Safe Routes to School 2011 Cycle Announced

Governor Quinn announced the funding recipients for the 2011 Cycle Illinois Safe Routes to Schools program.   The northeastern Illinois region received a total of approximately $8.91M, out of $21.17M programmed statewide.  The following analysis shows the distribution of the program in the Chicago region:

Safe Routes to School Summary

Location	Infrastructure		Non-Infrastructure		Combined
	Amount Awarded	Percent of Region's Total	Amount Awarded	Percent of Region's Total	Amount Awarded	Percent of Region's Total
Cook County	$3,652,075	46.25%	$663,627	65.27%	$4,315,702	48.42%
City of Chicago	750,000	9.50	228,600	22.48	978,600	10.98
Suburban Cook	2,902,075	36.75	435,027	42.79	3,337,102	37.44
DuPage County	750,405	9.50	130,513	12.84	880,918	9.88
Kane County	494,119	6.26	153,647	15.11	647,766	7.27
Kendall County	249,419	3.16	58,698	5.77	308,117	3.46
Lake County	1,250,000	15.83	0	0.00	1,250,000	14.02
McHenry County	745,000	9.43	10,200	1.00	755,200	8.48
Will County	756,205	9.58	0	0.00	756,205	8.48
	Amount Awarded	Percent of State Total	Amount Awarded	Percent of State Total	Amount Awarded	Percent of State Total
Region	7,897,223	41.93	1,016,685	34.77	8,913,908	40.97
Illinois	18,832,771	100.00	2,923,683	100.00	21,756,454	100.00

Source: CMAP analysis of IDOT data

A few notes:

1.  An IDOT-sponsored award for non-infrastructure work totaled $1.5 million and is not included in the regional total.  This is approximately half of the non-infrastructure grants.  This "statewide" award will be in support of activities throughout the state.

2.  When the statewide award is subtracted from the Illinois combined infrastructure plus non-infrastructure total of 21,756,454, the Chicago region's percent of the program was approximately 44%.

3.  In 2010, the seven-county Chicago region had 1,179 (76%) of the state's total of 1,546 school-age pedestrian and pedalcyclist injuries and fatalities (ages 5-14).  The 76% regional share of such crashes is therefore greater than the region's 44% share of the non-statewide Safe Routes to School Program.

(Sources:  IDOT County Crash Summaries, 2010, and Illinois Crash Facts and Statistics, 2010, p. 20).

 

IDOT Complete Streets implementation

In June 2010, IDOT issued a procedure memorandum (PM 68-10), with revisions to IDOT's Bureau of Design and Environment (BDE) Manual intended to implement the State's 2007 "Complete Streets" legislation (PA 095-0665).  The procedure memorandum set standards for accommodating walking and cycling in urbanized areas for IDOT highways, which have been incorporated into the BDE. The chapters that were modified are Chapter 5: Local Agency Agreements (deals with cost-share arrangements) and Chapter 17: Bicycle and Pedestrian Accommodaitons, which deals with warrants and facility design.  The changes to the BDE address many of the issues that have concerned local communities and impeded non-motorized travel for many years.  We express our appreciation to IDOT for the revisions made to this design manual.  The complete BDE can be viewed and downloaded here.

Pedestrian and bicycle crash maps.

CMAP staff is in the process of updating and creating new maps and statistical analysis for pedestrian and bicycle crashes throughout the 7-county region with the inclusion of newly available 2010 crash data.  We now have 6 years of data for pedestrian and bicyclist crashes (2005 - 2010).

We have recently completed statistical analysis that compares statewide crash numbers, year by year, with those from the metropolitan Chicago area, focusing on pedestrian and bicyclist crashes and fatalities as a percentage of each years' total (2003 through 2010).  In addition, we have posted tables analyzing pedestrian and bicyclist crashes by region, county, and City of Chicago -- again, year by year -- and highlighting changes in the percentages of fatal and incapacitating injury crashes over time.  You can see these statistical summaries and analyses on our Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety website.

In addition, we will soon be posting new pedestrian and bicyclist crash maps, with 2010 data.  These will be posted as they are created.  You can view maps with data through 2009, which visualize and analyze pedestrian and bicycle crash density, as well as 'hotspot' analysis for all crashes, Type K (fatal), and Type A (incapacitating injury) crashes right now on the Bike-Ped Safety website.

Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning Overview

A good walking and bicycling environment is essential for our region.  Prosperity depends on mobility, and this means not only our ability to travel across the country and around the world, but to get to local commerce, schools, health facilities, parks, government buildings, family, friends, and colleagues.  While autos or transit are appropriate for many of these trips, most also involve walking or bicycling part of the way.  Barriers to pedestrians, bicyclists, and pedestrians with disabilities can discourage mobility, require expensive auto trips, or even prevent trips.   

CMAP is working with its partners to improve conditions for pedestrians and bicyclists throughout the region.  We strive to make travel by foot and bicycle safe.  We are working to make the region accessible to people with disabilities, including people who use wheelchairs, walkers, and white canes. We are helping government agencies to plan and build sidewalks and bikeways -- both local bikeways and regional trails.  We're helping communities get the technical information they need to build vibrant, walkable business districts.  CMAP is encouraging subdivision design that provides connectivity between jobs, housing, schools, and parks.  And we are promoting walking and bicycling as efficient, healthy, and fun ways to travel.