The 606

The Bloomingdale Trail, aka The 606, is a 2.7-mile walking and cycling corridor that connects many destinations across the Near Northwest Side and intersects with several key bike routes. Some 80,000 residents live within a half mile of the path. As such, it’s a no-brainer that people should be allowed use it for commuting 24/7, just like on Lakefront Trail.

Whether you're a rabid Blackhawks fan or couldn't care less about professional sports, Monday night was an unforgettable evening on the streets of Chicago -- and on its newest bike and pedestrian paths.

In a 2009 Chicago Reader story, I noted that the best-case scenario for the Bloomingdale Trail elevated greenway would be a 2016 opening, in time for the Olympics, if then-mayor Richard M. Daley succeeded in winning the games. We all know what happened with the Olympic effort.

Chicagoans are in for a treat this Saturday, when the Bloomingdale Trail, aka The 606, finally opens to the public. For roughly two decades, residents have been pushing to turn the 2.7-mile railroad right-of-way into a multiuse path and linear park.

Tomorrow morning, early risers can catch what may be the most dramatic step in the process of converting the Bloomingdale Line to an elevated greenway and linear park. Starting around 5 a.m., crews will begin the process of transporting the rail line’s massive Ashland bridge 1.5 miles to its new home at Western.

It’s gorgeous outside at the moment, but when the temperatures dip again later this week, I recommend ducking into the Pedway system for an update on how the arts are being incorporated into the design of the Bloomingdale Trail, AKA the 606. Located in the underground walkway below the Daley Center, the new exhibit “Arts and The 606” consists of ten large panels showcasing plans to turn the long-awaited trail and its access parks into a venue for public art, performance, and scientific exploration.

The Bloomingdale Trail, AKA The 606, is not just going to be a great transportation and recreation facility. It’s also going to be an important educational resource for students at the 25 schools located within a ten-minute walk of the 2.7-mile elevated greenway and linear park. Today the Trust for Public Land, which is managing the project for the city and the park district, announced that it has hired Jean Linsner to design and implement educational programming for the trail and its five access parks. The two-year position is funded by Exelon Corporation as part of its $5 million donation to the Bloomingdale project.

At a community meeting Tuesday night at the McCormick-Tribune YMCA, planners discussed the final designs, construction schedule, and new name for the trail and "linear park" formerly known as the Bloomingdale. The newly coined appellation "The 606" is an umbrella term referring to the trail as well as five adjacent parks that will serve as access points.