Across the suburbs, communities are becoming more friendly to bicyclists by establishing designated bike routes, promoting bicycling safety and adding bike lanes to busy streets.
Then there’s Barrington Hills, where residents and cyclists are in a nasty battle over access to the town’s scenic, tree-lined roads.
Residents say their roads are being clogged by unlawful, unsafe riders of the “professional biking community, clad in spandex.” Bicyclists, they say, flout the rules of the road, block vehicles from passing and, in some cases, have been caught urinating in yards.
Cyclists say Barrington Hills residents have driven them off the road, harassed them and even pelted them with objects as they ride by.
Read more from the Daily Herald report here.
Editorial note: The Observer will have much more on this article and subject later this week.
Did the Herald have to give that windbag Abboud a forum! I thought we were rid of him. Mary Naumann, and others, beware, he’s using you for the next election, interjecting himself into the issue, having you believe he actually had something to do with the rejection of bike lanes. It was people strength, not his misinformation on the website, or that chest puffing to the newspapers that prevailed. Remember that saying, “when you lay down with dogs….”
Article states: “The group was started by Mary Naumann, a resident who declined to be interviewed for this story. But the group’s position on cyclists is laid out on its website, which is hosted on a server owned by Abboud. He said he supports the group’s message but is not involved with the website’s content.”
REALLY? The person who started the movement is mute and Abboud claims to have no involvement in the content yet he can’t shut up? Some things never change. He still assumes most residents are morons and this article demonstrates the few he still has influence over are.
His pants are on fire!
Why did the Herald even quote that man? He’s gone. He no longer represents the Village or its citizens. “The Village is like a fabric made up of many threads?” And fixing the street he neglected for his term is a problem? It was his idea in the first place……. 2012 was under his watch. And I’m utterly disgusted with the signs being up today of all days. I hope all those people with the signs in their yards donated to the Honor Ride. No honor there.
They are most likely the same RCBH members who initiated and signed petitions NOT to lower the Anerican flag when my husband was killed in Afghanistan in defense of this country. UnAmerican UnPatriotic disrespectful troublemakers. Never forget.
American
In the 3 years we’ve lived here, haven’t had any problems with bicyclists–spandex-clad or otherwise–but I hope the village isn’t going to paint those goofy/pointless bicycle stencils in B. Hills they way Barrington painted them down the sides of Dundee Avenue. Most of the roads in B. Hills are just wide enough for 2-way car traffic without adding a bike “lane.” And it’s not like the bicyclists need any encouragement. They come for the hills already. Would be nice to have some family-friendly places to ride, but a stenciled bicycle on the road won’t do that. How about buying the railroad track from the CN and converting it to bike path?
I wish Abboud would have made the case of BH being a “beautiful and pristine place” some years ago rather than folding BH’s tent for the sake of his [unsuccessful] bid for Congress when it came to the Long Meadow Parkway (“LMP”). In this selfish act (hoping to get votes West of the Fox River) Abboud and the Board never appointed or recommended anyone from BH be seated on the LMP Advisory Board. As a result, the LMP Advisory Board (comprised of residents from affected municipalities other then BH) recommended BH (Alonguin Road) was the best place for LMP to connect into.
Ms. Naumann, Abboud did BH in a long time ago and evidence of BH’s demise will become visible for all to see when LMP construction begins during the next 24 months. All I can say to Ms. Naumann, if protecing the countryside character of BH is truly your mission, bicycle lanes should be the least of your concern. Nonetheless, If you really intend for your mesage to gain traction, until you change your “messenger”; your “message” will be lost on most of us.
I think the best place for LMP to connect and terminate is to the (4 lane) route 25 – not to the 2 lane and curvy route 62 !
Interesting the implication that Mr. Abboud may have “thrown us under the Bus” as to the interests of BH residents vs. this project.
VBH Albert,
Not an implication of Mr. Abboud, but of the entire Save 5 Acre Trustee group (Gohl, Messer, Harrington, Selman, Meroni, Ramesh). Recent comments by Trustee Meroni, head of roads and bridges, that she did not know about this are an insult (listen to the BOT recordings). Abboud and his cronies made a conscious decision not to appoint a BH representative to the Long Meadow Parkway planning commission. Look the other way – who cares about the !,000 BH votes when you have a congressional election to pursue. Maybe this is why Oakwood Farms ignored the Village code and refused to build entrance to his operation off of Algonquin.
When Algonquin adds 7,000 cars per day and is expanded to 4 lanes with multiple traffic lights and BH becomes the commercial hub for horse boarding of people not residing in BH, we’ll have Abboud’s Save 5 Acres crew to thank (AKA the “Destroy Open Spaces” slate)