City Council Enacts Ordinance to Boost Traffic Safety, Speed Up Public Transit

The Chicago City Council enacted the Smart Streets Pilots Ordinance, a new measure establishing two downtown pilot programs intended to improve traffic safety, enhance protections for pedestrians and bicyclists and speed up public transportation.  

The ordinance will allow the city to use existing infrastructure and new technology to enforce parking violations, such as cars parked in bike lanes, bus-only lanes, bus stops, and crosswalks, and enable camera-based management of parking in commercial loading zones. 

Similar programs exist in cities around the country, including those already operational in New York City, San Francisco and Seattle, while Los Angeles and Washington, DC have programs in the planning stages. 

The city will now begin the process of identifying camera vendors and potential camera locations. The pilots will operate until June 2025 within the boundaries of Lake Michigan to Ashland Avenue and from North Avenue to Roosevelt. 

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