Speed problems on the Constitution Trail are rising as e-bikes become more common. Town of Normal Mayor Chris Koos acknowledged there are a lot of complaints about people going too fast on electric-assist bicycles and even some with gas-powered motors — a clear no-no.
“I hate to put signage on the trail, but if we have to put speed limit signs on the trail, we’ll do that,” Koos said on WGLT's Sound Ideas.
There actually is a speed limit on the recreational biking, jogging, and walking path that runs through the Twin Cities. It's 10 mph in Town of Normal parks and recreation areas, according to the town website.
Koos said he favors more enforcement of speed and vehicle limits on Constitution Trail, though it's a tough ask to take a uniformed police officer off the street to enforce rules on a recreational trail.
The town has periodically looked at the idea of an ordinance covering new modes of personal transportation that have become common, though a draft has never reached the council for action.
“We want to get it right. We’re looking at other communities that have instituted policies like that and to see if they’ve been successful or not, but we’re going to have to require something,” Koos said. “There’s already language in the motor vehicle code in the state of Illinois. For instance, level three e-bikes [with throttles] …are not allowed on the trail. They’re not legal on the trail.”
Koos said any potential ordinance covering such things as electric skateboards, e-bikes, scooters, Segways, and even self-balancing electric unicycles would have to be carefully drafted because there is another side to the issue.
"If you say no motorized vehicles on the trail, does that mean an electric wheelchair? Does that mean that specialty electric bikes used by church groups to go to retirement homes and put people in who can't walk or ride very well anymore and take them on the trail?” said Koos.
Koos said the problem of speeders on the trail will largely subside in a couple months as the weather cools until next spring.
Housing
The Bloomington City Council has given direction to staff on development of programs to address the housing shortage. The Normal council has not acted formally, but Koos said that doesn't mean he thinks the difference is a problem.
"Bloomington took a different approach than we did, but the end result is in common with both communities. We just prefer to have some answers before we formally announce something instead of formally announcing something and saying, 'We're going to study this to see where it goes,'" said Koos. "We’re doing the study work right now and we’re talking internally about what we can do, what’s realistic.”
Residential building permits for the first seven months of the year in the Town of Normal are not up significantly from the same period last year. The subcategory of multi-family building permits did rise from three last year to 15 this year.
Koos acknowledged the community has not yet begun to make up ground onits housing deficit. He said the council will have staff recommendations on incentives soon, though he declined to elaborate on "soon."
Politics
Recently, Koos announced he will run for a record sixth full term as mayor in next April’s municipal election. It has become a three-way race with town council members Kathleen Lorenz and Chemberly Harris also announcing their candidacies.
In an interview with WGLT, Lorenz said she would like to have a more articulated and modernized process to make appointments to boards and commissions. She wanted one that is more open to the council and community. Koos rejected the notion, saying there is no history of bad appointments.
“That’s a solution looking for a problem in my opinion. I’m the third maybe fourth mayor to [do it this way]. By statute, their position is to appoint people to boards and commissions with advice and consent from the council,” Koos said.
He also said there is a downside to prolonged public input vetting, adding it could discourage people from volunteering.
“There are a number of people I have asked to serve on council, run for council over the years and they said, ‘No, I don’t want my family to have to go through that,’” Koos said.
Lorenz said she has a different, more collaborative leadership style. Koos said that is not lacking in the current administration.
“I’ve always been about collaborative relationships and consensus,” Koos said. “Working with the council, pulling together a common solution, has always been my path.”
Koos said he has active communication with all members of the council.
In her interview, Lorenz also implied Koos’ time should be at an end.
“At some point there is a time and a moment to pass the baton and there is benefit to passing the baton while you are still able to share your thoughts to your successor and to be a part of some of those final fruitions of plans that maybe haven’t totally come to fruition yet,” said Lorenz.
Koos rejected the implication.
“Well in my opinion, it’s not time to pass the baton. It’s a fair observation to ask that question, it’s a question that I asked myself very rigorously when I decided to run again: ‘Am I able to do that?’” Koos said in response. “I feel perfectly fit and able to do this job. I feel like I’ve got a pretty good track record on the job and I’m ready to do it for another four years.”
The three-way race complicates the dynamics of the mayoral contest. Koos declined to say exactly how campaign strategy could unfold to appeal to various constituencies in the town.
“It’s a calculus that we have to take into account and that’s something we’re looking at right now,” Koos said. “A two-way race is always better than a three-way race, but this is a democratic form of government. As many people that want to run can run.”
