Andrade Passes Bipartisan Measure Addressing Pedestrian Fatalities on IL Roadways

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – State Rep. Jaime Andrade, D-Chicago, joined his fellow legislators in passing a measure to expand the ability of the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) to create infrastructure improvements that prevent future crashes and pedestrian fatalities on Illinois roadways.

“Too many Illinoisans either live with debilitating injuries caused by an intersection collision or have died, because we are not augmenting our roadways to boost safety through improved road infrastructure. The pedestrian experience is the cornerstone of our near Northwest Side communities, so we need to equip IDOT to adapt our roadways to keep all of us safe. I have been committed throughout my legislative career to keeping young children and the elderly safe in our crosswalks and intersections, and this bill does just that where our highways meet our communities.”

The Andrade-backed Senate Bill 1559 requires IDOT to identify trends, patterns and correlations between crash reports involving pedestrian death or bodily injury and road design. If necessary, IDOT would then provide road modifications to boost traffic flow and pedestrian safety to prevent future crashes. Such recommendations would include intersection redesign, traffic control devices or other improvements to infrastructure.

Senate Bill 1559 passed unanimously out of the Transportation: Vehicles & Safety committee on Wednesday, April 30 and both Senate and House Chambers.

For more information, visit ILGA.gov.