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Bolingbrook adopts Complete Streets policy; administrator says it guides, not mandates, sidewalks or bike lanes
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Summary
Trustees unanimously approved a Complete Streets policy April 22; Village Administrator Lucas Rickelman told a public question the policy requires planning to consider pedestrians and bicyclists but does not guarantee sidewalks or bike lanes on every street.
The Village of Bolingbrook adopted a Complete Streets policy (Resolution 25R-027) at its April 22 board meeting to ensure planners evaluate the needs of pedestrians, bicyclists and other users when designing or improving streets.
During the public comment period, resident Sean Salisbury asked what the policy would mean in practice. Village Administrator Lucas Rickelman responded that the policy requires the village to consider accommodations for all users during planning and resurfacing projects but does not automatically add sidewalks or bike lanes to every street.
"It doesn't mean every street will get a sidewalk or bike lane, but if those users are present, there should be safe and practical accommodations," Rickelman said, adding that the policy also helps the village compete for certain federal grants that require a complete-streets approach.
Why it matters: Complete Streets policies shift project planning toward multimodal safety and can affect engineering choices, grant eligibility and project costs. In Bolingbrook, trustees framed the policy as a design standard and a tool for grant competitiveness rather than a prescriptive mandate to build sidewalks everywhere.
Implementation and next steps
Trustees approved the policy unanimously; Public Services and Engineering staff will apply the policy to new projects and resurfacing decisions and may reference it when pursuing grant funding. The board did not adopt project-level designs during the meeting, and specific roadway changes will be considered project by project.
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