Category Archives: CDOT

Chicago Department Of Transportation To Implement Traffic Calming Insfrastructure

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The Chicago Department of Transportation (“CDOT”) announced last week through press release that they are going to be installing what are called “traffic calming” infrastructure into various busy intersections around the city. Traffic calming infrasructure includes rubber speed bumps, vertical posts, and hardened centerlines at intersections that encourage drivers to take turns at safer speeds, prevent drivers from taking a diagonal path through the crosswalk, and improve drivers’ visibility of people crossing the street.

The intersections that will have these safety measures installed include:

  • N. Ashland Ave. & W. Wilson Ave.
  • N. Ashland Ave. & W. Sunnyside Ave.
  • N. Ashland Ave. & W. Montrose Ave.
  • N. Ashland Ave. & W. Cullom Ave.
  • W. Grand Ave. & N. Austin Ave.
  • W. Division Ave. & N. Rockwell St.
  • W. Chicago Ave. & N. Leavitt St.
  • W. Chicago Ave. & N. Oakley Ave.
  • W. Chicago Ave. & N. Paulina St.
  • W. 63rd St. & S. Kedzie Ave.
  • W. 63rd St. & S. California Ave.
  • W. 63rd St. & S. Western Ave.
  • W. 71st St. & S. Halsted St.
  • W. 71st St & S. Ashland Ave.
  • W. 71st St & S. Damen Ave.

I have written about Chicago’s traffic safety plans multiple times over the last several years. Previous mayor, Rahm Emanuel, introduced his “Vision Zero,” plan whose ultimate goal was to have zero pedestrian deaths within the next ten years. Mayor Lori Lightfood has stated that she planned to continue the Vision Zero mission. Despite all this planning and work, pedestrian deaths and traffic deaths have going up the last two years in Chicago and in Illinois. I think the traffic calming infrastructure is a step in the right direction to help slow down and hopefully eliminate pedestrian deaths in our city.

If you or a loved one have been seriously injured in a Chicago pedestrian accident or Chicago traffic accident, then call Chicago car crash lawyer, Aaron J. Bryant, for a free legal consultation at 312-614-1076.

Chicago To Give Away Bicycles To Underprivelidged

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Chicago’s Department of Transportation (“CDOT”) is doubling down their approach as the most bicycle friendly city in the country. I wrote last week about the construction of concrete barriers protecting bicycle lanes throughout the city. CDOT announced this week that they are distributing 5,000 free bicycles to those who cannot afford them.

“Riding a bike is an affordable, sustainable, and healthy way to travel that reduces car congestion and improves quality of life,” said CDOT Commissioner Gia Biagi. “Along with improving and expanding the City’s network of bike lanes and trails, CDOT is committed to making biking a more popular and practical option for all residents – and Bike Chicago will do just that. We’re excited to launch this program and start distributing bikes and safety gear this summer and throughout the next several years.”

In order to qualify for a bicycle, applicants must:

-Be a Chicago resident

-Be at least 14 years old (Under 18 applicants will need a guardian present when picking up bike
-Have a household income at or below 100% of the Area Median Income for Chicago
-Not already own a bicycle
-Face higher mobility hardship or be a participant in the CDOT Mobility program

For more information, visit www.chicago.gov/bikechicago.

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a Chicago bike accident or Chicago truck accident, then call Chicago injury lawyer, Aaron J. Bryant, for a free legal consultation at 312-614-1076.

Chicago Department of Transportation Announced Start Of “Complete Streets” Program

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As reported by Block Club Chicago, the Chicago Department of Transportation (“CDOT”) announced the start of long awaited bicycle lane construction in the Logan Square and Avondale neighboorhoods.

CDOT announced the installation of curb-separated bike lanes on Belmont from Kimball to Western avenues this summer as part of its Complete Streets program. The program is aimed to increase road safety for pedestrians, bicyclists and drivers. The bike lanes, which will provide an east-west connection to other lanes across the city, are one part of a much larger project to revamp Belmont. Also included in the Belmont Avenue improvement project are pedestrian crossings, floating bus stops and a dedicated bus lane coming to Diversey and Kimball intersection where the Belmont Blue Line station sits.

In Logan Square, CDOT announced a complete overhaul of Milwaukee Avenue between Belmont and Logan Boulevard. The plan includes ew raised sidewalks, gutters, street lighting, traffic signals and trees, along with curb extensions and bike lanes.

Also in Logan Square and Avondale, the city wants to install bike lanes and make other infrastructure improvements along Kedzie Avenue from Diversey Avenue to Addison Street. That project is in the planning phase, but construction should begin this summer, city officials said.

These are ambitous projects that are long awaited. CDOT stated that they should take about two years to complete. Unfortunately, the city has mourned the loss of two todlers who died in bicycle traffic accidents the last few weeks, which has created a public outcry for better or more dedicated bicycle lanes throughout the city. Although Chicago is one of the most bike friendly cities in the country, these improvements cannot come soon enough. Traffic congestion is back after the pandemic shutdown. Now is the time to improve our streets for bicyclists, pedestrians and motorists.

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a Chicago bicycle accident or a Chicago truck accident, then call Chicago personal injury lawyer, Aaron J. Bryant, for a free legal consultation at 312-614-1076

Chicago’s E-Scooters To Be Banned From Lakefront and 606 Trails

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WTTW reported this week that Chicago’s e-scooter program would not allow riders on the 606 trail. The Chicago Department of Transportation (“CDOT”) originally stated that the e-scooters would not be allowed on the lakefront pathway, but announced yesterday that the ban would also include the city’s busy 606 trail.

 The 606 is a 2.7-mile elevated rail trail running east–west on the northwest side of Chicago. The 606 is the former Bloomingdale Triain Line, which was converted into an elevated greenway, which runs through the Logan Square, Humbolt Park and West Town neighborhoods.

CDOT unsurprisingly also anounced that e-scooters would be banned from the downtown river walk and from O’Hare airport. E-scooter companies will bid for three (3) available two-year licenses from the city to deploy a maximum of 3,000 scooters on Chicago’s streets this spring. Each firm would be allowed no more than 1,000 scooters, according to the rules. 

“Companies will be allowed to deploy additional devices if they meet specific ridership, safety, compliance and education requirements,” according to a statement from the departments of Transportation and Business Affairs and Consumer Protection.

The program could expand to 12,500 scooters with the support of Chicago Department of Transportation Commissioner Gia Biagi’s support.

The deadline for firms to apply is Feb. 18, officials said. 

I think this is the right move by CDOT and the city council. The lakefront, 606 and riverwalk are all incredibly busy trails that can attract thousands of walkers, runner and bicyclists per day during warm weather. The addition of e-scooters, which are implemented to help reduce vehicle traffic on the city streets, would could cause undo congestion on the trails. The e-scooters will be available to rent through an online app, similar to the Divvy bicycles are currently available.

If you or a loved one have been seriously injured in a Chicago traffic accident or Chicago truck crash, then call Chicago injury lawyer, Aaron J. Bryant, for a free legal consultation at 312-614-1076.

CDOT Proposing New Greenway And Bike Route In Lincoln Park Neighborhood

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Multiple news outlets reported last week that the Chicago Department of Transportation (“CDOT”) has proposed a new pedestrian and bicycle route on Dickens Avenue in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood. The proposed route would run east-west on Dickens from Clybourn Street all the way to the lakefront trail. The proposed pathway would allow much easier access for pedestrians and bicyclists to access the Lincoln Park, Lincoln Park Zoo and the lakefront.

The proposal has been named the Dickens Avenue Greenway Project and it would lower the speed limit to 20 miles per hour, add speed bumps and raised crosswalks with an aim to create an east/west bike route between a low-traffic connection between the 606 and the lakefront trail. Proponents include 43rd Ward Alderman Michelle Smith, 43rd Ward Alderman, who issued a statement saying “CDOT approached us about the greenway concept. Constituents have been asking for solutions to increase traffic safety.” Opponents have stated they have concerns about increased bicycle traffic, which would just be a duplicate of the dedicated bicycle lanes one block south on Armitage Avenue.

I would like to see the full proposal from CDOT, which would include an actual layout of the design of the plan. I actually live in this neighborhood, and am a proponent of increasing green traffic solutions. If this could possibly decrease the amount of vehicle traffic in the neighborhood, then I think this is a no-brainer. I just would like to see the full plan first.

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a Chicago bicycle accident or Chicago traffic accident, then call Chicago car crash lawyer, Aaron J. Bryant, for a free legal consultation at 312-614-1076.

Chicago Department Of Transportation Releases Detailed Car Crash Information

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Last month the Chicago Department of Transportation (“CDOT”) released to the public detailed car accident data from September 2017 through July 2018. According to CDOT, the information was released as “a move toward transparency and part of push for more analysis that could help the city make headway in its ‘Vision Zero’ initiative aiming at ultimately reducing the number of traffic deaths to zero.”

The data revealed that since September of last year there have been 101,760 car crashes on Chicago streets. Below is some of the more detailed data that was disclosed:

The police department counted 18,885 injuries resulting from the crashes, 100 of them fatal.

• About 4 percent of crashes involved a vehicle hitting a cyclist or a pedestrian.

• Cellphone use — including texting — was found to be responsible in 188 crashes. More broadly, “distraction from inside the vehicle” as well as from other types of electronic devices was the cause of 817 car crashes.

• The police were unable to determine a primary contributor to a crash about 34.6 percent of the time. “Failing to yield right-of-way” was the top known cause of crashes, accounting for 12.1 percent of them. The second-leading cause of crashes was “following too closely,” which accounted for 11 percent.

This release of information was incredibly forthcoming and I believe will be helpful towards the city’s “Vision Zero” plan. I wonder, though, how accurate the distracted driver (texting) information is. If they are merely looking at Illinois Traffic Crash Report data and causes that are checked off, I do not think those numbers would be completely accurate. For example, a driver could have been ticketed for “failure to yield” or “driving too closely” but the crash reports may not show that the driver may have failed to yield because they were looking at their phone. I think a more detailed analysis of these numbers is needed.

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a Chicago car accident or Chicago truck accident, then call Chicago personal injury lawyer, Aaron J. Bryant, for a free legal consultation at 312-614-1076.

Chicago To Add Five New Speeder Cameras This Summer

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The Chicago Department of Transportation (“CDOT”) announced last week that they would be adding five (5) new speeder cameras around the city by the end of the summer. Two (2) of the cameras will be placed at Hiawatha and Kosciuszko parks on the Northwest Side. The other three (3) cameras will be placed near Major Hector P. Garcia MD High School on the Southwest Side, Near North Montessori School on the Near Northwest Side and Gary Comer College Prep High School on the South Side.

CDOT told the Chicago Tribune that ““Automated speed enforcement is a proven deterrent to speeding, and one of the most effective tools in our toolbox for reducing speeding and saving lives.” They further pointed out that this was another step in Mayor Emanuel’s “Vision Zero” plan, which is aimed at eliminating all traffic accident deaths by the year 2026.

I have written on the site multiple times about red light and speed cameras. Based on multiple studies (and a bribery scandal), the red light cameras have come under a lot of scrutiny for any safety value added to the community. On the other hand, speeder cameras, have not undergone as much scrutiny. For one, they are newer to Chicago and we don’t know the actual net impact they are providing for motorists and pedestrian safety. According to CDOT, safety cameras are actually making streets and walkways safer throughout the city. According to the Department the number of speeding violations has been trending down in areas with speed cameras since they were deployed in 2014, and average traffic speed has dropped from 26 mph to 22.5 mph. Crash data also show that the number of car crashes in areas with speed cameras was down 4 percent in 2015 compared to 2013, while for the rest of the city crashes were up 13 percent.

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a Chicago car crash or Chicago pedestrian accident, then call Chicago personal injury attorney, Aaron J. Bryant, for a free legal consultation at 312-614-1076.

City of Chicago To Use Data And Analytics To Reduce Car Crashes

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The City of Chicago Department of Transportation (“CDOT”) issued a press release this week regarding their “Vision Zero” plan, which is an effort to eliminate all pedestrian traffic deaths in the city by the year 2026. The plan was introduced one year ago.

As part of their  release, CDOT announced it has entered a data partnership with Arity, a subsidiary of The Allstate Insurance. Arity is a connected car technology company that collects nearly one billion miles of driving and connected car data per month from more than one million mobile phone and in-car devices. Arity has a unique, user centric view of a city’s mobility patterns and ability to identify driving behaviors that carry the most risk and cause severe traffic accidents.  CDOT stated that it will be using the data and predictive analytics to better understand the risk factors of specific segments of roadways and intersections throughout Chicago.

From the release: “partnership will be used help the City identify the risk factors on specific roadways and help determine where to best prioritize and focus investments in infrastructure and traffic safety resources, as well as how to tailor interventions to improve road safety in Chicago.”

I think this is an incredibly important investment by the city.  I imagine that the use of this advanced data will  city will be able to determine where to put additional cross-walk and pedestrian signs, where to add four-way stops, where widen roads and I’m sure other safety measures.

It’s interesting that this was just announced. As I wrote within the last few weeks, pedestrian deaths in Chicago are outpacing the number of fatalities over the last several years. “Vision Zero” is off to a slow start, but hopefully this partnership with Arity will help curb that trend.

If you or a loved on has been seriously injured in a Chicago pedestrian accident or Chicago traffic accident, then call Chicago personal injury attorney, Aaron J. Bryant, for a free legal consultation at 312-614-1076.