Vision Zero: Eliminating Traffic Fatalities in the 48th Ward
Dear Neighbors,
The 48th ward endured a number of deadly traffic accidents in previous years that left families in our community heartbroken. My focus has been to do everything possible to prevent another traffic-related loss. As a ward, we adopted Vision Zero, the goal of no traffic-related deaths or severe injuries. Our approach to this goal has been two-fold: organize our streets and increase enforcement. When we organize our streets with clear spaces for pedestrians, vehicles, and cyclists, everyone is safer.
Today, I am proud to share that the 48th ward was one of 15 wards in the City of Chicago with zero traffic fatalities in 2025. This marks our third consecutive year with zero traffic fatalities. Below are just a few of the projects we’re working on to make our streets safer for everyone in the 48th ward:
Refuge Islands: Broadway between Hollywood and Devon sees more traffic accidents than any other stretch in the 48th ward. In order to address this long-standing issue, we are adding refuge islands on Broadway at Hood, Rosedale, and Norwood. Hood and Rosedale will include pedestrian-activated flashing lights called rectangular rapid flashing beacons (RRFBs). Refuge islands and RRFBs make it easier for pedestrians to find gaps in traffic when crossing a two-way street and provide a place to wait when crossing a street with multiple lanes. We have also added a refuge island to Broadway and Winona, and are working on one at Ridge and Hollywood.
Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon: To help address long-standing pedestrian safety concerns along Ridge, we are adding Chicago’s first pedestrian hybrid beacon to Ridge and Wayne. Pedestrian hybrid beacons will help neighbors to cross high-speed roadways, and result in a 55% reduction in pedestrian crashes. Read more here.
Granville Traffic Calming: Granville was in the top 10% of crashes in Chicago, and represented over half of all pedestrian and bike crashes in the ward. To address this, we added short one-way conversions, new signage, bump outs, and crosswalk paint to calm traffic and make it safer for all users. Read more here.
Berwyn Greenway: Previously, there was a gap in the bike grid for cyclists looking to go east to the Lakefront Trail. We worked across wards to install the Berwyn Greenway, connecting the North Branch Trail to the Lakefront Trail. This is part of our effort to keep cyclists off of Sheridan Road sidewalks by creating two clear bike paths to the Lakefront Trail. Read more here.
Bump Outs: Bump outs are an extension of the sidewalk zone intended to slow down drivers and increase visibility for pedestrians crossing the street. We have installed or plan to install bump outs at the following intersections: Greenview/Highland, Greenview/Rosemont, Hood/Lakewood, Bryn Mawr/Wayne, Bryn Mawr/Magnolia, Bryn Mawr/Lakewood, Foster/Wayne, Clark/Hollywood, Olive/Glenwood, Gregory/Clark, Glenwood/Rosedale, and Elmdale/Magnolia.
Raised Crosswalks & Intersections: Raised crosswalks and intersections encourage drivers to slow down and make pedestrians more visible by allowing them to cross at sidewalk level. We have installed or plan to install these at the following intersections: Granville/Glenwood, Thorndale/Glenwood, Ardmore/Glenwood, Thorndale/Winthrop, Greenview/Thorndale, and Bryn Mawr/Glenwood. Each of these intersections are adjacent to a 48th ward school in order to increase pedestrian safety for our young people. The adjacent schools include Northside Catholic Academy, Senn High School, Peirce Elementary, and Swift Elementary.
Geofencing Sheridan: We know that bikes and scooters riding on sidewalks is an issue on Sheridan Road. We are working with city departments and rideshare apps to advocate for geofencing of Sheridan. This would create a virtual boundary in which electric scooters would no longer operate. Read more about all of our pedestrian safety improvements on Sheridan road here.
Accessible Pedestrian Signals: We recently secured funding for six new accessible pedestrian signals (APS), doubling the number of APS in the ward. APS communicate information about pedestrian signal timing through audible tones, speech messages, and vibrating surfaces to assist blind, low-vision, and deafblind pedestrians. Read more here.
Speed Cameras: Speed cameras can help us slow traffic and increase safety near our parks and schools. We have worked with CDOT to install two new speed cameras: one near Broadway Armory Park, and another near Park 559. Our Broadway speed camera is the second most active in the City of Chicago, issuing 18,598 warnings in the first month and 15,930 citations in the second month.
Decorative Cross-walks: We have installed or plan to install decorative cross-walks at the following intersections: Sheridan/Rosemont, Sheridan/Granville, Sheridan/Glenlake, Sheridan/Thorndale, Sheridan/Ardmore, Bryn Mawr/Broadway, Bryn Mawr/Winthrop, Bryn Mawr/Kenmore, and Bryn Mawr/Sheridan.
Sidewalk, Street, and Alley Repairs: Every year, we invest at least $700,000 in street, alley, and sidewalk repairs through the Aldermanic Menu Program. Want to request a repair near you? Use this link.
Thank you to everyone who has engaged with our office to make our streets safer. Together, we can continue to achieve Vision Zero for years to come.
Yours in Community,
Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth
48th Ward Alderwoman
