By Ellen Steinke
Chicago’s proposed 2025–2029 Capital Improvement Program would reduce the City’s primary funding category for Complete Streets and Vision Zero projects from $791 million to $212 million, a drop of nearly 70 percent.
The amount set aside specifically for safety projects near schools and parks is even smaller: just $8 million across two years, according to the capital plan. Streetscape projects are also newly folded into this line item, meaning the remaining funding for actual crash-prevention work is smaller still.
Other neighborhood infrastructure categories shrink as well. Sidewalk construction falls from $248 million to $161 million; street resurfacing drops significantly; only street lighting holds steady due to recent lawsuits over failing poles.
Bond dollars would be used for back pack and settlements instead of safety infrastructure
The proposed bond package allocates hundreds of millions to obligations unrelated to capital construction. The city seeks approval for $1.8 billion in new general-obligation bonds, much of which would pay for:
- $166 million in firefighter and paramedic back pay under the new Local 2 contract (Chicago Sun-Times)
- Roughly $280 million in police misconduct settlements and judgments, including a $90 million settlement in the Ronald Watts corruption cases (WTTW, Westlaw)
Fiscal experts frequently warn against using long-term bonds for short-term settlements, since it spreads today’s liabilities over decades with interest. The Sun-Times also reported last May that Chicago had already exhausted more than half of its $82 million 2025 settlement budget.
Meanwhile, the capital plan shows neighborhood infrastructure funding tapering off in later years, and the City’s own bond-issuance history suggests those dollars cannot realistically be restored once authorized.
Cutting safety projects increases crashes, injuries, and long-term costs
Chicago saw more than 112,000 reported crashes in 2024, leading to 25,000+ injuries and 130 deaths (Power Rogers, CDOT). Each serious crash requires hours of police, fire, and OEMC response, as well as case follow-up and legal proceedings.
Traffic-calming and Complete Streets projects reduce both the number and severity of crashes. That means fewer emergency responses, less police overtime, and lower long-term liability. Yet Chicago has routinely blown past its police overtime budget by tens of millions (Sun-Times), and 20–30 percent of some years’ settlement totals stem from police crashes and pursuits (Chicago Police Department 2024 Litigation Report).
Chicago also faces mounting liability from basic maintenance failures. CDOT has identified tens of thousands of potentially hazardous sidewalk locations in recent years but repairs only a fraction annually. And each unrepaired site has the potential for an injury and lawsuit.
Cutting safety and maintenance funding imposes fiscal costs that compound over time.
Chicago may be failing to dedicate automated enforcement to safety, despite state law
Illinois law requires that a portion of speed camera and red light camera revenue go toward traffic-safety improvements. Yet Chicago directs most of its automated-enforcement income (more than $100 million from speed cameras in 2023 [Fines & Fees Justice Center]) into the City’s general fund.
Advocates argue that dedicating even half of this revenue to capital projects could roughly double the amount available for Complete Streets under the proposed plan. Bus-mounted camera fines also flow to general Smart Streets programs rather than upgrades on the corridors where violations occur.
Using safety-camera revenue for actual safety improvements would both comply with the spirit of state law and reduce the need for future enforcement.
What can be done now
Because bond authorizations shape the city’s built environment for years, the decisions made in this budget cycle will define Chicago’s progress on safety well into the next decade. The City Council can:
- Revise the bond package to restore the Complete Streets/Other Neighborhood Improvements category
- Dedicate a consistent portion of speed-camera revenue to safety infrastructure
- Prioritize school- and park-adjacent improvements, currently funded at only $8 million
- Limit the use of long-term bonds for short-term settlement and personnel costs
Chicago faces a choice: balance the budget by cutting the very projects that reduce crashes, injuries, and lawsuits, or treat safe streets as a core component of fiscal responsibility that saves lives and money.
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