Create safer school zones (HB 1138)

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Background:
Illinois law requires a 20 mph speed limit on most roads adjacent to schools. State law, however, allows local departments of transportation discretion on the size of a school zone. Further, the state does not require road officials to consult with school principals or local police before establishing a school zone boundary or changing an existing school zone boundary.

More than 30 percent of pedestrian fatalities in Illinois involve children, and 20 percent of the pedestrian-related crashes occur within 800 feet a school. Too many children are being injured or killed by reckless drivers near our schools.

What’s wrong with the current law?
Principals and local police know the dangers around our schools. They hear from parents and students about the problems. But, they have no outlet to express their concerns.

School principals and police have no way to tell road officials about traffic safety problems.

What will HB 1138 do?
• It requires the state and local departments of transportation to notify school principals and police about proposed changes to school zones.
• It requires the road officials to solicit comments for at least 30 days before implementing a change to school zones.
• It does not interfere with the engineering decisions of the state and local departments of transportation.

This bill is supported by Active Transportation Alliance, Illinois Department of Transportation and the Illinois Statewide School Management Alliance (the School Management Alliance is comprised of principals, school boards and school district superintendents).

For more information contact Dan Persky, Active Trans’ director of education & advocacy, at 312.427.3325 x229 or dan@activetrans.org.

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