Ride IllinoisRide Illinois
March 04, 2022

Prioritize Sustainable Transportation

Ride Illinois was among dozens of other sustainable transportation, environmental, and social justice advocacy organizations to sign a letter to Governor JB Pritzker and Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) calling on state officials to move away from the car-centric status quo and allocate more resources to creating a safer, more efficient, more equitable, and more environmentally-friendly transportation system.

With the injection of funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), this a golden opportunity for the state of Illinois, IDOT, and municipalities of all sizes to invest in non-motorized, sustainable transportation (like biking, walking, and transit) to improve the health of individuals and the communities in which they live. After all, bikes are transportation and are the perfect vehicle for many short trips!

The cold, hard truth is that today’s transportation system is broken. It is not sustainable from an environmental or financial standpoint. Many studies, such as this study and this study, have shown that widening roads and highways does not reduce congestion and can even make it worse!

Fundamental change requires political will, collaboration, and vision. Ride Illinois implores Governor Pritzker and IDOT to follow the USDOT’s guidance and direct substantial IIJA funding to non-motorized modes and increased safety for vulnerable road users.

The time to act is now! Future generations are counting on today’s decision-makers to take a bold step towards developing a transformative transportation system for the next one hundred years.