Ribbon Cutting Planned For New Bike Station In Lemont

LEMONT, IL — To celebrate the I&M Canal bike share's new station in Lemont, a ribbon cutting will be held at 5 p.m. on Monday at the bike station, 55 Stephen St. The public is welcome at the event, and attendees will receive free 35th anniversary passport books, I&M Canal junior ranger booklets and a T-shirt, according to a release from the Canal Corridor Association.

The station, sponsored by the Village of Lemont, joins several other bike sharing stations in towns along the I&M Canal. The association said bike stations are located near the canal trails at LaSalle, Morris, Channahon and Lockport, and there are also two stations at the trails at Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie. The village of Utica has also recently announced plans for a station in its town as well.

According to the association, the bikes allow visitors to cover more ground when exploring miles of trails and canal towns. The Canal Corridor Association launched the system toward the end of
2019. 2021 is the first full year of operation.

“The trail is an underused and underappreciated asset,” said Ana Koval, CCA’s Executive Director in a release. “We hope this program to provide easily accessible bikes will encourage more people to get outside and discover the Illinois & Michigan National Heritage Area in a new way.”

The system is operated with an app - Movatic, which is downloaded on a smartphone and available for Apple, Android and Google phones, the association said. Bike rentals are $5/hour, available dawn to dusk. Visitors start at the station, download the app, register and add their credit card, then select a bike and ride. Bikes can be returned to any station in the system.

“We have a great trail!” CCA’s Associate Director Erin Maze said in a release. “Biking along the I&M Canal has scenery that rivals Starved Rock or Matthiessen state parks. You can see sandstone and limestone 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.”

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, according to a release.

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