Commuters to work and school had the unfortunate task of driving in a slippery and snowy mess this morning as Chicago received its’ first snow fall of the year. Most of the Chicagoland area received between 4-8 inches of snow. Luckily the snow is supposed to melt in the next few days, but we know that this could be the first of many snowy weathers to come in Chicago. It is important to plan ahead in case you need to drive in winter weather.

The Illinois Department of Transportation (“IDOT”) provided the following winter weather driving tips to help us…
Continue Reading Winter Driving TIPS From IDOT

I wrote earlier this year about a texting scam sent to Illinois drivers regarding fake unpaid tolls. The scammers would send a text threatening drivers license suspensions if the fines were not paid.

The scammers are back at again. NBC 5 Chicago reported this week that a new phishing scam has surfaced. Text messages stating there are “outstanding traffic ticket” with a “final notice” from a number purporting to be the Illinois Department of Motor Vehicles. The fake messages warn that if the fines are not paid within 24 hours it could lead vehicle registration suspension, prosecution, credit score impact,…
Continue Reading Beware Of New “Traffic Ticket” Scam Aimed At Illinois Drivers

Fox 32 Chicago reported recently about the Cook County Sheriff Department’s initiative to stop drivers from going onto the shoulders of highways. According to the report, the department is using helicopters to spot drivers who illegally use the shoulder to bypass traffic.

In a late September social media post, the department reported that in a three hours span, deputies issued 120 tickets to motorists caught driving on the shoulder. Of those, 49 were flagged by helicopter surveillance. The Department announced that they had issued over 1000 tickets. Fines for these violations can run from $250 to $1000. Shoulder driving is…
Continue Reading Cook County Sheriff Department Gets Creative In Traffic Safety Initiative

Chicago commuters recieved great news as they were heading to work monday morning. As reported by NBC Chicago and announced by the Illinois Department of Transportation (“IDOT”), the inbound and outbound express lanes on 1-90/94 were fully operational as Monday morning.

Construction on the Kennedy is scheduled to resume through the rest of the fall as construction continues on several outbound ramps. The Wilson Avenue exit ramp is set to close Monday night for an estimated two weeks. The currently closed outbound Kennedy ramp to Division Street should reopen in mid-October. And the Ontario Street feeder ramp to the outbound…
Continue Reading Chicago’s Kennedy Express Lanes Fully Open

There is a light at the end of the tunnel for Chicagoans who travel on I-90/94 Kennedy expressway. The Illinois Department of Transportation (“IDOT”) announced this week that they are nearing the end of the years long project.

According to ABC 7 On Wednesday, IDOT reopened three major outbound Kennedy exit ramps: Kimball Avenue, Addison Street and Pulaski Road/Irving Park Road (Illinois 19). The Kimball Avenue ramp to outbound Kennedy was closed on Tuesday night, IDOT said. It is expected to reopen in approximately three weeks. The outbound Kennedy ramp to Addison Street was also closed, it is anticipated to…
Continue Reading Kennedy Expressway Contruction Project Nearing End

The Chicago Department of Transportation (“CDOT”) commitment to making the city more bicycle friendly and make bike transportation more accessible, is coming to fruition with a new northside bike path. According to Blockclub Chicago, the city is compleing a 2.5-mile bike route connecting the North Shore Channel Trail and Chicago’s lakefront trail. The path will lead to Winnemac Park, Andersonville’s Clark Street and the Asia on Argyle corridor.

CDOT told Blockclub that the only remaining stretch of the path that needs to be completed is of a 1 mile stretch between Damen Broadway through Ravenswood and Uptown. An exact timeline…
Continue Reading New Bike Path Connecting Lakefront Trails Coming to North Side of Chicago

According to Block Club Chicago and the Chicago Department of Transportation (“CDOT”), a long awaited road improvement project on Grand Avenue will not begin until next year. CDOT announced earlier this week that the city is still going through a formal bidding process for the contruction, which will delay the start, which was originally announced in the summer of 2024.

The project along Grand Avenue, which stretches from Chicago Avenue to Ogden, will include additional protected bike lanes, slower speed limits, bus boarding islands, utility and structural work.

The first phase of the Grand avenue project, which stretched from Chicago…
Continue Reading Phase 2 Of Grand Avenue Contruction To Begin In 2026

According to ABC 7 Chicago, construction on the CTA train station at State and Lake began this week, which will cause quite a few street closures over the next few weeks and months. The CTA train station, which is over 100 years old, will remain open during construction, but will receive wider platforms and new elevators. The initial phase of the construction project is expected to take four (4) months.

Despite the train stop staying open, there will be multiple street closures that may affect your commute should you take the bus, drive, bike or drive into the downtown loop.
Continue Reading Construction On State & Lake CTA Station Begins This Week

Block Club Chicago reported recently that there are several road improvements and additional bicycle lanes coming in the Brighton Park neighborhood along Kedzie and Archer avenues.

The Chicago Department of Transportation (“CDOT”) announced that there will be a complete redesign on Archer Avenue from Western Avenue to 47th Street and South Kedzie Avenue from 28th Street to Archer Avenue. The improvements are part of what the city has called the “Complete Streets Initiative.”

The announced plans include 4 miles of protected bike lanes, added left turn lanes, concrete pedestrian islands, curb extensions and updated bus shelters.

These are much needed…
Continue Reading Road Safety Improvements Coming To Brighton Park Neighborhood

The Jackson County Sheriff’s Department is joining hundreds of other Illinois law enforcement agencies in the effort to increase traffic safety over the 4th July holiday. The traffic safety campaigns include “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over,” “Drive High Get a DUI,” and “Click It or Ticket.” The sheriff’s department are deploying additional traffic patrol officers, which is supported by federal traffic safety funds from the Illinois Department of Transportation (“IDOT”). These efforts are part of IDOT’s broader “It’s Not a Game” media campaign, highlighting the dangers of impaired driving.

The initiative will focus on catching impaired and unbuckled drivers…
Continue Reading Jackson County, IL Sheriff Ramping Up Traffic Safety Enforcement

School is out, summer is here and pools are open. This is a fun time of year for all and it’s a great time to remind ourselves how to keep our kids safe at the pool. If you haven’t already, it’s a great time to get your kids into swim lessons. If time or money is an issue, the Red Cross has free online lessons that can be accessed here. Also, the Chicago Park District offers affordable aquatic lessons ($20-$50 for 8 week sessions) at multiple city pools.

The American Red Cross releases swimming safety tips every year, which…
Continue Reading Swim Safety Tips For Kids

Chicagoans who commute in and out of the downtown loop using 90/94 and others driving to and from O’Hare airport received some welcome new this week. The final phase of the 90/94 (“Kennedy Expressway”) appears to be a month ahead of schedule. IDOT has not wavered from the Thanksgiving completion date, but they did state they are about a month ahead of schedule, which would hopefully put completion sometime in October 2025.

IDOT announced last week the following lane and exit openings and closings, which they said, have come a month ahead of what was originally scheduled.:

-Effective Sunday, June…
Continue Reading Good News: Kennedy Expressway Construction Ahead of Schedule

If you recieve a text to your phone or an email stating that you owe money for unpaid traffic tickets or unpaid Illinois road tolls, you should delete and report those messages as junk.

Many of the text messages look like this:

Illinois State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) Final Notice: Enforcement Penalties Begin on May 28. Our records show that as of today, you will have an outstanding traffic ticket. In accordance with Illinois State Administrative Code 15C-16.003, if you do not complete payment by May 27, 2025, we will take the following actions:

…
Continue Reading Beware of Online Illinois Traffic Ticket Scam