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We, the undersigned residents, homeowners, and taxpayers of Schaumburg, Illinois, formally oppose the proposed installation of an 8-foot concrete multi-use path on N. Walnut Lane between Schaumburg Road and Bode Road, and respectfully request that the Village Board of Trustees remove it from the project scope entirely.
 
We are asking the Board to stop this plan for the following reasons:
 
SAFETY 1:      WALKERS, FAMILIES, AND CHILDREN ARE NOT SAFE SHARING A PATH WITH CYCLISTS AND E-BIKES.

The current sidewalk gives walkers, families, and children a dedicated, protected space. This path takes it away. Peer-reviewed research published in ScienceDirect confirms pedestrians sustain more severe injuries in cyclist collisions due to speed differential, with children and elderly pedestrians at highest risk. Research also confirms that shared-use path users are routinely confused about who has priority, creating dangerous unpredictability. A multi-use path is not a sidewalk. It is a shared corridor where pedestrians and cyclists compete for the same space at very different speeds.
 
SAFETY 2:     YOUR DRIVEWAY IS NOW A CRASH ZONE.

State DOT guidance from North Carolina and Idaho recommends against multi-use paths on residential streets with high driveway density. Research shows sidepaths carry up to 16 times the crash risk of on-street bike lanes because of driveway conflicts. Every driveway on this 1.4-mile corridor becomes a foreseeable collision point.
 
SAFETY 3:      NO LICENSE. NO REGISTRATION. UP TO 28 MPH. NEXT TO YOUR CHILD.
Under Illinois law and the Village's own e-bike ordinance, Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes are permitted on shared-use paths with no license, no registration, and no insurance required. Class 3 e-bikes reach 28 mph. The minimum age to ride is 16. The residents of Walnut Lane were never asked whether they wanted this in front of their homes.
 
SAFETY 4:     AFTER DARK, THE DANGER DOUBLES.
NHTSA data confirms that over 56% of all cyclist fatalities occur during reduced-visibility conditions. A shared-use path immediately adjacent to a residential street with no separation barrier creates a serious low-visibility hazard at every driveway crossing. No lights, no barriers, and no warning systems are proposed.
 
GREEN SPACE:     TREES REMOVED. LAWNS GONE. NEIGHBORHOOD DESTROYED.
Eight feet of concrete replaces the green parkway buffer in front of 131 homes. The neighborhood character residents have invested in and maintained for decades, permanently destroyed.
 

THE SALEM COMPARISON: SAME CONCEPT. HALF THE SPACE. TWICE THE DAMAGE.
Salem Drive had approximately 25 feet from curb to sidewalk. Walnut Lane has only 14 feet. On Salem, 14 of 31 trees were still destroyed. Apron parking for two vehicles, preserved on Salem, is eliminated on Walnut Lane. On May 23, 2026, a resident personally observed two cyclists on the completed Salem path choosing the bike lane on the street over the new path. 

BUDGET:     $307,795 OVER BUDGET. ONE DECISION CAUSED IT ALL.
Nearly a 95% overrun on a project that was supposed to be a simple road resurfacing. The design contract came in at $632,795 against a $325,000 budget. The Village's own May 2025 Agenda Item Summary confirms the multi-use path is the sole cause.
 
PROPERTY VALUES:     HIGH TAXES.     NO PROTECTION.
A buyer will choose the east side every time. A peer-reviewed University of Texas at Arlington study confirms curb appeal accounts for up to 7% of home value. Eight feet of concrete replacing the green frontage permanently disadvantages every west-side home in every future sale.
 
LIABILITY:     YOU BACK OUT OF YOUR DRIVEWAY. A CYCLIST HITS YOU. GUESS WHO PAYS?
Under Illinois modified comparative negligence law, homeowners face real personal legal exposure at every driveway crossing. The Village has never disclosed this risk to a single affected resident.
 
SNOW REMOVAL:      WHO SHOVELS FOR YOUR ELDERLY NEIGHBOR?
The Village's own snow removal policy states residents are responsible for clearing the public sidewalk in front of their homes. An 8-foot path doubles that obligation. For elderly and disabled residents, the Village just doubled a burden they never agreed to carry. Not once mentioned.
 
AN ALTERNATIVE ALREADY EXISTS:     THE BIKE LANES ARE ALREADY THERE.
The road has shared on-street bike lanes in each direction today. Resurface the road. Replace noncompliant sidewalk. Restripe the lanes. Every legitimate goal achieved, zero harm to residents.
 
Salem Drive is done. Braintree is in progress. Springinsguth is next. Walnut Lane is coming. Street by street, Schaumburg is being converted into a bike corridor. How about we prioritize the dog walkers, pedestrians, families, and children over e-bikes?
 
We ask the Board to:  

1.  Remove the 8-foot multi-use path from the Walnut Lane project scope entirely.
2.  Retain the existing sidewalk and on-street bike lane configuration.
3. Answer publicly: what specifically would it take for this Board to reject this path?
    
   Organized by Scott Corwin, N. Walnut Lane, Schaumburg IL 60194