Recent Streetsblog CHICAGO posts about IDOT

Email Shows IDOT Almost Approved A Protected Lane, Changed Their Minds

By John Greenfield | Jul 19, 2013 | 15 Comments

The Illinois Department of Transportation’s ban on protected bicycle lanes on state-jurisdiction roads is a mystery. As Steven Vance reported in February of this year, the department is prohibiting the Chicago Department of Transportation from installing PBLs on IDOT streets at least until CDOT provides three years of “safety data” on existing protected lanes. Since […]

IDOT Still Has Time to Make Peoria Street Great

By Steven Vance | Jul 19, 2013 | 5 Comments

As part of the Circle Interchange project, the Illinois Department of Transportation will rebuild many of the bridges around the confluence of three highways. One of them is the Peoria Street bridge, a vital connection that links two college buildings and West Loop residences north of the Eisenhower Expressway to the University of Illinois at Chicago […]

All Infrastructure Projects Create Jobs, But Not All Are Smart Investments

By Steven Vance | Jul 18, 2013 | 31 Comments

The Circle Interchange highway expansion project began construction Wednesday. At a press conference on the Peoria Street bridge, Governor Quinn stressed the job creation aspect of the $475 million project. What Quinn didn’t mention is that any $475 million infrastructure project would create a lot of jobs. In fact, after the 2009 stimulus bill injected billions […]

Governor Quinn is On Board With IDOT’s Protected Bike Lane Ban

By John Greenfield | Jul 17, 2013 | 16 Comments

For years, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn has been an enthusiastic supporter of walking, biking and transit initiatives. In 2001 he hiked from the Mississippi River to Lake Michigan to draw attention to the need for universal healthcare, and he later launched the Walk Across Illinois fitness challenge, encouraging residents to walk 190 miles within one […]

IDOT Exec on Bike Planning: “We’re Trying to Move Away From Old Cultures”

By Steven Vance | Jul 10, 2013 | 38 Comments

At a public meeting about the first state bike plan last night, staff from the Illinois Department of Transportation said the agency is trying to change its culture, and that starts with separating the bicycle component from its Long Range Transportation Plan into its own planning process. With about 70 participants in the crowd at […]

IDOT’s Protected Lane Ban Overshadows Development of State Bike Plan

By John Greenfield | Jul 9, 2013 | 30 Comments

As the Illinois Department of Transportation launches the public input process for the state’s first-ever statewide bicycle transportation plan, the elephant in the room is IDOT’s prohibition of protected bike lanes on state jurisdiction roads in Chicago. Protected lanes have been proven to improve safety for all road users, based on several years worth of […]

Tuesday: Can’t-Miss Public Meeting on First-Ever State Bike Plan

By Steven Vance | Jul 5, 2013 | No Comments

Next Tuesday, July 9, the Illinois Department of Transportation and its consultant, Alta Planning + Design, will host the first two public meetings to start crafting the first-ever state bike transportation plan. This is not a “bikes as recreation” plan. Judging by the Illinois Bike Transportation Plan website, it looks like the plan is going to be […]

An IDOT Engineer Discusses the Department’s Ban on Protected Bike Lanes

By John Greenfield | Jun 17, 2013 | 23 Comments

This February, Steven Vance reported that the Illinois Department of Transportation has been prohibiting the installation of protected bike lanes on state jurisdiction roads in Chicago at least until the Chicago Department of Transportation collects three years of “safety data” on existing Chicago protected lanes. That means the earliest the ban would be lifted would […]

Bobby Cann’s Killer Charged With Reckless Homicide; IDOT Feigns Concern

By Steven Vance | Jun 3, 2013 | 29 Comments

Robert “Bobby” Cann was cycling on Clybourn Avenue last Wednesday when he was hit and killed by Ryne San Hamel, 28, of Park Ridge, driving a Mercedes sedan at 50 MPH, with a blood-alcohol content of .127, according to police. San Hamel appeared in court on Saturday where he was charged with reckless homicide, aggravated DUI, […]

The Case of IDOT’s Mysterious Extra Highway Lane

By Steven Vance | Apr 17, 2013 | 5 Comments

In a move that has baffled and frustrated residents of 400 S Green Street, the Illinois Department of Transportation has apparently ruled out a version of the Circle Interchange expansion project that would avoid building a new, elevated highway ramp above Halsted Street. At an April 3 hearing on the project, IDOT told residents the […]

IDOT Failed to Inform People of Highway Ramp That Will Roar By Their Home

By Steven Vance | Apr 2, 2013 | 16 Comments

The Circle Interchange expansion project that the Illinois Department of Transportation has crammed into the regional planning process is projected to increase pollution and decrease transit ridership, but no one has more reason to be opposed to the project than the 57 families who live at 400 South Green. Until one month ago, IDOT had […]

Circle Interchange Project Highlights Flaws in Regional Planning Process

By Steven Vance | Mar 15, 2013 | 16 Comments

The Illinois Department of Transportation’s Circle Interchange highway project appeared out of nowhere. It wasn’t around when the GO TO 2040 regional plan was being crafted and then adopted by 7 counties and 284 municipalities, a process that lasted from 2005 to 2010. It didn’t show up until 2012, when IDOT asked the Chicago Metropolitan Agency […]

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