Planning

Long Range Transportation Plan

• Long Range Transportation Plan: The most recent LRTP provided IDOT with an overarching strategic framework for the future direction of transportation in Illinois. Preserving the value and usefulness of the State's past investments in highways, transit, airports, waterways, railroads, and trails remains a daunting task for IDOT. Focus was placed on preserving the value and usefulness of the State’s past investment while also enhancing the system with a particular interest in safety, sustainability, movement of freight, multi-modal interconnectivity, human capital investment, increased services in intercity rail and public transportation and improved bike-pedestrian infrastructure.

For more information on the IDOT LRTP please refer to the Long Range Transportation Plan Plan page.

Bike Plan

• Illinois Bike Transportation Plan: Completed in April 2014, the Illinois Bike Transportation Plan is Illinois' first ever attempt at fully examining the robust and ever growing bicycle system across Illinois and proposing new policies that will further integrate bike travel across the state and address current barriers to bicycling as a viable method of transportation. Learn more about the Illinois Bike Transportation Plan initiative and our progress!

Freight

• 2017 Illinois State Freight Plan: The 2017 Illinois State Freight Plan was developed in accordance with freight plan guidelines established in the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, which was signed into law in December 2015.  Over 1 billion tons of freight, valued at nearly $3 trillion, was moved to, from, or within Illinois in 2014. Freight movement in Illinois relies on a multimodal network of highways, railroads, waterways, and airports.  The freight plan provides data and analysis on the movement of these goods, and also  identifies major freight corridors and bottlenecks. Also included is a freight investment plan which shows the projects that will be funded with the freight formula funds provided under the FAST Act.  These projects were selected through the Illinois Competitive Freight Program, which allowed stakeholders to submit freight projects for evaluation using a transparent set of eligibility and scoring criteria.  The finalized freight plan, including the freight investment plan, has been reviewed and approved by the FHWA.
• Illinois Competitive Freight Program: As described above, IDOT established a transparent set of eligibility and scoring criteria and solicited project proposals for a new competitive grant program designed to utilize FAST Act freight formula funds and improve the mobility of freight at the local level. Applications were accepted through April 6, 2018 for approximately $225 million in National Highway Freight Program funds which are to be distributed through 2022.  Projects selections were added to the freight investment plan section of the finalized freight plan.
• Freight Mobility Plan: Completed December 2012, the Freight Mobility Plan examined the current state of freight in Illinois and the ways in which the transport of goods through the state might be improved. This plan was updated in 2017 with the help of the Illinois State Freight Advisory Council, in order to meet new federal requirements established under the FAST Act.
• Illinois State Freight Advisory Council: Formed in September 2013, IDOT established the Illinois State Freight Advisory Council (ISFAC) to provide a standing forum for coordination of freight multimodal planning in the State of Illinois in order to enhance the benefits of every mode, improve intermodal connection, and sustain the State’s position as the primary freight hub of the United States.

Intelligent Transportation

• Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Architecture Strategic Plan: Completed in October 2019, IDOT updated the Illinois Statewide Architecture and Strategic Plan as well as assisted in updating many regional ITS architectures throughout the State. This project coordinated with IDOT’s District offices, Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) and Regional Planning Commissions (RPCs). The project assessed the current use of ITS in Illinois and recommends approaches to enhance the integration and deployment of ITS for future generations. Final reports are below.

• • ITS Architecture Update Report
    
    • Appendix A – Workshop Meeting Schedule
    • Appendix B – Stakeholder Needs
    • Appendix C – Service Packages Mapping
    • Appendix D – Physical and Functional Objects by Inventory Elements
    • Appendix E – Nomenclature Guide
    • Appendix F – Architecture Maintenance Plan
    • Appendix G – Service Packages Changes, Turbo conversion to RAD-IT
    • Concept of Operations
  • IDOT ITS Strategic Plan
    • Appendix A – Stakeholder List
    • Appendix B – Stakeholder Survey Results
    • Appendix C – Stakeholder Interview Template
    • Appendix D – Workshop Voting Results on Projects and Priorities
    • Appendix E – Regional Needs Prioritized by IDOT Region
    • Appendix F – Regional Needs Prioritized by Program Area
    • Appendix G – Communications Inventory and Planning
    • Appendix H – Potential ITS Solution Descriptions
    • Appendix I – Prioritized List of Statewide ITS Projects (Expanded Details)
    • Appendix J – Prioritized List of Statewide ITS Projects (Prioritization View)
    • Appendix K – Detailed Project Descriptions

Rail

• 2017 Illinois State Rail Plan Update: The Illinois Department of Transportation is seeking input on its 2017 Illinois State Rail Plan Update which was developed in accordance with Section 5 of the Transportation Act and the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 (PRIIA).  The Plan explores the current passenger and freight rail infrastructure in Illinois, ways the system can be improved, new possible routes, and what IDOT can do to further connections between rail and other modes.  
  
  Illinois has the second largest rail system in the nation, second only to Texas.  Illinois is the center of the nation's rail network, and Chicago represents the largest U.S. rail hub in North America.  The 2017 Illinois State Rail Plan Update's system highlights include the Chicago-St. Louis high speed rail corridor, the Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency (CREATE) Program, and a number of station improvements.  Please review the document and provide comments using this form.   Public comment will close on February 23, 2018.  

Transit Plan

• Transit Plan: The Illinois Transit Plan is complete, and can be accessed here. The Transit plan will be integrated into the Long Range Transportation Plan This will allow for greater connectivity in the development of the LRTP between the various transportation modes. The Transit section of the LRTP will be utilized to implement policies designed to increase resident and visitor mobility through greater transportation choices and improved connectivity among transportation modes. It will develop goals and policies for public transportation throughout Illinois.
• Capital Asset State of Good Repair Report: This document includes sections on Transit Asset Management (TAM), existing conditions of Illinois transit providers, best practices, and recommendations. This report can be accessed here. 
• Performance Measurements Report: This document includes details on how downstate transit providers’ performance is measured, as well as performance comparisons of demand response and fixed route providers with peer providers from across the nation. This report can be accessed here. 
• Service Needs and Gaps Report: This document identifies demand-based opportunities for new fixed route, commuter, demand response, and intercity transit services, along with the methodologies demonstrating how the respective demand for each type of transit was calculated. This report can be accessed here. 
• Stakeholder Engagement Report: This document includes a record of the outreach which took place in the early stages of developing the transit plan, including summaries of public meetings, survey results, summaries of interviews held with transit operators, and summaries of transit activities which are undertaken by other public agencies across Illinois. This report can be accessed here. 
• State Funding and Benefits of Public Transportation Report: This document contains a summary of state public transportation funding in Illinois, a comparison of state public transportation funding with other peer states, and an analysis and the conclusions of a study calculating the economic benefits of public transportation. This report can be accessed here. 
• Technology, Opportunities, and Benefits Report: This document showcases new technologies available to both fixed route and demand response transit systems, and a table of where these new technologies are being implemented throughout Illinois. This report can be accessed here. 

Marine Transportation

• 2021 Illinois Port Facilities Capital Investment Grant Program: The Illinois Port Facilities Capital Investment Grant Program provides grants to public agencies for the planning and development of facilities within public port districts that are included in the Illinois Marine Transportation System (IMTS).  The IMTS is comprised of ports located on these navigable waterways: the Mississippi River, Illinois River, Chicago Area Waterway System, Kaskaskia River, Ohio River, Lake Michigan, and the landside infrastructure that allows transportation to, from, and on water.

  In the Spring of 2019, the Rebuild Illinois Capital Bill appropriated the sum of $150 million to the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) for the Illinois Port Facilities Capital Investment Grant Program with $40 million going directly to the Alexander-Cairo Port District listed in Article 5, Section 211 of Public Act 101-0029.

  The grant application process, eligibility requirements, selection process, and the restrictions on the use of the grant money was developed by a committee of staff from the Illinois Department of Transportation, Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, Illinois Department of Natural Resources and have been formalized using the Legislative Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR) process.   IDOT sought input from port stakeholders and the public to develop this competitive program to prioritize grants for projects within public port districts to enhance the movement of commodities on the IMTS.

  The 2021 Illinois Port Facilities Capital Investment Grant Program - Guidance Document and Application Form is available here.

  2020 Illinois Marine Transportation System Plan and Economic Impact Analysis Study: The Illinois Marine Transportation System plan and Economic Impact Analysis Study (IMTS Plan) is complete and can be accessed here. Web Friendly Version: Final 2020 Final IMTS Plan Document. Print Friendly Version:  Final 2020 Final IMTS Plan Document. The IMTS Plan is a multimodal planning and policy endeavor initiated by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) in March of 2019. The IMTS Plan provides the State of Illinois a foundational understanding of the marine transportation system and how it contributes to the state’s economy. This plan is only the first step in better integrating the state’s waterways into the state’s multimodal transportation network. The programmatic recommendations created as part of the IMTS Plan, provide IDOT and other State agencies important information on how to move forward towards integration of the marine mode as part of Illinois’ multimodal transportation network.

  A video summarizing the Marine Transportation System, it’s economic impact and forecasted commodity flows is available here.

  Individual Chapters are provided here:

  Final IMTS Plan - Photo Reference

  Final IMTS Plan - Acknowledgements

  Final IMTS Plan - Report Cover

  Final IMTS Plan - Table of Contents

  Final IMTS Plan - Chapter 1: Introduction

  Final IMTS Plan - Chapter 2: History and System Overview

  Final IMTS Plan - Chapter 3: Port Districts

  Final IMTS Plan - Chapter 4: Economic Value Commodity Flows

  Final IMTS Plan - Chapter 5: Needs Assessment

  Final IMTS Plan - Chapter 6: Programmatic Implementation

  Final IMTS Plan - Appendix A: Neighboring State Dredging Review

  Final IMTS Plan - Appendix B: Peer State Review

  Final IMTS Plan - Appendix C: Port District Specific Economic Impact

  Final IMTS Plan - Appendix D: Carrier Profiles and Economic Impact

  Final IMTS Plan - Appendix E: Economic Impact Detailed

  Final IMTS Plan - Appendix F: Public Comments

   

  Individual Port Profiles:

  Alexander-Cairo Port District Profile

  America's Central Port District Profile

  Havana Regional Port District Profile

  Heart of Illinois Regional Port District Profile

  Illinois International Port District Profile

  Illinois Valley Regional Port District Profile

  Jackson Union Counties Regional Port District Profile

  Joliet Regional Port District Profile

  Kaskaskia Regional Port District Profile

  Massac Metropolis Regional Port District Profile

  Mid-America Intermodal Authority Port District Profile

  Mt. Carmel Regional Port District Profile

  Ottawa Port District Profile

  Seneca Regional Port District Profile

  Shawneetown Regional Port District Profile

  Southwest Regional Port District Profile

  Upper Mississippi River International Port District Profile

  Waukegan Port District Profile

  White County Port District Profile

Other Plans

• Safety:Every five years, IDOT, in partnership with key safety stakeholders, develops a State Highway Safety Plan (SHSP). With a goal to eliminate all fatal and serious injury crashes on Illinois roadways, this plan includes comprehensive and coordinated safety strategies that cover engineering, education, enforcement, and emergency medical services.

All Hazards

• All-Hazards Transportation System Vulnerability Assessment: IDOT developed a statewide inventory and vulnerability index of all state-owned transportation assets. The index takes into account the importance of the asset, its condition, and the assets geographic location in relation to potential hazards. This will help the department to prioritize maintenance, fabrications, and major capital projects with relationship to man made and naturally occurring hazards. Due to the sensitive nature of the data, only the executive summary will be published.
• Storm Water Management Plan: The Illinois Storm Water Management Plan is designed to eliminate storm water runoff during construction.