The Illinois Department of Transportation announced recently the launch of Next Move Illinois, a new statewide public transportation plan to create a strategic vision, recommend policy, make performance updates and identify specific initiatives. The last public transportation plan for Illinois was completed in 2018.
“Next Move Illinois is dedicated to enhancing quality of life and connectivity for all residents, while creating a transit network that’s as diverse and dynamic as the communities it serves,” said Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman.
“By prioritizing innovation and collaboration, we’re ensuring that every Illinois resident and visitor can access the resources and opportunities they need to thrive.”
A companion to Move Illinois, IDOT’s long-range transportation plan being updated in 2024, Next Move Illinois will incorporate feedback from transit providers to help address the needs of diverse communities across the state, including ideas on enhancing accessibility, fostering long-term ridership growth, optimizing intermodal connectivity and implementing strategic measures to strengthen the transportation network against any future challenges. Next Move Illinois will place a special focus on transit operator collaboration, social equity and accessibility, as well as emerging mobility and other new technologies.
“Next Move Illinois is our opportunity to evaluate what we’ve accomplished and launch moonshot ideas that will meet the State’s public transportation needs for today and for the next generation,” said Shoun Reese, deputy director of Transit in IDOT’s Office of Intermodal Project Implementation.
To enable stakeholder participation, IDOT will facilitate an engagement process, collecting input from State and municipal agencies, the public, elected officials and others. Through stakeholder meetings, surveys and digital outreach, IDOT will carefully consider community needs.
Governor JB Pritzker’s historic and bipartisan Rebuild Illinois capital program identifies a total of $4.5 billion – $3 billion in bonding and $1.5 billion in new pay-as-you-go funding – to invest in transit throughout the State. Rebuild Illinois for the first time created a dedicated funding stream for transit in the Chicago area via the State motor fuel tax, guaranteeing sustained funding for projects and capital needs.
Passed in 2019, Rebuild Illinois is investing a total of $33.2 billion over six years into the State’s aging transportation system, creating jobs and promoting economic growth.
—Illinois Department of Transportation