Under Ald. La Spata, the Committee on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety has dedicated itself to improving the safety and accessibility of our city for anyone walking, biking, driving, or rolling. Through collaboration with the Department of Transportation (CDOT) and several community advocacy groups, we have been able to host multiple public hearings and engage residents on matters that impact us all, regardless of how we get around. The timeline below highlights the key milestones and achievements of our first year that we will continue to build on in year two. 

2023

  • June: On June 14, the Committee held a hearing on the impacts of street closures for the NASCAR Cup Series Grant Park 220 and NASCAR Xfinity Series The Loop 121 Chicago Street Race. This was the first time the City Council discussed the NASCAR races in an official capacity.

  • July: On July 14th, the Committee passed the Plow the Sidewalks Pilot Ordinance, SO2023-0002851 sponsored by Ald. Villegas (36). The ordinance established a Working Group comprised of various City Departments tasked with creating recommendations for a pilot program of municipal sidewalk snow clearance. The Chair of the Committee was responsible for coordinating Working Group meetings with City departments and external advocates and stakeholders. The Working Group was required to meet with stakeholders at least three times before the recommendations for the pilot program were released by a May 31, 2024 deadline.

  • September: On September 6, the Crash Ordinance (SO2023-0001253) was passed and sent to the full City Council for passage. Sponsored by Ald. Silverstein (50), this legislation requires CDOT to conduct an analysis of each fatal crash reported to CPD, conduct periodic traffic crash analyses, identify potential actions to improve traffic safety, and provide reports on these analyses to the public. The first report is expected to be made public Fall 2024.

  • October: Committee staff assisted the 47th Ward with a project to re-envision the intersection of N Damen Ave / W Irving Park Rd and N Lincoln Ave to increase safety for pedestrians, cyclists, transit users, and drivers. This project included a community survey and in-person event to determine what issues all modes of travel encounter at the intersection and how community members would like to see them addressed. The project resulted in a plan to add protected bike lanes to this stretch of Damen Ave, pedestrian bump-outs at the corners of Lincoln Ave and Damen Ave, and began a longer term conversation on what changes are needed to Irving Park Rd and other state-owned roads.

  • November: On November 13, the Committee held a subject matter hearing on the topic of pretextual police traffic stops in Chicago and their impact on Black and Latine residents. During the hearing, members of the Free2Move coalition, an alliance of advocates and community members aiming to create a more equitable system of traffic safety, and Impact for Equity presented the findings of a series of reports on the scope and impact of traffic safety and policy solutions to end pretextual traffic stops in Chicago. Due to pending litigation, no city personnel, including members of the Chicago Police Department, were present at this hearing.

  • December: On December 7, Committee staff participated in CDOT’s quarterly Chicago Mobility Collaborative meeting in Albany Park and hosted a table on the topic of City Hall 101. 

    On December 15, the first Plow the Sidewalks Working Group meeting was held with representatives from CDOT, the Mayor’s Office, the Department of Streets & Sanitation, AARP, Better Streets Chicago, Access Living, Equiticity, Active Transportation Alliance, Metropolitan Planning Council, Shared Use Mobility Center, and Southwest Collective.

2024

  • January: On January 10, the Committee held a hearing on CDOT’s Chicago Cycling Strategy to discuss plans to create a community-based cycling system that prioritizes bicyclist safety.

  • February: On February 6, the Committee held a hearing on Complete Streets, where representatives from CDOT shared how the City aims to design and maintain our roadways in a way that prioritizes safe access for all users, including pedestrians, cyclists, and public transit vehicles. 

    The second Plow the Sidewalks Working Group meeting was held on February 29.

  • March: On March 14, Committee staff participated in another Chicago Mobility Collaborative meeting in Chinatown. The Committee staff hosted a table on the topic of lowering the default city-wide speed limit and equitable enforcement, attended by over 30 individuals.

  • April: After hearing from many residents city-wide regarding concerns with the upcoming redesign of the intersection at N. Halsted and W. Chicago Avenue, Ald. La Spata and staff met with the project team at CDOT. Ald. La Spata also published an op-ed in Crain’s Chicago on the importance of including complete streets design and encouraging mode-shift at this intersection. After additional discussions, the design was updated to include a number of safety improvements. 

    On April 26, the third Plow the Sidewalks Working Group meeting was held. 

  • May: On May 1st, the Committee held a hearing on the topic of lowering the city-wide default speed limit. During the hearing, representatives from CDOT, the Chicago Department of Public Health, Department of Finance, Chicago Metropolitan Planning Council, Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, and Active Transportation Alliance presented testimony on the topic. 

    On May 23, the Plow the Sidewalks Working Group convened to finalize the recommendations for the official report (as required by the ordinance passed in July 2023). The Report of Recommendations was published on May 31st.

    Also in May, the Committee joined X (formerly Twitter) becoming the first Chicago City Council committee to do so. Follow us at @ChicagoCTPS! 

  • June: On June 13, Committee staff participated in CDOT’s quarterly Chicago Mobility Collaborative meeting in Douglass Park and again hosted a table on the topic of lowering the default city-wide speed limit and equitable enforcement.

  • July: At the July 17 City Council meeting, Committee Chair Ald. La Spata introduced three pieces of legislation aimed at improving pedestrian and traffic safety: an ordinance lowering the default city-wide speed limit from 30 MPH to 25 MPH; an ordinance creating a pilot program for resident-based reporting of bike and bus lane blockages; and a resolution calling for the establishment of a working group to create equitable enforcement systems, including fines and fees reform. 

    On July 29, the Committee held a hearing on bus infrastructure improvements, where representatives from CDOT and CTA presented their ongoing and future plans for investing in infrastructure that increases the speed and reliability of bus service, and discussed the importance of buses and bus infrastructure to building a multimodal and equitable city.

    In the evening of July 29, the Committee also co-hosted a 1st Ward Infrastructure Night with the 1st Ward Office. During the event, Ald. La Spata spoke on his recently introduced Vision Zero policy package. Also present at the event were representatives from CDOT, the Department of Planning and Development, the Active Transportation Alliance, and SAFE Ambassadors.

Throughout the last year, Committee staff have also met with City Departments to streamline processes for passing routine ordinances through the committee. Committee staff have also met with many Ward Offices to discuss policies and concerns with committee processes, as well as consistently met with various advocacy groups and stakeholders on policies and their pedestrian and traffic safety concerns.