Fill out a witness slip to urge Illinois House members to pass HR438

On April 10th, 2024, the Illinois House of Representatives will be holding a hearing in the Transportation: Regulations, Roads, & Bridges Committee to consider HR438. Introduced by Rep. Kam Buckner, this resolution urges the Illinois Department of Transportation to transform DLSD into a “true boulevard” and prioritize green mobility like transit and cycling.

While it is non-binding, passing this resolution would send a strong message to IDOT from the Illinois General Assembly to present better designs than what they’re currently considering.

And we need your help! Take a moment and fill out a witness slip before 3pm on Wednesday, April 10th to show members of the Committee that you support HR438!

How to file a witness slip:

1. Under Section I, fill out your name and contact information. If you’re filling out on behalf of an organization, put the organization’s name under “Firm/Business or Agency.” If you’re filling out as an individual, you can put “self.”

2. Under Section II, enter the same as you did for “Firm/Business or Agency” – and organization name you represent, or “self”

3. In Section III, leave the “description” drop down alone and then choose “Proponent” to indicate you support

4. In Section IV, check the third box that says “Record of Appearance Only” and then click “Create(Slip)”

Transportation advocates urge the Johnson administration to appoint a bold and visionary leader as Chicago Department of Transportation Commissioner

With the announcement of the resignation of Gia Biagi as Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Transportation, advocates are reflecting on the outgoing Commissioner’s tenure and the long road of advocacy that has brought us to this moment – as well as the road ahead.

Leading CDOT is a significant undertaking, and we thank Commissioner Biagi for choosing to serve over the past four years. Important strides were made under her leadership in beginning to center equitable investments in disinvested communities and to mend the often contentious relationship the Department has had with advocates and community members. We wish her well in her next chapter.

We urge Mayor Brandon Johnson to carefully consider his next appointment for CDOT Commissioner, as it will be one of his most consequential. Transportation touches every aspect of Chicagoans’ lives, and enacting transformational change to our streets will be a cornerstone to addressing many of our City’s challenges — from environmental, climate, racial and disability justice, to affordable housing, education, labor rights and beyond. 

Chicago needs a CDOT Commissioner who will:

1. Lead with a spirit of compassion and collaboration. Community and advocate voices should be heard and uplifted. Interagency collaboration must be a focus: CDOT cannot enact the impactful change our City needs on its own.

2. Center people over the movement of private automobiles. For decades the scales have been tipped in one direction. It’s time to tip them back through safe and accessible infrastructure investments.

3. Be bold and empowered. Our problems are big, and so must be our solutions. Be willing to take risks, learn from peer cities – and adopt best practices for all communities.

4. Re-think Vision Zero. The program intended to reduce traffic fatalities to zero has instead achieved zero progress, with City data showing a 17% increase in fatalities since its introduction in 2017. It’s time for a different approach to eliminating traffic violence.

5. Commit to racial equity and mobility justice. CDOT must formalize a comprehensive, sincere, and unflinching commitment to racial equity and mobility justice in Chicago's transportation system to dismantle structural racism, remove racialized inequities, and improve life outcomes for racially marginalized communities.

This is a critical moment for our City. Pedestrian and cyclist deaths are at record highs. The CTA needs significant support from CDOT to upgrade and expand its system. Our climate crisis demands change, and we have entire communities with inadequate access to transit – or even sidewalks. Addressing these challenges will require bold, courageous, and visionary leadership from Mayor Johnson and his next-appointed CDOT Commissioner – and advocates stand ready to work alongside them.

Signed:

Better Streets Chicago

Access Living

Active Transportation Alliance

Chicago, Bike Grid Now!

Chicago Family Biking

Commuters Take Action

Environmental Law & Policy Center

The Equiticity Racial Equity Movement

Elevated Chicago

High Speed Rail Alliance

Metropolitan Planning Council

Northwest Center

Sierra Club Chicago

Shared-Use Mobility Center

The Southwest Collective

Urban Environmentalists Illinois

‘Chicago #PlowTheSidewalks Pilot Program’ Ordinance PASSES City Council Vote 49-1!

We’re so thrilled to share GREAT news: on Wednesday, July 19th the ‘Chicago Plow the Sidewalks Pilot Program’ ordinance PASSED in City Council 49-1!

This is a monumental moment for our city, and we couldn’t have done this without your support. Thank you for canvassing, emailing your alders, sharing on social media, participating in public comment, and beyond!

For those unaware of what this ordinance accomplishes: the City will be establishing a working group of relevant City departments (ie. Department of Streets and Sanitation, Department of Transportation, Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities) to develop a plan for a pilot program. This working group will be appointed by Committee on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety Chair Daniel La Spata, and will consult with alders and community members no less than 3 times by May 31st. Their plan will be due to be presented before City Council by then for approval for implementation Winter 2024-25.

We’re so grateful for the tremendous leadership of Ald. Gilbert Villegas, for believing in us, and believing in this vision. We’re also so thankful for the collaboration of Committee on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety Chairman Daniel La Spata and Mayor Brandon Johnson, coming alongside us to get this ordinance over the finish line.

The work is far from over – but today we can all celebrate knowing we’re so much closer to plowing the sidewalks!

Speaking of celebrating, We would like to invite you for a casual happy hour Tuesday, July 25th at Off Color Brewing’s Mousetrap Taproom from 6-8pm! Feel free to come and go as you’re available, we’d love to connect with you and community members and celebrate this victory together! If you’d like to join us, you can rsvp here.

Community Groups and Organizations Urge City Council to vote ‘Yes’ on the ‘Chicago Plow the Sidewalks Pilot Program’ Ordinance

To the Chicago City Council

121 N La Salle St

Chicago, Illinois 60602

July 18, 2023

Dear Members of the Chicago City Council,

We, the undersigned, support the ‘Chicago Plow The Sidewalks Pilot Program’ ordinance. The consistent and timely removal of snow and ice from sidewalks and pedestrian routes should be a routine municipal service, just like they are for the streets. Plowing snow from sidewalks ensures the city’s entire transportation system is accessible and reliable year-round for all users – no matter the weather. Accessible sidewalks are critical to a functioning transportation system and the health and well-being of hundreds of thousands of Chicagoans, especially older residents, people with disabilities, families with children, and transit users. Sidewalk snow plowing is not a luxury – it is a necessity.

Depending on property owners, businesses, and private residents to shovel sidewalks is no longer an acceptable policy. The current policy results in haphazard clearance. It is difficult to enforce and this only occurs long after sidewalk conditions are reported – if they’re reported at all. Furthermore, the current policy asks residents to perform difficult and dangerous labor. People with disabilities and older adults who cannot or should not remove snow from their properties must pay for or rely on others for snow removal. If they can’t arrange—on their own—for snow removal, they may be hit with fines. The job just doesn’t get done.

Plowing sidewalks establishes parity between infrastructure and services for pedestrians, cyclists, and transit riders with drivers and road-users. And it guarantees everyone has access to the city’s economy, civic amenities, services, social life, transportation, and the outdoors. This includes almost 700,000 Chicagoans who have a mobility difficulty or vision impairment (including blindness), senior citizens, and households with small children. Consistently and reliably plowed sidewalks will also benefit postal and delivery workers, pet owners – and literally anyone who uses a sidewalk.

Municipal sidewalk snow plowing can be done city-wide. Annually, the City demonstrates that it can plow snow from roads. The example of cities like Toronto, Canada and Syracuse, NY show that snow plowing services can be applied to sidewalks just as easily. Toronto is the same size as Chicago, and over the years it has expanded snow plowing services into a coordinated service that includes roads, bike lanes, and sidewalks. There, sidewalks citywide can be plowed in as little as 13 hours and always within 72 hours of a snowfall.

The people of Chicago have shown they support this initiative, and they deserve a demonstration of what municipal sidewalk snow plowing looks like.

We urge you to vote “Yes” to pass the ‘Chicago Plow The Sidewalks Pilot Program’ ordinance, which will establish a working group to develop recommendations for carrying out a pilot. This is an opportunity for Chicago to introduce a critical new service that will benefit all residents while being life changing for hundreds of thousands. Taking this step will reaffirm Chicago’s position as a leader on disability equity and help make Chicago one of North America’s most accessible cities.

Sincerely,

Better Streets Chicago

Access Living

AARP Illinois

Active Transportation Alliance

AIDS Foundation Chicago

Chicago, Bike Grid Now!

Chicago Family Biking

Chicago Jobs with Justice

Commuters Take Action

Equiticity

Independent Drivers Guild of Illinois

Indivisible Lincoln Square

Metropolitan Planning Council

Northwest Center

Shared Use Mobility Center

Sierra Club Chicago

The Southwest Collective

Urban Environmentalists

Westside Justice Center

Community Groups and Organizations Call for Protected Bike Lanes on Lincoln Avenue

A group of community groups, organizations, and local businesses are calling for protected bike lanes to be implemented in the imminent Lincoln Avenue Streetscape and Plaza project, which calls for a variety of improvements to Lincoln Ave. between the Ainslie Arts Plaza (Western Ave.) and Catalpa Ave. in Lincoln Square. This is a crucial opportunity to significantly improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians as outlined in the 2019 Lincoln Square Master Plan, and we believe protected bike lanes must be a key component of the project along Lincoln.

While we are encouraged by the increasing amount of support Aldermen Vasquez (40th) and Martin (47th) have shown for improving Chicago’s pedestrian and bike infrastructure, we remain concerned that CDOT continues to exclude critical upgrades from this streetscape project’s final design. In a letter, we’ve outline our demands for this project and hope to reinforce their support for protected bike lanes on Lincoln by communicating to CDOT and IDOT what we expect of Chicago’s transportation infrastructure.

Residents have made their desire for improved bike infrastructure clear, and CDOT must become a proactive partner in that effort and honor calls from them to build protected bike lanes in the final plans for the Lincoln Avenue Streetscape Plan.

We are living through a series of crises, from cost-of-living and traffic violence, to congestion and the climate crisis. Building a network of protected bike lanes is essential to address these challenges, allowing more people to take advantage of low-cost transportation options, reducing congestion and emissions, and increasing safety by reducing the number of people who drive.

If your organization or business would like to add your name in support, email us at info@betterstreetschicago.org