Illinois Injury Law Blog

Nearly $22 million is being handed out to various communities and schools across the state to help to reduce the risks of child injury in Chicago and elsewhere. The funds are coming from the Illinois Safe Routes to School program, according to Governor Pat Quinn. The program is federally-funded and is used to help school-aged children bike and walk to school safely.

“These projects enhance roads, sidewalks and other infrastructure within communities, which is important in keeping both drivers and pedestrians safe,” Governor Quinn said.

Our Illinois pedestrian and bicycle accident attorneys are mothers and fathers of young children who choose a healthy and eco-friendly way to travel to school everyday. While many of us are worried of their safety along our busy Illinois roadways, it's comforting to know that the state is taking steps toward making the streets safer for everyone. Walking and biking is an excellent way to reduce harmful emissions and improve the quality of life for residents. But we need to ensure that our children are safe when making their journey to and from school.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were more than 600 people killed in bicycling accidents in the U.S. in 2009. Another 51,000 people were injured in these types of accidents. Further, the NHTSA also reports there were nearly 4,100 pedestrians who were killed on our roadways during the same year. Another 60,000 pedestrians were injured in traffic-related accidents in the U.S. in 2009. A number of these injuries and deaths could have been avoided if the state was equipped with roadways that were more pedestrian and bicycle-friendly.

The grants will fun nearly 250 projects around the state to help improve sidewalks and provide more crossing guards at some of our most dangerous intersections. Nearly $2 million of the funds will be used to provide various communities with public service announcements, educational materials and safety training to get more residents to walk and bike to school and work.

Illinois Transportation Secretary Ann Schneider says the grants are going to allow the state to build more pedestrian-friendly sidewalks and streets while providing young students and families with safe information regarding these forms of transportation.

Ron Burke, Executive Director of the Active Transportation, adds that funds are going to help communities start projects that can be used to reduce air pollution and to lower fuel usage.

The Illinois program is a part of the Federal Highway Administration. The program covers school-aged children, including those with disabilities. By providing our children with a safe way to bike and walk throughout our neighborhoods, we can help our young ones to grow to be young and healthy adults, all while helping to protect the environment. The program focuses on areas in the vicinity of primary and middle schools.