EAST WILMETTE – Bicyclists between Sheridan Road and downtown Wilmette may want to consider recently resurfaced Greenleaf Avenue as their preferred route. The Village is working with consultants to add sharrows to Greenleaf, the first step in implementing Wilmette’s recently adopted Master Bike and Pedestrian Plan. A sharrow is a combination of the words ‘shared’ and ‘arrow’ and means “shared-lane marking.” Sharrows are placed in the travel lane to better indicate to drivers that cars and bikes share the road. They alert drivers to the presence of bicyclists and let cyclists know that it is “safe” to cycle in the road. If a driver wishes to pass a cyclist, they must maintain a three-foot clearance from the cyclist.
The 2021 Master Bike and Active Transportation Plan recommends Greenleaf as the preferred route through downtown Wilmette, even though it skirts the major downtown intersections of Central and Wilmette and makes it more difficult for cyclists to directly access most downtown businesses. The Village Transportation Commission expects the sharrows to be painted in early 2022. Phase 2 of the resurfacing of Greenleaf (between 9th Street and Poplar Drive) is also slated for early next year.
Bike Walk Wilmette 