Naperville Running Company again will partner with Naperville Park District to keep trail open from Rt. 59 to Naperville-Plainfield Rd.
Updated Post, Dec. 20, 2020 / Naperville Park District’s trails provide much-needed outdoor recreation for the community year round. Runners appreciate being able to enjoy the trails in winter, and the Park District prioritizes snow removal on the longer trails and along the Riverwalk to keep those trails open.
To help with the costs of snow removal, the Naperville Running Company will partner with Naperville Park District for the 6th consecutive year to help keep a favorite two-mile trail open this winter in south Naperville.
(Need PN say thanks for shopping locally in support of independent enterprise? The Naperville Running Company has two locations in Naperville. One is at 34 W. Jefferson Avenue and the other is at 3416 S. Route 59.)
Original Post, Jan 5, 2015 / If the 2014 Naperville Turkey Trot is any indication, Naperville residents love to run outdoors —even in the winter. More than 7,000 participants participated in the Noon Lions’ 5K Turkey Trot in 20-degree weather, and just a few weeks earlier, thousands more ran in the second annual Naperville Marathon.
Keeping trails clear of snow can be costly. To help with the costs, the Naperville Running Company has joined with the Naperville Park District in a creative new partnership to keep a two-mile stretch of trail open for runners in south Naperville this winter.
“We are very excited that the Park District was open to working with us to find a way to keep this heavily used section of trail open for runners and walkers in Naperville,” said Kris Hartner from Naperville Running Company. “When we opened our new location in South Naperville in 2014, we received lots of comments from our customers about being unable to use the path for much of the winter. So we gave the Park District a call and a few weeks later we were able to come to a solution to this problem.”
Under the new partnership agreement, the Park District will supply labor and materials to remove snow on the trail that extends from the Route 59 pedestrian bridge at Frontier Sports Complex through Ashbury Greenway to Naperville-Plainfield Road. Naperville Running Company will reimburse the District for the cost of keeping the path clear.
“This is the kind of public-private partnership that makes Naperville a great community,” said Park District Executive Director Ray McGury. “We appreciate Naperville Running Company’s willingness to contribute toward expanding our winter trail system so that more people can continue to run and enjoy the outdoors.”
Other trails that are maintained year round with snow removal as needed include the Riverwalk, the DuPage River Trail between Veterans Park and DuPage River Park, and the loop trails at Meadow Glens and Commissioners Park.
Unpaved trails at parks such as Knoch Knolls Park can be used for cross country skiing or snowshoeing whenever conditions allow.
Trail photo courtesy Sue Omanson, NPD
