Above / In the name of pedestrian safety, folks are wondering if the old Cow Tunnel along Webster Street should be reopened.
UPDATE, Aug. 10, 2017 / After reading the brief history about the Cow Tunnel and a proposal to consider reopening the passageway under the BNSF railway tracks along Webster Street, Mary Gorecki, Mary Goetz and Geri Frey rode their bikes in search of the long-remembered access from north to south.
When they discovered the tunnel, the three women posed for a photo behind a tree. Afterward Mary Goetz sent the photo to PN.
Original Post, Aug. 8, 2017 / Should the Webster Street Cow Tunnel in downtown Naperville be reopened?
That’s the question that will be addressed during a community discussion scheduled to begin at 7PM on Wed., August 23, in the Naperville Municipal Center, 400 S. Eagle Street.
Residents on both sides of the tracks have been exploring the idea and welcome others to weigh in with feedback.
The cow tunnel or an expanded version of it underneath the BNSF railway tracks could provide an alternative safe bicycle and pedestrian passage away from the narrow sidewalks and heavy traffic of Washington and Mill Streets. Funding possibilities include grant applications and a presence in the city CIP budget. It would be open to all residents.
The cow tunnel, no longer with access, exists where Webster Street ends on the north and south side of the BNSF tracks.
Kendall Park used to be a cow pasture, when downtown Naperville was largely farmland. The tunnel was built in 1864 by the Burlington & Quincy Railroad to allow John Stenger’s cows to graze on the north side of the tracks and then walk back to their barns on the south side of the tracks.
When houses were developed, pedestrians and bicyclists used the cow tunnel. In fact, there are neighbors who used it regularly until it was fenced off in the 1970s as Mayor Chester Rybicki wanted to discourage any “hanky-panky.”
Opening and expanding the cow tunnel offers the benefits of safety, access, reduced vehicular traffic, promotion of health and fitness, and building community friendships. Residents would like to discuss re-opening this tunnel, however, enlarging it to create a beautiful, safe and convenient passageway for students, commuters, bikers, runners, walkers and strollers.
For more information, contact Susan Ahlfeld at (773) 459-5500 or CowTunnelProject@gmail.com.
Story submitted by Susan Waldvogel.
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