Strategic Highway Safety Plan
The Illinois' Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP) is a statewide data driven plan developed in partnership by the Department and key safety stakeholders and includes comprehensive and coordinated safety strategies involving Engineering, Education, Enforcement, and Emergency Medical Services with the goal to eliminate all fatal and serious injury crashes on all Illinois roadways. The SHSP focuses resources and efforts based on data to improve the safety performance of roadways through design and traffic operations, change roadway user behavior through traffic law enforcement and education programs, and enhance emergency response as it relates to all public roads.
The SHSP builds upon and improves data, data systems, safety analysis and evaluation and is the overarching plan used to implement programs and initiatives through the Highway Safety Plan (to address alcohol and impaired driving use, vehicle occupant protection, and other behavioral programs), the Highway Safety Improvement Program (roadway infrastructure safety), and the Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program (commercial vehicle and driver safety) to reduce fatalities and life-altering injuries on Illinois roadways. The Illinois SHSP augments to the Department’s Long Range Transportation Plan and contains performance-driven strategies that focus limited highway safety resources toward this common goal. Select a tab to learn more!
Contact Us
Martha A. Brown, P.E.
Safety Policy and Initiatives Engineer
Bureau of Safety Programs and Engineering
Illinois Department of Transportation
2300 S. Dirksen Parkway, Room 005
Springfield, IL 62764
Martha.A.Brown@illinois.gov
217-785-3034
Vulnerable Road User Safety Assessment
With the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), also known as the “Bipartisan Infrastructure Law” (BIL), a very important requirement was included that requires that the Illinois Department of Transportation (Department or IDOT), with assistance and support of our Local Public Agencies (LPA), to perform a Vulnerable Road User Safety Assessment as part of the state’s Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP). Vulnerable Road Users (VRU) are an extremely important element of our overall transportation network; their safety is critical; and a focal point of the Department. Vulnerable Road Users are defined as pedestrians, bicycles, or other cyclists.
The VRU Safety Assessment is to be an appendix to the state’s Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP) which you may be aware was completed in 2022. The law establishes that the VRU Safety Assessment must be completed no later than November 15, 2023. Your support, input, participation, and knowledge are very important in correctly and comprehensively including as much information and data as possible.
Survey and Tools
Stakeholder Survey (Complete by June 30, 2023)
Webinars
VRU Stakeholder Engagement Series Master Deck
VRU Safety Assessment Kick Off Webinar Recording
Urbanized Areas VRU Safety Assessment Public Engagement Recording
Non-Urbanized Areas VRU Safety Assessment Public Engagement Recording
Cook County VRU Safety Assessment Public Engagement Recording
Collar Counties VRU Safety Assessment Public Engagement Recording
VRU Safety Assessment Contact
If you have data that you think would be useful for the VRU safety assessment, please let us know. Data may include infrastructure, exposure as well as on-going initiatives and projects. Please send questions or any data to DOT.VRUSafety@illinois.gov by June 30th for potential inclusion in the study.