Chicago Prioritizes Pedestrian Safety

Although recent reports may have Chicago's cyclists thinking twice about taking to the city's streets, the Windy City's pedestrians should have 250 new reasons to feel better about their own safety, based on the recommendations outlined in the city's first pedestrian plan.

According to Doyle, "The priorities, as defined by CDOT with input from the public, include improving safety for children and seniors around schools and parks, improving access to transit, safer crossings at intersections and increasing space for pedestrians."

"The hundreds of recommendations include better-marked crosswalks, the establishment of pedestrian islands in the middle of multilane streets, better signals and beacons, and pedestrian countdown timers at crossings. Other long-term improvements discussed in the plan include staggered midblock bump-outs on residential streets to slow traffic."

"We want pedestrian safety to be at the forefront of everything we do," said CDOT Commissioner Gabe Klein. "Everyone in the city is a pedestrian."