SPRINGFIELD — To help Illinois and Chicago collaborate more effectively on key pedestrian safety initiatives, State Senator Sara Feigenholtz championed a plan laying out guidelines for what they must study to make streets safer.

“These guidelines will streamline cooperation, cut red tape and help the Illinois Department of Transportation take concrete steps to study ways we can prevent further tragedies,” said Feigenholtz (D-Chicago). “Enhanced collaboration will give us a clearer picture of how best to improve street safety in our city and across Illinois.”

In January 2023, IDOT and the Chicago Department of Transportation entered into a Memorandum of Understanding agreement in an effort to strengthen their collaboration and streamline the review process for safety improvements on local streets and state routes. The MOU was in part sparked by a request from Feigenholtz that the departments conduct a traffic study after a pedestrian was killed in the 6th Senate District.

Feigenholtz’s new law, previously Senate Bill 1559, formalizes portions of the MOU by requiring that completed safety studies be on the agenda when IDOT and CDOT meet to discuss traffic and pedestrian fatalities. The law also directs the departments to identify trends and patterns associated with fatal and near-fatal crashes.

“We all want our streets and neighborhoods to foster safe, accessible mobility,” Feigenholtz said. “By exploring potential solutions to increase pedestrian safety, we can rethink how factors like design and infrastructure can make traveling in Chicago safer for everyone.”

Senate Bill 1559 was signed into law Friday and takes effect Jan. 1, 2026.

###