| April
2007 |
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The Legislative Issue Meaningful Penalties for Drivers Who Kill |
Complete the Streets
On a stretch of U.S. 14 that connects Cary and Fox River Grove
there is a bridge that was initially built without a sidewalk. It
was only a matter of time before pedestrians and bicyclists would
be killed in this corridor. By 2001, after three fatal crashes, the local leaders finally got serious about retrofitting the corridor – at a much higher cost than what would have been spent if pedestrian safety had been considered in the original project. A repeat of this tragedy is exactly what Senate Bill 314, the Complete Streets Bill, is intended to prevent. Sponsored by State Sen. Edward Maloney, SB 314 provides that bikeways and pedestrian ways be established in conjunction with the construction, reconstruction, or other change of any state right-of-way. In other words, it forces IDOT to justify any decision to not accommodate pedestrians or bicyclists. The bill, which is scheduled for a vote as early as April 18, has met with some opposition, but we’re keeping the pressure on to pass this important legislation. I met last month with 10 senators on the Transportation Committee; and Randy Warren, program specialist for the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation, testified in support of the bill along with Sen. Maloney, an avid bicyclist himself. In 2006, the bill passed in the Senate but was stalled in the House, partly because of assertions from IDOT that it would be too expensive. This spring IDOT has changed its official position on the bill to neutral. The objections, as always, are rooted in the cost side. The Chicagoland Bicycle Federation’s position is that this bill will ultimately save money as it saves lives. While cost is always a reality in funding any project, the safety of non-motorized road users cannot be assessed a value. It is not acceptable to continue this shameful pattern of adding the infrastructure only after the sacrifice of human life.
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