New I&M Canal Bike Share Station Ready For Use In Downtown Lemont

LEMONT, IL — Bicycle enthusiasts in Lemont now have a new option for how they get around after the I&M Canal Bike Share system added a new station in Lemont which adds to the collection of stops the company operates across the area.

The new station is located in downtown Lemont at 55 Stephens St. and is sponsored by the village, according to a news release. In addition to the Lemont station, more bikes were added to existing stations in Lockport, Morris, Channahon, and at the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie. The company also announced that it will soon be adding a station in Utica.

Several of the stations are located on the I&M Canal State Trail, which follows the old canal towpath 62 miles from Joliet to LaSalle and is managed by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. The Lockport station is located adjacent the 8-mile I&M Canal Trail managed by the Forest Preserve District of Will County.

The Lemont station is located adjacent to a 5-mile section of canal towpath trail managed by the Village of Lemont and near the Centennial Trail managed by the Forest Preserve Districts of Cook County, DuPage County, and Will County. Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie manages its own trails not connected to the original canal towpath.

The bike stations allow bicyclists to rent bikes for $5 an hour and gives them access to miles of scenic trails that run through neighboring canal towns within the Illinois and Michigan National Heritage area, the news release said. The Canal Corridor Association launched the system in 2019 and 2021 represents the group’s first full year in operation.

“The trail is an under-used and underappreciated asset,” Ana Koval, CCA’s executive director said in the news release. “We hope this program will provide easily accessible bikes and will encourage more people to get outside and explore the (heritage) area in a new way.”

Bike stations are located near the canal trails at LaSalle, Morris, Channahon, Lockport, and Lemont. There are also two stations near the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie. The system runs off a mobile app, Movatic, which can be downloaded for use at the stations between dawn and dusk. Bikes can be returned at any station along the trail.

“Biking along the I&M Canal has scenery that rivals Starved Rock or Matthiessen State Parks,” Erin Maze, associate director of the CCA said in the news release. “You can see sandstone bluffs and canyons, find rustic canal engineering and fascinating industrial ruins, meditate on vistas of tranquil waters, or have surprise encounters with wildlife, all while hopping between great historic downtown shopping and dining. The trail offers so many adventures.”

More information about the bike sharing program can be found here.