Tag Archives: Chicago truck accident

Pedestrian Traffic In Downtown Chicago Back To Pre-Pandemic Levels

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Whenever asked why my family and I live in Chicago, I always have the same simple answer: It’s world class city. That’s why it was no surprise when I read that the “State of the Loop” report from the Chicago Loop Alliance indicated downtown pedestrian traffic is back to pre-pandemic levels. The explaination the group provided is that people our drawn to Chicago’s city center for the arts (music, theater and museums), culture and food scenes.

The reported noted that in 2025 downtown foot traffic was at 116% of what is was in 2019.  The study showed that more people attend arts and culture events than the games of all of the city’s professional sports teams combined.  The report further noted that events like the Lollapolooza added $514 million in direct economic impact on the city. An outline of the report can be read here.

Again, these numbers are no surprise to me as I see the number people outside my office on Michigan Avenue. The number of people walking around in site seeing during the summer and fall is staggering to see. All the foot traffic can increase the chance of pedestrian and auto accidents. It is important to be aware of your surroundings when walking around downtown Chicago. Always follow the traffic signals, and also be cognizant of all the separate bike lanes downtown, as bicyclists have the same traffic rights as vehicles.

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in Chicago traffic accident or Chicago truck accident then call the Illinois personal injury attorneys at The Bryant Law Group for a consultation at 312-614-1076 or go directly to the firm’s website at www.blgchicago.com.

Chicago Rated As The Worst Traffic Congested City In The U.S.

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Traffic analytics company, INRIX, issued it’s 2025 Global Scorecard last month and it was not good news for Chicago, Illinois. Chicago was ranked as the most congested city in the United States for 2025, ahead of New York, Philadelphia, Los Angeles and Boston.

Chicago drivers lose an average of 112 hours annually in peak traffic over the time they would have spent in normal traffic. That’s 10 more hours lost in peak traffic than drivers in New York (102 hours), which came in second in the U.S., followed by Philadelphia (101 hours), Los Angeles (87 hours) and Boston (83 hours). For Chicagoans, the lost time cost the average motorist $2,063, while the city as a whole lost $7.5 billion, according to INRIX.

Overall, congestion resulted in U.S. drivers losing an average of 49 hours annually to traffic jams, an increase of six hours from 2024. That’s also the equivalent of about six working days, costing $894 in lost time and productivity.

A snapshot of Chicago’s INRIX report can be seen by clicking here.

I think it’s important to point out several reasons why Chicago rose to the top spot. First, the mulityear Kennedy Expressway construction project was completed through a bulk of 2025. It started in March and ran through the end of November. The closed lanes and exits along 1-90/94, plus the closed express lane led to denser congestion and longer commutes all summer and fall.

Also, the Chicago Department of Transportation (“CDOT”) chose 2025 to close multiple bridges all at the same time for much needed repairs. Those include the Lake Street, Cortland Street, Chicago Avenue and State Street Bridges. The Cortland and Chicago Avenue closures make transportation incredibley difficult when driving between the east and west sides of the city and often times requires jumping on the Kennedy for short periods in order to cross the Chicago river.

All of this construction, all at once, has made commute times much worse for Chicagoans. I will be interested to see if Chicago improves next year now that the Kennedy construction is complete.

If you have been seriously injured in a Chicago car crash or Chicago truck accident, then call the Illinois personal injury attorneys at The Bryant Law Group, LLC., for a free legal consultation at 312-614-1076 or you can go directly to the website at www.blgchicago.com.

AAA Publishes Best Times To Travel During Thanksgiving Holiday

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Thanksgiving is next week and millions of Americans will travel by plane and by car to visit family and friends. This is one of the busiest weeks of the year for traveling on the roads and it can be helpful to plan ahead. AAA recently published on their website their recommendations on when to travel to avoid the heavy traffic jams:

Tuesday, Nov. 25

  • Best Times: Before 12:00 p.m.
  • Worst Times: 12:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.

Wednesday, Nov. 26

  • Best Times: Before 11:00 a.m.
  • Worst Times: 11:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 27

  • Minimal traffic impact expected

Friday, Nov. 28

  • Best Times: Before 11:00 a.m.
  • Worst Times: 1:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 29

  • Best Times: Before 10:00 a.m.
  • Worst Times: 1:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 30

  • Best Times: Before 11:00 a.m.
  • Worst Times: 11:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.

Be sure to plan ahead and find the best time that fits you and your family’s schedule and hopefully avoid the rush on the roads.

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a Chicago traffic accident or Chicago truck accident, then please call the Chicago accident attorneys at The Bryant Law Group at 312-614-1076 or go directly to firm’s website www.blgchicago.com. We offer free legal consultations on your Chicago car accident or Illinois workers compensation cases.

Beware Of New “Traffic Ticket” Scam Aimed At Illinois Drivers

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I wrote earlier this year about a texting scam sent to Illinois drivers regarding fake unpaid tolls. The scammers would send a text threatening drivers license suspensions if the fines were not paid.

The scammers are back at again. NBC 5 Chicago reported this week that a new phishing scam has surfaced. Text messages stating there are “outstanding traffic ticket” with a “final notice” from a number purporting to be the Illinois Department of Motor Vehicles. The fake messages warn that if the fines are not paid within 24 hours it could lead vehicle registration suspension, prosecution, credit score impact, and a 35% fee at tolls.

We know these are fake text messages because there is no such thing as the Illinois Department of Motor Vehicles. Vehicles are registered through the Illinois Secretary of State’s office.

The Illinois Secretary of State’s office previously issued a warning back in May regarding the similar phishing scam: “These are not legitimate messages from the Illinois Department of Transportation,” a banner on IDOT’s website said. “If you receive a message report it to the Federal Trade Commission and/or the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.”

If you receive one of these messages, please remember to ignore and do not click on any of the links as that could lead to stolen personal information on your phone.

If you or a loved one has been injured in Chicago car accident or Chicago truck accident, then reach out to the Chicago personal injury attorneys at The Bryant Law Group, LLC. for a free legal consultation at 312-614-1076 or go directly to the firm’s website at www.blgchicago.com.

Cook County Sheriff Department Gets Creative In Traffic Safety Initiative

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Fox 32 Chicago reported recently about the Cook County Sheriff Department’s initiative to stop drivers from going onto the shoulders of highways. According to the report, the department is using helicopters to spot drivers who illegally use the shoulder to bypass traffic.

In a late September social media post, the department reported that in a three hours span, deputies issued 120 tickets to motorists caught driving on the shoulder. Of those, 49 were flagged by helicopter surveillance. The Department announced that they had issued over 1000 tickets. Fines for these violations can run from $250 to $1000. Shoulder driving is a moving violation and will affect driver license status if the tickets are not amended.

The Sheriff’s Department insists that this initiative is about safety and not about meeting ticket quotas. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (“NHTSA”), there were 585 fatal car crashes on road shoulders nationwide in 2023.

Think twice if you are considering taking the shoulder the next you are sitting in a traffic jam in or around Chicago. The Cook County Sheriff’s Department could be watching from above and issue you a very expensive ticket.

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a Chicago traffic accident or Chicago truck accident, then call the Illinois personal injury lawyers at The Bryant Law Group, LLC for a free legal consultation at 312-614-1076 or go directly to the firm’s website at www.blgchicago.com.

Kennedy Expressway Contruction Project Nearing End

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There is a light at the end of the tunnel for Chicagoans who travel on I-90/94 Kennedy expressway. The Illinois Department of Transportation (“IDOT”) announced this week that they are nearing the end of the years long project.

According to ABC 7 On Wednesday, IDOT reopened three major outbound Kennedy exit ramps: Kimball Avenue, Addison Street and Pulaski Road/Irving Park Road (Illinois 19). The Kimball Avenue ramp to outbound Kennedy was closed on Tuesday night, IDOT said. It is expected to reopen in approximately three weeks. The outbound Kennedy ramp to Addison Street was also closed, it is anticipated to reopen in approximately three weeks. All northbound lanes north of Addison street are now oben.

These recent lane and exit openings are a huge relief for commuters in and out of the city and especially those who are driving to O’Hare airport. If a driver gets on 90/94 north of Ontario, they miss the only onramp to the express lane which has caused terrible gridlock for northbound drivers all summer.

IDOT states that the project will be completely finished on time by Thanksgiving. That cannot come soon enough.

If you or a loved one have been seriously injured in a Chicago car crash or Chicago truck accident, then call the Illinois personal injury attorneys at the Bryant Law Group, LLC at 312-614-1076 or go directly to the firm’s website at www.blgchicago.com.

Construction On State & Lake CTA Station Begins This Week

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According to ABC 7 Chicago, construction on the CTA train station at State and Lake began this week, which will cause quite a few street closures over the next few weeks and months. The CTA train station, which is over 100 years old, will remain open during construction, but will receive wider platforms and new elevators. The initial phase of the construction project is expected to take four (4) months.

Despite the train stop staying open, there will be multiple street closures that may affect your commute should you take the bus, drive, bike or drive into the downtown loop. Here are the following street closures:

  1. Starting this week: Lake from Dearborn Street to Wabash Avenue will be reduced to one lane.
  2. Next week: State Street lanes will be shut down.
  3. State Street from Lake to Randolph Street will be reduced to one lane in both directions.

You can see an artist rendition of the new station by clicking here.

If you or a loved one have been seriously injured in a Chicago car crash or Chicago truck accident, then call the Chicago personal injury attorneys at The Bryant Law Group at 312-614-1076 or go directly to the firm’s website at www.blgchicago.com.

Jackson County, IL Sheriff Ramping Up Traffic Safety Enforcement

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The Jackson County Sheriff’s Department is joining hundreds of other Illinois law enforcement agencies in the effort to increase traffic safety over the 4th July holiday. The traffic safety campaigns include “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over,” “Drive High Get a DUI,” and “Click It or Ticket.” The sheriff’s department are deploying additional traffic patrol officers, which is supported by federal traffic safety funds from the Illinois Department of Transportation (“IDOT”). These efforts are part of IDOT’s broader “It’s Not a Game” media campaign, highlighting the dangers of impaired driving.

The initiative will focus on catching impaired and unbuckled drivers from June 20 through July 7. “We’re asking all of our residents and visitors to celebrate Independence Day safely,” said Sgt. Ronald Stanton from the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department.

4th of July is a busy time on the roads, which a lot of celebrations. Please buckle up and always have a designated driver in your group.

Should you or a loved one unforturnately suffer a serious injury from an Illinois traffic accident or Chicago truck accident, then call the Chicago car accident attorneys at The Bryant Law Group, LLC. for a free legal consultation at 312-614-1076 or go directly to to the firms website at www.blgchicago.com.

Chicago’s State Street Bridge Closes For Repairs

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The State Street Bridge which is located over the Chicago River and connects the River North and downtown Loop neighborhoods closed earlier this month for emergency repairs. According the the Chicago Department of Transportation (“CDOT”), they recenty became aware of structural problems that needed to be addressed.

A CDOT spokesperson stated that they will begin critical structural repairs that will require a full closure of the bridge to vehicles and pedestrians through November 2025. The spokesperson stated, “as with all our bridges CDOT has been closely monitoring its condition and recent inspection identified deterioration that prompted us to move this repair project forward to ensure continued safety into the operation of the bridge.”

Te bridge repairs will include rehabbing the center locks, steel elements at its center, and replacing worn components that have damaged the roadway during extreme heat.

If you commute into the loop for work by foot, car or bus, this could affect your timing if you take State Street to arrive downtown. The 36 bus has been re-routed to the adjacent bridge. Although construction like this can be annoying for those who live and work downtown, it is improtant that these older bridges are stabilized and brought up to code to aboid any type of catostrophic accident in the future.

Should you or someone you love become seriously injured in a Chicago pedestrian accident or Chicago truck accident, then call the Chicago accident attorneys at The Bryant Law Group, LCC., for a free legal consultation at 312-614-1076 or you can go directly to our website at www.blgchicago.com.

AAA Predicting Record Travel For Memorial Day weekend

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AAA announced this week that it expects 2025 to be record breaking year for U.S. travelers on the road and in the air Memorial Day Weekend. Despite inflation worries, Americans will be traveling en mass this coming weekend. From Thursday, May 22 to Monday, May 26, travel forecast is an projects increase of 1.4 million travelers compared to last year and, which would set a new Memorial Day weekend record. The previous record was set back in 2005 with 44 million people. AAA has provided drivers with some tips on how to avoid the worst traffic times to help get you to your destination quickly and most importantly, safely.

AAA provided the following best and worst days and times to travel:

Best and Worst Times to Travel by Car 
Date Worst Travel Time Best Travel Time 
Thursday, May 22 1:00 – 9:00 PM Before 12:00 PM 
Friday, May 23 12:00 PM – 8:00 PM Before 11:00 AM 
Saturday, May 24 2:00 PM – 6:00 PM Before 12:00 PM 
Sunday, May 25 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM Before 1:00 PM 
(Memorial Day) Monday, May 26 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM Before 2:00 PM 

If you are hitting the road this weekend, be sure to plan ahead and use appropriate safety measures, which means always buckling up and putting your phone away if you are behind the wheel.

Should you or a loved one become injured in a Chicago traffic accident or Chicago truck accident, then call the Chicago accident attorneys at the The Bryant Law Group, LLC., for free legal consultation at 312-614-1076 or go directly to firm’s website at www.blgchicago.com.