The Major Taylor Trail needs some TLC

Many of us have used and appreciated the Major Taylor Trail for years. Much of the pavement on the off-street sections is now about 20 years old and in need of some TLC.  Portions of the on-street sections are even worse.

Going north from 95th St., there are spots where the edge of the trail is crumbling away. Some spots have plants growing through.

Just north of 95th St.

Cracks in trail surface

Crumbling edges with plants growing through

From 87th St. to the north end and 83rd St. trailhead in Dan Ryan Woods, there are deteriorated areas in need of repair.

Crumbling edges

Long cracks

On the connector from Major Taylor to
loop trail (near 85th), one side of the trail is crumbling.

The on-street section from 97th to 105th has its challenges. It needs repairs as well as signage and pavement markings. There are a few utility cuts that have been left in rough condition - not such a big deal for cars, but a potential hazard for cyclists.

On streets anywhere in the city, crack sealer should be much more widely used, not saved for special occasions. 

East of Vincennes, 105th St. has been a disaster for years and a hazard to riders, causing several crashes that I've witnessed. It's in desperate need of repaving.

There are plenty of cracks and ridges in the trail surface between 105th and 107th. These will become very hazardous if not repaired within the next few years.

From 107th to 127th, there are many areas in need of repair.

Just north of 119th where a fence was removed, the edge of the trail has crumbled away, creating a real hazard.

The trail has an on-street section from the Metra Electric tracks at 121st to a spot north of 122nd. It's been a cratered disaster for well over 10 years and is in desperate need of repaving. 

ADA curb ramps at 127th need some TLC, too. On the north side of the street, it's totally crumbled away. On the south side, the pads need to be bolted down again.

From 127th to the river, conditions are fairly good up to 128th Pl, then the trail condition gets rougher from there to the bridge.

I hope that CDOT is planning on resurfacing in the near future and that they're coordinating with the park district and forest preserve district. This trail is a real asset to the city. It's used by more people each year - for walking, biking, jogging and other uses.  We all need to have safe conditions there.