We’ve received a lot of questions about the proposed “Safe Roads Amendment” and how it may impact funding for bicycling infrastructure. Here’s what we know:

The intention of the amendment up for vote this November is to prevent the legislature from sweeping dedicated state transportation dollars into the state’s general revenue fund for other uses. This has been a serious problem in the recent past.

There is some concern that bicycle infrastructure and safety education campaigns are not explicitly listed in the amendment language being presented to Illinois voters this Election Day. Bicycling is not alone among facets of current transportation spending that have not been specifically listed.

However, we have investigated the omission and its potential impacts on bicycling with the Illinois Department of Transportation, our top legislator ally, and the organization that developed the wording. Each assures us that bicycling falls into the “other transportation” categories in the language – thus keeping the door open for continued state transportation funding for bicycling.

Also, the proposed amendment would not affect dedicated federal funds for bicycle infrastructure that are administered by the state. This includes the Transportation Enhancements, Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement, Safe Routes to School, and the Recreational Trails Programs. Most new bikeways are funded through these federal sources or city/county dollars, not state money.

Definitely, Ride Illinois would have preferred to see bicycling specifically mentioned in the amendment language. This would have completely inoculated against any potential targeted attack on bike infrastructure expenditures coupled with the unlikely scenario of a judicial decision that bicycling does not fall under “other transportation” categories.  However, the overall impact of the proposed Safe Roads Amendment is that it should help bicycling by preserving more transportation dollars overall. Ride Illinois and others organizations would then continue to push for more of those dollars to be spent on bicycling infrastructure, programs, and education.