tomorrow: adopt a state transportation planner day

OK, not exactly, but I hope that got you this far.

This is a reminder that tomorrow representatives from the Illinois Department of Transportation will be at the Thompson Center(3-6pm, 100 W. Randolph) to provide information about and seek comment on the state's long range transportation planning.

I will be bringing my almost 6 year old son; our roads, rails and trails should meet needs of people of all ages, abilities and incomes. With changes and cuts to federal funding, it's especially critical to speak up for the types of investments (from maintenance to new facilities) we think should be prioritized.

This is about more than improving the big roads that connect suburban and state communities (and those roads need some serious TLC for people who bike and walk). IDOT controls many of the major arterials in Chicago, such as North Avenue, and is involved  in the city's large scale transportation projects, including bridges and underpasses. These are often barriers to comfortable, safe cycling.

It is open house style, so even if you can just swing by for a few minutes to  say hello and identify yourself as someone who bicycles, that would be great.

Can't make it? Explore the website, which includes a survey link. http://www.illinoistransportationplan.org/

Thanks!

Gin Kilgore

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Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on October 15, 2012 at 7:55am

Thanks for the heads up on this.

Permalink Reply by Julie Aberman (Hochstadter) on October 15, 2012 at 8:00am

I will be downtown from 3-4 so I will definitely come by.  

And thank you as well for the reminder. 

Permalink Reply by David Barish on October 15, 2012 at 9:12am

I got an e-mail from IDOT today mentioning the meeting.  It had this link. http://www.illinoistransportationplan.org/

I could not tell what is in the plan.  Are there things in there cyclists like? do not like? wish were there?  Is this plan good? bad? otherwise?  I found it difficult to tell from the e-mail I received. Does anybody have any info on this?  I work nearby and  could stop by but will want to know why I am there.

Permalink Reply by Michelle S on October 15, 2012 at 1:06pm

Good point, David. I found a link to the current 2005 plan. The site also contains a summary of input received last time around, from individuals as well as agencies like Active Transportation Alliance (then the CBA), Center for Neighborhood Technology, and others. Kind of depressing to read, though -- the suggestions all still hold true. What I'd like to know is what progress IDOT has made on the measures in the plan since 2005.

http://www.dot.state.il.us/stateplan2005.html

Permalink Reply by Michelle S on October 15, 2012 at 1:26pm

I'm sure they'll have some way of gathering written comments. You can write about how important Complete Streets are to us on EVERY street in the city. I can't find a good online map of which Chicago surface streets are under IDOT jurisdiction, but from a paper map I have it looks like they may be: North Ave, Irving Park Road, Foster continuing north onto Lincoln, Peterson turning into Caldwell, Harlem, and 95th St. 

I'll be encouraging Ann Schneider, our Illinois DOT secretary, to be as bold as her counterpart in Massachusetts, who recently said, "We will build no more superhighways in this state," and then launched a campaign called "Mode Shift" that has a goal of tripling the share of travel by public transit, bicycling and walking statewide. 

http://transportation.blog.state.ma.us/blog/2012/10/massdot-goal-tr...

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on October 16, 2012 at 7:50am

Gotta ask for Complete Streets in the suburbs, too. 

Michelle Stenzel said:

I'm sure they'll have some way of gathering written comments. You can write about how important Complete Streets are to us on EVERY street in the city.

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