Executive Director Supports Bike and Pedestrian Plan for Naperville

Giving voice to the ideas and hard work of our Summer 2024 interns, our executive director, Catherine Clarkin, made the following comments at the Naperville City Council meeting on October 21, 2026. The bike and pedestrian plan under consideration was subsequently adopted by unanimous vote.

Good evening. I’m Catherine Clarkin, a Naperville resident, founder of Accelerate Climate Solutions, and someone who bikes and walks to work regularly. During the summer of 2024, interns at my organization did a deep-dive on how to make our city more bike friendly, culminating in our Naperville Bikeability report.

Regarding the bike and pedestrian plan being discussed tonight, I’d like to first comment on the costs. Averaged out over the period 2027 through 2050, this plan only costs $1.9 million/year for projects within Naperville’s jurisdiction. Compare this to the $12 million annually that Naperville spends just to maintain roads for motor vehicles, which doesn’t include the cost for special projects, such as road widening. The Riverwalk 2031 master plan will cost over $16 million in capital expenses.

Spending on safe and connected bike infrastructure has many obvious benefits. Imagine taking all the things that people love so much about the river walk and extending that citywide, but also with access for bicycles - wouldn’t that make our city more liveable?

Spending on infrastructure for motor vehicles is the default to such an extent that we hardly even think about it. But cities across the country and across the globe have decided to rethink the norm and build people-centered infrastructure that encourages healthier lifestyles, connection, and stronger communities. If they can do it, so can we, as long as City Council commits to funding not just the plan, but the implementation of the plan. Such an investment in our community has broad support, with 81% of open house participants supporting removal of some on-street parking for bike lanes on important routes around Naperville.

We can reduce traffic deaths and injury, improve public health, and allow youth a sense of autonomy when we prioritize people over vehicles.

I encourage you to approve the plan tonight and fund it’s implementation to ensure safe and connected routes for everyone to get around our community. Thank you.