­CHICAGO – With carjackings and shootings on the rise on Illinois’ expressways, State Senator Ram Villivalam supported two new laws to help law enforcement crack down on these crimes.

“Commuters deserve to know they are safe when they use any of Illinois’ 15,969 miles of highways,” said Villivalam (D-Chicago), chair of the Senate Transportation Committee. “Allowing law enforcement to coordinate and address these crimes is the first step to protecting drivers.”

House Bill 260 expands the Expressway Camera Act to Lake Shore Drive and allows municipal law enforcement agencies with jurisdiction over Cook County expressways to access camera footage to investigate carjackings, gun violence and other offenses. Law enforcement agencies that utilize expressway cameras are required to create a website with details about the expressway camera program, provide training to officers who access images and footage from cameras, and issue an annual report to the General Assembly.

House Bill 4481 further expands the Expressway Camera Act to include state highways in several counties across the state. To meet the potential demand for new cameras, the new law expands available revenue for the program to include funds from the Illinois Tollway Authority, in addition to the current funding available by the Department of Transportation.

Both measures were signed into law on Friday and are effective immediately.