Chicago CIty Ordinances
There are multiple ways to support city legislation. It is first recommended to find your alderman, and then call, email, or visit their office directly to voice your support for the ordinance or policy in question. You might also give public comment before council or a relevant committee, either in person or virtually.
| Ordinance | Summary | How To Support |
|---|---|---|
| Coming Soon! | Empowers CDOT to identify 10% of city streets appropriate for pedestrian and cyclist safety improvements. | Follow Us |
| O2025-0016697 | The Hazel Johnson Cumulative Impacts Ordinance would address environmental justice issues and protect public health from high-pollution industries by requiring CDPH to conduct a Cumulative Impact Assessment every five years. The ordinance also would require site plan reviews, traffic studies, and air quality impact evaluations for new or expanding industrial uses. Read more. | Sign This |
| SO2024-0010993 | Establishes a pilot program for public enforcement of vehicle parking or standing violations by citizen reporting through 311 or a similar system. Warnings and citations would be submitted based on recorded evidence. The pilot would be assessed under a performance report finalized after the conclusion of the initial period. | Contact Your Alderman |
State Legislative Demands
There are several state-level legislative actions that are needed to make our streets safer and the Bike Grid a reality:
- Recognize bicyclists as permitted and intended users of Illinois roads
- Current state law identifies bicyclists as permitted, but not intended, road users. A change in legal language would impact the the liability of cities and incentivize safe biking facilities.
- Bring the ‘Idaho Stop’ to Illinois
- Permits bicyclists to safely travel through intersections by treating stop signs as yield signs, yielding to pedestrian crossing and traffic already at the intersection.
- Remove double-file biking and impeding traffic requirements
- Current state law allows police to penalize cyclists who ride more than one abreast if the officer determines they are impeding traffic, including on side streets.
- Expansion of home rule on speed limits
- State law requires a traffic study to lower speed limits under 25mph and don’t allow cities to lower speed limits under 20mph.
How to Support State Bills
Witness slips show our State Senators and Representatives what we think about legislation that is making its way through the General Assembly. It is a critical part of how they pitch bills to their colleagues or note that changes need to be made.
Create IL GA account to auto-fill your information. For each submission, mark yourself as a proponent or opponent and select ‘Record Of Appearance Only’ under testimony. Under ‘Persons, groups firms represented…’ you may enter ‘Self’ or ‘Chicago, Bike Grid Now’. For detailed steps, see this guide.
2025 Bills and Other Legislation
| Bill | Summary | Recommended Position | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| HB 2454 | Designates bicycles as ‘intended’ users of all roads they are permitted to ride on, providing legislative relief from Alave v. City of Chicago. | ✅ Proponent | |
| SB 2285 | Redefines “bicycle” as “every human-powered or low-speed electric vehicle with 2 or more wheels not less than 12 inches in diameter, designed for the transportation of one or more persons” in order to provide cyclists with improved tort protections. | ✅ Proponent | Sent to the Governor |
| HB 1263 | Removes liability for county boards that permit non-highway vehicles on their roadways when they contribute to a crash. | ❌ Opponent | |
| SB 1559 | Requires IDOT to perform a traffic study whenever there is a crash involving a pedestrian fatality. | ✅ Proponent | Sent to the Governor |
| HB 3404 | Requires IDOT to install an illuminated stop sign at any intersection where 2 violations of a stop sign that resulted in a fatality or serious injury within a 3-month period. | ✅ Proponent | |
| HB 2934 | Changes the urban speed limits statewide to be 25mph on arterials, 20mph on residential streets, and 10mph in alleys. | ✅ Proponent | |
| SB 2111 | Permits bicycles to use stop signs as yield signs, side-by-side riding, and contraflow riding on one-way streets. | ✅ Proponent | |
| HB 1875 | Allows bicycles to use stop signs as yield signs. | ✅ Proponent | |
| HB 2675 | Requires publicly-owned bike paths to install need permanent signage if they cross a highway (state route) without traffic controls. | ✅ Proponent | Sent to the Governor |
| HB 3630 | Creates a grant program reimbursing programming that involves taking public transit to outdoor recreation sites. The money can be used for expansions of transit, bike facility upgrades, and bike infrastructure. | ✅ Proponent | |
| HB 2983 | Requires driver education courses and materials to include information on laws and best practices for safely driving around bicyclists and pedestrians. | ✅ Proponent | Sent to the Governor |
| HB 2419 | Requires municipalities to consider vehicle emissions and the cumulative and disparate impacts of pollution when planning new facilities. | ✅ Proponent | Sent to the Governor |