The Wheaton Record
Wheaton, Ill.

Aug. 19, 2005

Prairie Path runs away with award
By Sarah Pulliam
Instead of running in circles around a track, junior Jonathan Koehler prefers the 61-mile Prairie Path south of Wheaton’s campus.
The cross country runner plans to put in about 35 miles every week and finds the path more convenient, safe and enjoyable to run than in subdivisions or on roads.
“I definitely notice the difference when we have to train on the roads in the winter when the path is iced over,” he said. “It also runs forever in all four directions from campus so we have an almost endless amount of runnable area.”
The path was named June’s Rail-Trail of the Month by the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC), a Washington, D.C. organization that creates a nationwide network of trails made from former rail lines.
The 42-year-old path runs east from Wheaton to Maywood, covers three counties west of Chicago and reaches shopping districts, forest preserves, commuter rail stations and neighborhoods.
RTC’s Rail-Trail of the Month program was established in 2001 to honor the best of the country’s open rail-trails: Every trail of the month exemplifies unique qualities and serves as an illustration for future trails around the country.
RTC’s Media Coordinator Katie Magers said the Prairie Path is one of the most well-known rail-trails in the country.
“I do hope that DuPage County can use this award as leverage to bolster their requests for grants and money to enhance their trail in the future,” Magers said. “It consistently lures an impressive number of walkers, bicyclists and equestrians each year because it is one of the best rail-trails in the country.”
Rail-trails began in the 1960s when residents began converting abandoned or unused rail corridors into public trails. The Prairie Path claims to be one of the oldest rail-trails in the nation.
Today there are 13,150 miles of rail-trails and over 100 million nationwide users per year, according to RTC’s web site.
President of the Prairie Path Don Kirchenberg said the June award was the path’s first award this year.
“It’s always a pleasant surprise,” Kirchenberg said. “It’s been recognized by many as a benchmark for rail-to-trail conversions for people who want to get their rail-to-trail as successful.”
The path has won dozens of awards in the past from national, state and county bicycle groups, advocacy groups, government agencies and environmental awareness groups.
Wheaton Mayor James Carr said the path serves as an asset to the city.
“It’s a great way of connect-ing the municipalities other than by car or rail,” Carr said. “It adds to the quality of life in our community, and it’s a very convenient way to get from one place to another.”
Deputy Chief of Wheaton Police Thomas Meloni said police have seen minimal crime on the path in Wheaton in the last two years.
Meloni said the police have had some reports of suspicious persons, abandoned property and cases of indecent exposure.
Joel Smyth, interim chief of Wheaton College Public Safety, said the Prairie Path is not in the college’s public safety jurisdiction.
In case of an emergency, Prairie Path users can call either 911 or Public Safety, which would then report an incident to the city’s police department.
When sophomore Anna Zimbrick uses the path, she tries to run during the day with at least one other person because she finds it safer.
“I think the Prairie Path is pretty safe, but that basic precautions should still be taken,” she said. “It is not only safer but will also motivate you to work harder.”
Not only do students use the Prairie Path, but some professors also find the path convenient.
Professor of business/economics Steve Bretsen said he runs about 20 miles on the path every week.
“The Prairie Path forms a nice, green tunnel and provides a brief escape from the man-made landscape that is so prevalent in Chicagoland,” Bretsen said. “I think the crushed gravel surface is less jarring on joints than asphalt or concrete. Also, there are no cars so I think it is safer for a pedestrian and much more pleasant.”