Bill Text: IL SR0985 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Urges the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) and the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) to transform Du Sable Lake Shore Drive into a true boulevard and to be creative and forward-thinking in their redesign of Du Sable Lake Shore Drive, to incorporate safe and efficient multimodal transportation throughout Du Sable Lake Shore Drive for pedestrians, cyclists, public transit users, and drivers, to emphasize green urban mobility, to ensure that any proposed changes are considered as part of a comprehensive plan for efficient traffic management and movement of people, including during special events and weather challenges, to create more green space and recreational opportunities for Chicagoans, as well as visitors, and to repurpose, where possible, existing infrastructure as part of expanded recreational opportunities.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-05-14 - Referred to Assignments [SR0985 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2023-SR0985-Introduced.html
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| 1 | SENATE RESOLUTION | ||||||
| 2 | WHEREAS, The history of Chicago's Du Sable Lake Shore | ||||||
| 3 | Drive dates back to the 19th century, when Chicagoans | ||||||
| 4 | advocated for the creation of a scenic lake shore roadway; | ||||||
| 5 | this concept was incorporated into architect and urban planner | ||||||
| 6 | Daniel Burnham's 1909 Plan of Chicago; and
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| 7 | WHEREAS, Over time, Du Sable Lake Shore Drive was extended | ||||||
| 8 | to connect Chicago's downtown, north side, and south side lake | ||||||
| 9 | fronts, including beaches, parks, and recreational areas, | ||||||
| 10 | becoming an iconic and treasured part of Chicago and providing | ||||||
| 11 | access to nature and recreation; and
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| 12 | WHEREAS, Du Sable Lake Shore Drive also serves as a | ||||||
| 13 | critical thoroughfare for mobility, moving tens of thousands | ||||||
| 14 | of vehicles per day and thousands of people utilizing public | ||||||
| 15 | transportation; and
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| 16 | WHEREAS, Climate change driven by global warming has | ||||||
| 17 | created challenges for people all over the world, including in | ||||||
| 18 | Chicago, which has faced erosion along the shorelines of Lake | ||||||
| 19 | Michigan and deterioration of structures designed to provide | ||||||
| 20 | protection for Du Sable Lake Shore Drive; and
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| 21 | WHEREAS, The Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) | ||||||
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| 1 | and the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) are | ||||||
| 2 | considering proposals to redesign and reimagine Du Sable Lake | ||||||
| 3 | Shore Drive, parts of which contain infrastructure constructed | ||||||
| 4 | during the tenure of President Franklin Roosevelt as part of | ||||||
| 5 | his administration's New Deal programs; and
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| 6 | WHEREAS, A redesign and re-imagination of Du Sable Lake | ||||||
| 7 | Shore Drive offers the opportunity to ensure that Du Sable | ||||||
| 8 | Lake Shore Drive can be a lake front transportation corridor | ||||||
| 9 | that serves residents, attracts tourists, and provides | ||||||
| 10 | economic benefits and does so in a climate-friendly, | ||||||
| 11 | efficient, and reliable manner; therefore, be it
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| 12 | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL | ||||||
| 13 | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the Chicago | ||||||
| 14 | Department of Transportation (CDOT) and the Illinois | ||||||
| 15 | Department of Transportation (IDOT) to transform Du Sable Lake | ||||||
| 16 | Shore Drive into a true boulevard and to be creative and | ||||||
| 17 | forward-thinking in their redesign of Du Sable Lake Shore | ||||||
| 18 | Drive, to incorporate safe and efficient multimodal | ||||||
| 19 | transportation throughout Du Sable Lake Shore Drive for | ||||||
| 20 | pedestrians, cyclists, public transit users, and drivers, to | ||||||
| 21 | emphasize green urban mobility, to ensure that any proposed | ||||||
| 22 | changes are considered as part of a comprehensive plan for | ||||||
| 23 | efficient traffic management and movement of people, including | ||||||
| 24 | during special events and weather challenges, to create more | ||||||
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| 1 | green space and recreational opportunities for Chicagoans as | ||||||
| 2 | well as visitors, and to repurpose, where possible, existing | ||||||
| 3 | infrastructure as part of expanded recreational opportunities; | ||||||
| 4 | and be it further
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