Evanston sets bar for improved safety on roadways for cyclists in Illinois

EVANSTON, Ill. (WLS) -- According to the Illinois Department of Transportation, traffic crashes, injuries and deaths have risen in Chicago over the past decade. In 2022, the latest year complete data is available, 201 people died on Chicago's roadways.

As city leaders struggle to reverse this trend, Evanston is setting a powerful example. State records show traffic-related injuries in Evanston fell by nearly half in the last decade and the city went five years without a death.

However, improvements have not been equally distributed across the city. Council members receive $1.5 million each year in discretionary funds, giving them heavy influence over other infrastructure spending in their wards. Some alderpeople have resisted new bike lanes or even pushed to have them removed, citing backlash from drivers.

Illinois Answers Project Government Finance and Accountability Reporter, Alex Nitkin, visited ABC 7 to talk about how Chicago hopes to increase safety on its roadways. You can read the full report at illionisanswers.org.