Transportation

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that the operation of a non-highway vehicle is authorized if it is operated only on streets where the posted speed limit is 55 (rather than 35) miles per hour or less and the use of the non-highway vehicle is permitted by the unit of local government. Provides that a non-highway vehicle may cross a road or street at an intersection where the road or street has a posted speed limit of more than 55 (rather than 35) miles per hour. Provides that a county board located in a county that permits the use of a non-highway vehicle on its roadways shall not be deemed liable for crashes involving the use of a non-highway vehicle on its roadways.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that, on and after October 1, 2025, the default speed limit is 20 (instead of 30) miles per hour within an urban district, and 10 (instead of 15) miles per hour in an alley within an urban district. Requires, by September 1, 2025, the Secretary of State to communicate the speed limit change to every licensed driver in the State via direct postal mail and a broad statewide communications campaign. Provides that a county, municipality, or township with speed enforcement authority may only issue warnings for violations during the first 60 days after the change of the speed limit is enacted. Effective immediately.

Amends the Innovations for Transportation Infrastructure Act. Provides that the Department of Transportation or the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority may use the design-build project delivery method for transportation facilities if the capital costs for transportation facilities delivered utilizing the design-build project delivery method or Construction Manager/General Contractor project delivery method or Alternative Technical Concepts in a design-bid-build project delivery method do not for transportation facilities delivered by the Department, exceed the value of 20% of the projects annually programmed in (rather than $400 million of contracts awarded during) the Department's multi-year highway improvement program on an annual basis (rather than for any 5-year period). Removes language that provides that notwithstanding any other law, and as authority supplemental to its existing powers, the Department may use the Construction Manager/General Contractor project delivery method for up to 2 transportation facilities per year. Effective immediately.

Creates the Highway Work Zone Safety Act. Requires the Department of Transportation, in coordination with the Illinois State Police, to establish the Highway Work Zone Speed Control Program for the purposes of enforcing the speed limits established for construction or maintenance speed zones. Requires the Illinois State Police, in conjunction with the Department of Transportation and the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority, to set up and operate automated traffic control systems in highway construction and maintenance speed zones to detect violations of posted work zone speed limits. Allows the Department of Transportation or the Illinois State Police to employ automated traffic control system operators to operate automated traffic control systems in construction or maintenance speed zones. Provides, with exceptions, that information and photographs or recorded images collected under the Program are not discoverable by court order as evidence in a proceeding. Requires information and photographs or recorded images collected under the Program to be destroyed not later than 2 years after the date the information and photographs or recorded images are collected. Provides that information and photographs or recorded images collected under the Program are the exclusive property of the State and not the property of the manufacturer or vendor of the automated traffic control system. Prohibits the use of a photograph or recorded image obtained through the use of an automated traffic control system for the purpose of enforcing a traffic offense. Provides that a person who owns a motor vehicle that is identified by an automated traffic control system as operating in a construction or maintenance speed zone at a speed in excess of the posted speed limit commits a civil law violation that is punishable by a minimum fine of $100 and a maximum fine of $200. Grants rulemaking authority to the Department of Transportation to implement and administer the Act. Makes other changes. Makes corresponding changes in the Freedom of Information Act and the Illinois Vehicle Code. Repeals the Automated Traffic Control Systems in Highway Construction or Maintenance Zones Act. Effective January 1, 2027, except provisions regarding procurement and rulemaking are effective immediately.

Appropriates $2 from the General Revenue Fund to the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority for its FY26 ordinary and contingent expenses. Effective July 1, 2025.

Creates the Metropolitan Mobility Authority Act. Establishes the Metropolitan Mobility Authority. Provides that the Chicago Transit Authority, the Commuter Rail Division and the Suburban Bus Division of the Regional Transportation Authority, and the Regional Transportation Authority are consolidated into the Metropolitan Mobility Authority and the Service Boards are abolished. Creates the Suburban Bus Operating Division, Commuter Rail Operating Division, and the Chicago Transit Operating Division. Reinserts, reorganizes, and changes some provisions from the Metropolitan Transit Authority Act and the Regional Transportation Authority Act into the new Act. Includes provisions concerning the operation of the Metropolitan Mobility Authority. Repeals the Metropolitan Transit Authority Act and the Regional Transportation Authority Act. Amends various Acts, Laws, and Codes to make conforming changes. Creates the Equitable Transit-Supportive Development Act. Establishes the Office of Equitable Transit-Oriented Development and the Transit-Supportive Development Fund. Provides that the Office and the Fund are to aid transit-supportive development near high-quality transit by providing specified funding to municipalities that have adopted the standards in the transit support overlay district for that area or that have adopted zoning and other changes that the Office determines have benefits greater than or equal to such a District, including transit support overlay districts. Includes provisions relating to Office standards, procedures, and reports. Amends the State Finance Act to make a conforming change. Amends the Department of Transportation Law of the Civil Administrative Code. Requires the Department to establish, staff, and support an Office of Public Transportation Support for the purpose of optimizing the operation of public transportation vehicles and the delivery of public transportation services on highways under the Department's jurisdiction in the Metropolitan Mobility Authority's metropolitan region. Describes the duties and operations of the Office. Amends the Toll Highway Act. Provides that the Chair of the Metropolitan Mobility Authority is a nonvoting member of the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority. Provides that some provisions are effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that if a person is convicted of running a red light, disobeying a stop sign, failing to obey a yield sign, or disobeying or avoiding a traffic control device and such action is determined to be the approximate cause of seriously bodily harm or death to another person, the person shall be subject to a fine of no less than $1,000 and no more than $5,000. Provides that when assessing the amount of the fine, the judge may take into account mitigating factors, including, but not limited to, acceptance of responsibility by the defendant, if any restitution or insurance was paid to the victim, whether the defendant poses a risk to public safety, undue hardship, total fault of each party, and any other mitigating factors the judge deems necessary.

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Creates an income tax credit for each taxpayer that manufactures renewable diesel in Illinois for use by a rail carrier. Provides that the amount of the credit is $1 per gallon of renewable diesel that is manufactured by the taxpayer in the State for use by a rail carrier. Effective immediately.

Creates the Short Line Railroad Infrastructure Modernization Act. Provides that (i) any railroad company that is located wholly or partly within the State and that is classified by the United States Surface Transportation Board as a Class II or a Class III railroad and (ii) any owner or lessee of a rail siding, industrial spur, or industry track located on or adjacent to any railroad in the State may apply to the Department of Transportation for an income tax credit. Provides that the amount of the credit shall be equal to 50% of the qualified railroad reconstruction or replacement expenditures incurred by the eligible taxpayer during the taxable year, but not to exceed certain specified limitations. Provides that the credit may be transferred to an eligible transferee. Amends the Freedom of Information Act and the Illinois Income Tax Act to make conforming changes. Effective immediately.

Creates the Highway Work Zone Safety Act. Establishes the Highway Work Zone Speed Control Pilot Program. Provides that the Program's purpose is to enforce the speed limits established for construction or maintenance speed zones. Requires the Illinois State Police, in conjunction with the Illinois Department of Transportation and the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority, to set up and operate automated traffic control systems in highway construction and maintenance speed zones to detect violations of posted work zone speed limits. Provides that, before setting up an automated traffic control system for the purposes of the Program: (1) the Illinois State Police and the Illinois Department of Transportation may conduct a public information campaign to inform drivers about the use of automated traffic control systems to detect speeds in excess of a work zone speed limit; and (2) signs indicating that work zone speeds are enforced by automated traffic control systems shall be clearly posted in the areas where the systems are or will be in use. Provides that the Illinois Department of Transportation or the Illinois State Police may employ automated traffic control system operators to operate automated traffic control systems in construction or maintenance speed zones. Contains provisions concerning photographs and recorded images, violations, rented or leased vehicles, procurement, and rulemaking. Makes conforming changes in the Freedom of Information Act and in the Illinois Vehicle Code. Repeals the Automated Traffic Control Systems in Highway Construction or Maintenance Zones Act. Effective immediately.