As concerns mount over a post-pandemic spike in crashes, the Chicago region this week received a $5 million grant aimed at making streets safer for pedestrians and cyclists.
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How do the Chicago Bears propose to get thousands of fans to games without gridlock if they move to Arlington Heights? And who pays for multimillion-dollar road improvements such as underpasses taking cars from Route 53 to the stadium?
Updated 2/18/2021 4:10 PM
In a year when thousands hunkered down at home because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of people killed in traffic crashes spiked by 15.6% in Illinois.
And despite fewer vehicle trips, fatal crashes rose by 13%, the Illinois Department of Transportation reports.
Why is that? Generally speaking, when there is less traffic, there is a temptation to exceed the posted speed limit, Illinois State Police Deputy Sgt. Delila Garcia said, adding that the agency could not speculate on the 2020 numbers specifically. The Illinois State Police is asking the motoring public to fight the temptation.
The state isn t alone. Across the U.S., miles traveled by vehicles dropped by 14.5% in the first nine months of 2020 compared to 2019, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports. But fatal crashes rose 4.6% nationwide January through September.