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June
2005 |
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Afternoon in the Intersection of Equality and Safety School and Ped Safety Bills Passed Taking It To the (Healthy) Streets DuPage County Observes Bike Day |
School and Ped Safety Bills Passed Despite another session of intensive lobbying by the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation and the League of Illinois Bicyclists, the Illinois General Assembly failed yet again to pass a bill that corrects the fallout of Boub v. Wayne Township and restores bicyclists’ rights as intended users of the road. But the spring legislative session wasn’t an entire loss. Some key legislation was sent to Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s desk; and one important bill was poised for passage at press time. The Complete Streets bill, which passed the Senate, would commit the Illinois Department of Transportation to meet the needs of road users besides motorists. Sponsored by State Sen. Ed Maloney (D-Chicago) and supported by IDOT, the law would require adoption of the federal policy for accomodating bicycles and pedestrians on major projects on state-maintained roads. Working with safety groups, a comparison to federal guidelines
must be done, followed by a transition plan for design policy changes
and training. The bill calls for construction of bicycle and pedestrian safety and traffic-calming projects, with construction grants being made available to local governmental agencies. The Chicagoland Bicycle Federation is convening a task force of transportation, health and education experts to establish leadership and direction for the delivery of Safe Routes programs. For information, contact Melody Geraci, (312) 427-3325, ext. 240.
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