Bicyclist and Pedestrian Commission

Wheaton Bicyclist and Pedestrian Commission January 21, 2026 7pm Gamon Room, Wheaton City Hall, Wheaton, IL In person and Virtual meeting I. Call to Order/Roll Call 7:00 pm Members present: Michelle, Lou, Bob, Bill, Rita, George, Rick Members present via Zoom: Laurel Members absent: None Public Present: Dede Barnicle Public Present via Zoom: Dominik Wojtysiak II. Agenda Item Approval of November Minutes (Dec meeting canceled due to decision not to meet) Motioned: George Seconded: Rita Unanimously approved via voice vote. III. Public Comment Dede Barnicle was invited by Rita to come and she wanted to see what we do. She has lived in Wheaton since 2007. She is a nurse and is a bike rider and may be interested in serving on the commission. Dominik Wojtysiak - Initially, Dominik had no comments, but at the end of the meeting, he shared his frustration about the City Council not being responsive to making Wheaton more bike friendly. He recognizes that it is hard to accommodate bike lanes on many of the city streets, but he would love to see more “buy in” from Council and hopes that the upcoming e-bike regulations are reasonable since he rides an e-bike. IV. Chair Report A. January City Council Meeting Lou submitted the following notes from the 1/5/26 meeting: -One concerned citizen spoke about the challenge of walking on the sidewalks along the commercial area of Roosevelt Road and President Street after snowfall because the sidewalks were not cleared of snow. City Manager Dzugan said that only the downtown area businesses are required to clear the sidewalks. However, he said they will send the businesses along Roosevelt Road a letter asking that they shovel their sidewalks. The December meeting was cancelled due to a decision not to meet. Following is the December Chair report: B. December City Council Meeting Lou submitted the following notes from the 12/1/25 meeting: WHEATON BICYCLIST & PEDESTRIAN COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES January 21, 2026 -Mayor Suess read a proclamation stating that December 12 & 13 is Christmas Sharing Weekend. Christmas Sharing is a non-profit that partners with D200, WPD, Wheaton Library and many local businesses that helps approximately 750 families in need. -One person was appointed to the Aging Commission. -The 2026 DWA budget agreement was approved with the City. -A request for a video gaming establishment at the corner of Butterfield Road and Rte. 53 was rejected because it is too close to a KinderCare facility and another gaming business. C. November City Council review of Annual Report Here is the link for the City’s review of our Annual Report: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1J5jQgQ4rnMqhBfLB89dAmLwmpjDBRHp6/view?usp=sharing I. Traffic Calming Intersections document shared with Will per Annual Report review D. Proposed Sign at Carlton/Roosevelt Per Will Kolschowsky, the City forwarded this request to IDOT and they are checking in with them periodically. E. Update on city plans for e-bike proposal Per email from Will-We're targeting the planning session for January 26th to bring a draft e-bike ordinance for council discussion. VI. Ongoing Business A. Membership update-Connor did not renew his term to remain on the commission. B. Election i. Chair or co-chairs Michelle is no longer going to serve as a co-chair and Lou is resigning from the commission. Therefore, we need a volunteer for the chair position. A lengthy discussion was held on whether to have the WBPC continue since we have not been successful in getting the City to “buy-in” and secure funding for a new bike plan. The consensus was that the WBPC continues on this year and works diligently by having frequent interactions with City Council members about the benefits of becoming a Bike Friendly City. Bob then volunteered that he would serve as chair. Motion: Michelle moved that Bob serve as chair for 2026. Seconded: Rick Unanimously approved via voice vote. ii. Secretary: Bill volunteered to serve as secretary. Motion: Michelle moved that Bill serve as secretary for 2026. Seconded: Rita Unanimously approved via voice vote. iii.. Treasurer: Michelle volunteered to serve as treasurer. Motion: Rick moved that Michelle serve as treasurer for 2026. Seconded: Bob Unanimously approved via voice vote. C. Ideas for celebrating USA’s 250th Michelle suggested we incorporate this celebration into our History ride in September. Laurel suggested we find sites that reflect our past history, such as Indian sites, for this celebration. Laurel will also be checking with the Police Department about who our contact person is for our 2026 events. 2 WHEATON BICYCLIST & PEDESTRIAN COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES January 21, 2026 D. Reach out to neighbor cities to provide value of Bicycle Friendly designation i. Requested in Annual Report Review ii. Warrenville - Rick iii. Batavia - Dede iv. Aurora - Bob VI. New Business A. Bicycle Friendly Training Bob reported that the League of American Bicyclists offers a 16 week program on becoming a Bike Friendly City, but it is too soon for us to sign up for that. Bob said we first have to “sell” this idea to the City. Next Meeting: February 18, 2026 X. Adjournment - 8:22 pm Approved -February 18, 2026 Robert Van Valzah, Chair 3