Last week, I took a fairly deep dive into the recurring traffic crash epidemic near Loyola University. Read the article to get up to speed on the situation. It has included two bus-pedestrian collisions within a week in February, at or near Sheridan Road and Kenmore Avenue, between the main campus and the Kenmore bike-pedestrian mall.
While writing the piece, I contacted several local authorities for updates. (I should have also reached out to the Loyola public affairs office, which I'll do soon.) Here are a few updates.
CTA
I asked for a status update on the two bus drivers, at least one of whom reportedly ran a red – were there any disciplinary measures, and are they still employed by CTA?
The agency has yet not responded to two email requests in the past week.
Chicago Department of Transportation
I asked if there is anything currently planned to reduce crashes on the east-west stretch of Sheridan between Broadway and the lake. I also asked if the agency had anything to say about the safety improvements proposed at the end of my previous article. Does CDOT believe these are practical ideas, or are there issues that would make them impractical or complex, such as geography or jurisdiction?
The City's transportation department has yet not responded to two email requests in the past week.
Update 4/23 6 PM: After the article was published today, we heard back from CDOT. "CDOT uses a data-informed approach and a toolbox of Complete Streets strategies to enhance safety, especially near meaningful destinations like schools and parks," said spokesperson Erica Schroeder. "We work closely with the 48th and 49th Ward offices and will continue coordinating with them to evaluate potential traffic safety improvements near Loyola’s campus and throughout the surrounding area."
"A recent improvement includes the installation of a speed camera on Sheridan [at 7115 N., about a mile north of this east-west portion of Sheridan ] near Loyola Park, which is intended to reduce speeding and support a safer environment along the corridor," Schroeder added. "CDOT will continue to assess the area and work with community stakeholders to identify opportunities for future enhancements."
Illinois Department of Transportation
I asked the State transportation department similar questions as CDOT.
"The location you are inquiring about, the section of Sheridan Road from Broadway going east to the lake, is under the jurisdiction of CDOT," replied spokesperson Maria Castaneda. "You may want to reach out to CDOT regarding any additional information regarding plans for short-term improvements or adjustments to signal timing."
Whoops, I assumed that since that part of Sheridan also serves as a traffic sewer for drivers rushing to and DuSable Lake Shore Drive, it was under IDOT control. However, IDOT jurisdiction of DLSD and connecting streets doesn't go further north than Foster Avenue. My bad.
But Castaneda provided some interesting additional info. "Longer term, you might recall the area is included in the joint IDOT-CDOT Northern Terminus Traffic Study," she said. "The northern terminus (where NDLSD connects or interacts at the north end) is a separate study in parallel of the NDLSD study. The study, which includes Foster Avenue (U.S. 41) on the south, Ashland Avenue/Clark Street on the west and Devon Avenue/Sheridan Road on the north, is assessing options to address existing and future traffic needs and to identify and evaluate potential improvements. It is anticipated to be completed next year."
Good to know. Streetsblog will likely report on this topic in the future.
48th Ward
Ald. Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth's district, basically Edgewater, is south of this east-west stretch of Sheridan, and Ald. Maria Hadden's (49th), essentially Rogers Park, is to the north.
I asked both offices similar questions as the transportation departments. While I didn't get an email response from the 48th Ward by press time, Ald. Manaa-Hoppenworth did respond to our tweet about the post, with a bit of commentary.
Update 4/24/25, 4:45 PM: After this article came out, the 48th Ward got in touch with Streetsblog. "Sheridan Road is one of the densely populated streets in Chicago, and home to a number of vulnerable populations," Ald. Manaa-Hoppenworth said. "Pedestrian safety on Sheridan Road is a top priority of our office, and we are collaborating with neighbors, community leaders, and CDOT on a number of initiatives to slow down [drivers], create pedestrian-friendly infrastructure, and organize our streets to improve safety for all users. You can read more about these initiatives on our blog. In light of the pedestrian incidents at Sheridan and Kenmore, we are requesting an updated traffic study of the intersection, and will continue to work on improvements on this stretch of Sheridan Road to prevent further incidents and make our streets safer for all users."
49th Ward
We did get a response from Ald. Hadden's office.
"Following the pedestrian crashes at Sheridan and Kenmore, Loyola University contacted our office and Alderwoman Manaa-Hoppenworth's office, as we share this intersection," said 49th Ward Chief of Staff Leslie Perkins. "While we are glad the students didn't sustain major injuries, we are committed to working on solutions to make pedestrian traffic safer in this area. Our office is coordinating a meeting with the CTA, CDOT, IDOT, the 48th Ward, and Loyola University to discuss the issue and explore potential traffic safety improvements."
"This area experiences a significant amount of pedestrian traffic due to Loyola University and the Caroline Hedger senior building, located at the intersection of Sheridan, Broadway, and Devon," Perkins added. "In the past, when exploring improvement options, we have been directed to IDOT as this stretch falls under their jurisdiction. We are hopeful that with the new leadership under Secretary [Gia Biagi, formerly CDOT Commissioner] at IDOT, we can renew safety talks and work towards solutions that consider all users of our streets."
Loyola University Student Government
Update 4/25/25, 5:45 PM: Someone recently passed along a 4/8/25 "Pedestrian and Cycling Safety Resolution" by the Student Government of Loyola University. The document says the resolution is "For the purpose of promoting increased bicycle use in traveling to campus through the promotion of the safety and security of pedestrians and cyclists." Here's passage regarding safety on Sheridan.
"Pedestrian safety has become a concern at intersections with West and North Sheridan surrounding the Lakeshore Campus with concerns from impatient drivers on the slip lane at West Sheridan and North Broadway, North Winthrop and West Sheridan, North Kenmore and West Sheridan, and North Sheridan and West Arthur, all of which have high pedestrian and vehicular traffic," the document states.
Therefore, it sas, "The SGLC recommends LUC work with the City of Chicago, including the 48th and 49th wards, to find effective methods, such as red-light cameras, raised crosswalks, traffic calming designs, designated bike lanes, and more to increase safety for pedestrians and cyclists at the intersections and streets surrounding campus."
This all sounds fairly promising, so I'll try to keep Streetsblog readers informed about next steps. Stay tuned...
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