News Updates

Three more communities benefit from technical assistance

Cicero charts a safer future with new safety action plan

Cicero residents deserve streets that safely connect them to schools, jobs, and one another — and now the town has a clear, community-informed roadmap to get there. With support from the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP), the newly completed Cicero Safety Action Plan responds to a critical reality: while pedestrians and bicyclists make up just a small share of crashes, they suffer a disproportionate number of serious injuries and fatalities — especially youth.

Backed by extensive public engagement and a data-driven analysis of crash trends, the plan outlines targeted strategies to eliminate traffic deaths and life-altering injuries across Cicero.

With this plan in place, Cicero is taking a bold, coordinated step toward streets that work for everyone.

Building a safer future in Ashburn

The Greater Ashburn Safety Action Plan lays out a bold, community-driven roadmap to make neighborhood streets safer for everyone — whether walking, biking, driving, or taking transit. Developed in partnership with the Greater Ashburn Development Association, the plan was made possible through CMAP’s technical assistance program.

The plan builds on the Safe System Approach, which recognizes that traffic deaths and serious injuries are preventable and calls for shared responsibility to eliminate them. With more than 6,000 crashes and 175 serious or fatal crashes in Ashburn between 2019 and 2023, this work is critical to protecting lives and ensuring residents can move safely through their community.

The plan identifies priority corridors, schools, and parks where improvements are most needed, and pairs those findings with targeted strategies. Highlights include traffic calming near schools and parks, enhanced pedestrian crossings, safety upgrades at rail crossings, and infrastructure investments on major corridors such as 79th Street, Cicero Avenue, and Western Avenue.

Nine communities complete pavement management plans

In close partnership with Addison, Bannockburn, Fox Lake, Godley, Indian Head Park, Palos Heights, Richton Park, St. Charles, and Wood Dale, CMAP recently completed pavement management plans that strengthen infrastructure and guide future transportation investment. Developed with engineering support, these plans assess pavement conditions, evaluate costs, and provide data-driven strategies for preservation and capital planning.

By adopting innovative approaches rooted in the ON TO 2050 comprehensive regional plan, these communities now have practical tools to prioritize repairs, stretch limited dollars, and invest wisely in their transportation networks.