On Monday June 22, 2026, at 9:30 AM at 40th and State Street, Chicago, IL, the Cook County Department of Environment & Sustainability has scheduled environmental soil testiing from the top of the Kenwood ‘L’ Embankment to get an idea of the condition of the soil after
almost seventy years of non-passenger service.
Contractors will hoist drilling and other equipment to the top of the embankment. This will represent the first physical manifestation
that the Bronzeville Trail Development Project is in progress.
The Bronzeville Trail Development Project is a community-led effort by the Bronzeville Trail Task Force (BTTF). The development project, in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood, is dedicated to transforming the embankment into a walking, running, and biking trail — a linear
park that celebrates the neighborhood’s history and provides public recreation and transportation.
(BTTF) started the summer season with two other notable milestones for 2026. On May 21, 2026, BTTF’s “Rails to Trails” took a major step towards reality with the Chicago Department of Planning making an informal presentation about the “Framework Plan” to the City of Chicago
Plan Commission.
On June 3, 2026, both the City of Chicago and BTTF embarked on their first of three engagements this year with local community members about the trail at Wendall Phillips High School. Over 150 people from the Bronzeville community came out to gather information and
dialogue with local stakeholders about their ideas, questions, and concerns about the proposed trail.
The Framework Plan will help engage broader discussions regarding the trails access points, land use planning, zoning, and the communities’ desired input to have the City of Chicago use its tools
