“There is a desire to move around the Village without a car, in a way that accommodates all ages and abilities.” – Jill Hayes, Wilmette Transportation Commission
“Many people are expecting to live in a sustainable, walkable community – we need to meet that demand.” – Beth Drucker, Go Green Wilmette
On Tuesday, September 20th, members of the consultant team and engaged community members gathered on Zoom to discuss the present state and future of transportation and sustainability in Wilmette.
The main takeaways? There is a lot of work already happening in the Village towards the goals of improving multi-modal transportation (for bikes, pedestrians, transit, and vehicles) and environmental sustainability! Some of these are big things like: adding new bike lanes, filling gaps in the sidewalk network, Village-wide stormwater management, and community solar. Learn more about these initiatives in the Village-adopted Master Bike and Active Transportation Plan and the Sustainability Plan.
But there are also lots of smaller things can make an impact. For individuals, this might be: choosing to bike or walk to a local destination instead of driving, using native plantings in a yard, or composting. At the Village-level, this could involve: installing more bike racks and covered bike parking with fix-it stations, increasing community awareness of existing sustainability programs and resources, and integrating sustainability best practices in all new infrastructure improvements.
Other big ideas discussed include…
- Electric vehicle charing stations
- Connected east/west bikeway from the lake to west Wilmette
- The use of Low Speed Electric Vehicles (LSEVs)
- Renewable energy credits
- Expanding the use of community solar, geothermal energy, and permeable pavement
- Decreasing light pollution
Watch the recordings here to catch up on the entire discussion. Thank you again to our wonderful panelists (read their bios here!) and to those who tuned in live and asked smart, thoughtful questions.
Ready Set Wilmette 