[Macomb-Cycling] Fwd: [edbarsottilib at comcast.net: Complete Streets is Illinois law!]

[Jeffrey R. Calhoun]

----- Forwarded message from "Ed Barsotti (LIB)" <edbarsottilib at comcast.net> -----

From: "Ed Barsotti \(LIB\)" <edbarsottilib at comcast.net>
To: "'Ed Barsotti'" <ed at bikelib.org>
Subject: Complete Streets is Illinois law!
Date: Wed, 10 Oct 2007 14:12:12 -0500

[Please forward to your club members]

 

Dear IL bike club members,

 

The Illinois House just voted to override the Governor's amendatory veto on
Senate Bill 314 - meaning that Complete Streets is now Illinois law for IDOT
roadways!!!

 

The bill was approved overwhelmingly by the Legislature in June, but was
gutted by Gov. Blagojevich's amendatory veto on August 31. The bill had
required IDOT to include walkways and bicycle ways in their road designs in
urban areas (with reasonable exceptions).  The veto made this optional.
Both the Senate (53-0, October 3) and the House (109-3, October 10) voted to
return to the original, meaningful language.  

 

The result?  IDOT reconstruction and expansion roadwork in urban areas must
now include provision for people who walk or bike.  IDOT performance in this
area had been poor, despite calls for reform of urban sidewalk and bikeway
policies by LIB, the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation, and others.  Our thanks
go to the bill sponsors (Sen. Ed Maloney, Rep. Joe Lyons), and also to CBF
for leading the charge on this year's version of the bill.   Both
organizations will continue our work with IDOT on policy revisions - but
this time backed by Illinois law.

 

(Further background from an earlier bill is at
http://www.bikelib.org/completestreets/sb508mtg1005.pdf.  LIB's analysis of
IDOT's bike and ped policies is at
http://www.bikelib.org/political_state/bdemanualreview.pdf.)

 

- Ed

 

PS:  Thanks to all of you who contacted your legislators!

 

Ed Barsotti

Executive Director

League of Illinois Bicyclists

2550 Cheshire Dr.

Aurora, IL  60504

630-978-0583

ed at bikelib.org

www.bikelib.org 

 

 


----- End forwarded message -----

-- 
Jeffrey R. Calhoun                     Infobahn Outfitters
jeff at outfitters.com                    P.O. Box 248
http://www.outfitters.com/~jeff/       Macomb, IL 61455
                                       (309) 836-3706  FAX: (309) 833-3905