Saturday, November 4, the city of Chicago held its first-ever Civics Day featuring seminars, workshops and panels involving city officials and community leaders, which was attended by more than 500 people. City Civics Day was presented by the Department of Planning and Development in collaboration with the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events.
One of the featured panels focused on Rails to Trails efforts. Panelists included:
- Dr. Brenda Dixon, Major Taylor Trail Keepers
- Ben Helphand, Friends of the Bloomingdale Trail
- L. Anton Seals Jr., Grow Greater Englewood
- Moderated by Caroline O’Boyle, Trust for Public Land.
Each panelist spoke about their experiences and the unique history of each trail, where their trail is in its evolution, and how these former railroad lines now deliver public benefits as trails.