop Homes path south to Lincoln Yards and the Wild Mile Chicago.
To receive the latest updates on this project and opportunities to get involved, please join our campaign for a continuous Chicago River Trail.
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