The Village continues to move forward with the Skokie Valley Trail project, a community goal 20 years in the making. When completed, this multi-modal path will run from Chicago to Lake Bluff. Through a cooperative effort with Skokie, Wilmette, and Glenview - and lots of public input- Northfield developed an innovative approach to move this project forward that protects natural resources and minimizes residential impacts. The Phase I work has been finalized and the Village began Phase II (detailed engineering) in 2022.  Phase II is anticipated to conclude in late 2023. Phase III (construction) is dependent on the receipt of grant funding.

Currently, the nearly 10-mile-long existing asphalt trail runs from Lake Bluff south to Dundee Road in Northbrook. It picks up again in Skokie, where it provides easy access to both the Dempster and Oakton CTA Yellow Line stations.  The current project closes the gap in the trail connecting with Voltz Road in Northbrook on the north and Old Orchard Road in Skokie on the south.

The Phase II Study is being led by the Village of Northfield in partnership with the communities of Glenview, Wilmette, and Skokie.  Phase II has an estimated cost of $774,634, with $619,707 in grant funding from The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning and $150,000 from an Invest in Cook grant.

In Northfield, the path will be located (from south to north):
From the Skokie River to the south spur of the North Branch Trail: On ComEd right-of-way
From the North Branch Trail Spur to Winnetka Road: On the North Branch Trail
From Winnetka Road to the south end of the Fields Auto Group parking lot: On the ComEd right-of-way
From the south end of the Fields Auto Group parking lot to the north end of the Fields Auto Group parking lot: on the east side of the Village-owned right-of-way over the current drainage ditch
From the north end of the Fields Auto Group parking lot to Tower Road: On the ComEd right-of-way
From Tower Road to Voltz Road: On the Village-owned right-of-way