The Illinois Department of Transportation recently issued $139.2 million to 66 local transportation projects to expand local travel options and enhance quality of life in communities statewide.
[Above photo by Illinois DOT]
Issued via the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program or ITEP, those awards will fund bicycle and pedestrian paths/trails, streetscape beautification initiatives, and other projects designed to encourage safe travel across various modes of transportation at the local level.
Made possible by federal and state funds administered by Illinois DOT, ITEP awards are focused on improving bike and pedestrian travel, as well as making other surface transportation improvements that promote a variety of options for getting around communities.
Projects were awarded based on their readiness, connection to transportation networks and other economic drivers, as well as their ability to secure public support and provide public benefits. Additional consideration was given to projects serving areas with higher needs, based on population totals, percentage below the poverty level, and estimated median household income, said Illinois DOT.
In a statement, Governor J.B. Pritzker (D) noted that the ITEP receives state funding from the $33.2 billion Rebuild Illinois program passed by the state legislature in 2019. Not only is Rebuild Illinois the largest capital program in state history, the governor noted that it is also the first one that touches all modes of Illinois transportation: roads and bridges, transit, waterways, freight and passenger rail, aviation, and bicycle and pedestrian accommodations.
“The ITEP is a crucial part of Rebuild Illinois, helping make travel safer and more accessible in the communities that need it most,” he added. “This is just one part of the state’s larger effort to reverse decades of [transportation] disinvestment and create more connected communities.”
“Under the leadership of Gov. Pritzker, we are committed to working with communities to improve local mobility options while strengthening the state’s overall transportation network,” said Gia Biagi, acting secretary for the Illinois DOT.
“We’re proud to support these efforts by our local partners that create new opportunities to connect people with the important places in their lives,” she said.
Across the country, state departments of transportation are helping fund a variety of infrastructure initiatives at the local level.
For example, in early May, the Alabama Department of Transportation issued more than $7.6 million in state funds to 26 local road and bridge projects statewide – grants from the first round of funding via the agency’s Annual Grant Program created by the Rebuild Alabama Act. That follows an award of $40 million in February by the state for similar local-level road and bridge projects.
The Rebuild Alabama Act, overwhelmingly passed by the state legislature and signed by Governor Kay Ivey (R) in 2019, requires the agency to establish an annual program setting aside a minimum of $10 million off the top of the state’s share of fuel tax revenue for local projects.
In April, Governor Andy Beshear (D) highlighted the award of $8.2 million via the second round of funding from the state’s newly established County and City Bridge Improvement Program to 22 bridge projects.
Created in 2024, Kentucky’s County and City Bridge Improvement Program sets aside $25 million in each of the 2025 and 2026 fiscal years to address local bridges that are closed, have traffic limitations, or require repair. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet added that, in February, it issued $10.2 million to 23 bridge projects via this program.
And in March, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation provided $468 million from state fuel tax revenues to help municipalities maintain local roads and bridges across the state, funding activities such as snow removal and road repaving.
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