Explore Illinois infrastructure policy through analysis of public transit, roads and bridges, freight and passenger rail, ports, airports, active transportation, and the state and federal programs supporting capital investment. The materials below examine how legislation, agency planning, revenue sources, project selection, and local implementation shape the movement of people and goods throughout Illinois.
Three major developments frame Illinois infrastructure policy in 2026.
First, Illinois has moved from debating a threatened public-transit fiscal cliff to implementing a new governance and funding system. Governor JB Pritzker signed the Northern Illinois Transit Authority Act, Senate Bill 2111, in December 2025. The law took effect June 1, 2026, and the Northern Illinois Transit Authority officially replaced the Regional Transportation Authority on September 1.
NITA now oversees regional coordination involving the Chicago Transit Authority, Metra, and Pace. The law provides approximately $1.5 billion annually for public transit and related infrastructure, combining redirected state revenue, regional taxing authority, investment earnings, and other transportation-finance provisions. It also provides additional support for downstate transit.
At its first meeting on September 10, 2026, the NITA Board elected Tom Kotarac as chair, appointed Jamie Rhee as interim executive director, initiated a national search for permanent leadership, and approved expansion of the Access reduced-fare program to CTA and Pace beginning October 1. NITA has also begun implementing regional fare, service, safety, planning, and transit-oriented-development responsibilities, including the People Over Parking Act.
Second, Illinois is implementing its FY2026–FY2031 Highway and Multimodal Improvement Program. The six-year, $50.6 billion program builds upon Rebuild Illinois and includes investments in state and local roads, bridges, transit, passenger and freight rail, airports, ports, bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, and other transportation systems. The program represents a shift from the original 2019 capital authorization toward continued project delivery, system maintenance, and measurement of completed improvements.
Third, the Illinois Tollway Board approved the 15-year, $26.5 billion Driving Connections capital program in August 2026. The plan will finance reconstruction, modernization, safety, congestion, and system-connectivity projects through higher tolls beginning January 1, 2027, followed by periodic inflation adjustments. Its implementation will create continuing policy questions about user fees, project priorities, regional mobility, construction delivery, and accountability.
Together, these developments demonstrate that Illinois infrastructure policy is no longer centered only on whether additional investment is needed. Current decisions concern how new and existing revenue will be allocated, how agencies will coordinate, which projects will receive priority, how local communities will participate, and whether investments produce measurable improvements in safety, reliability, accessibility, economic activity, and system condition.
Sources:
State of Illinois — Northern Illinois Transit Authority Officially Launches
State of Illinois — Governor Signs the Northern Illinois Transit Authority Act
NITA — First Board Meeting, Agency Leadership and Reduced-Fare Expansion
IDOT — FY2026–FY2031 Highway and Multimodal Improvement Program
Published July 15, 2025, before enactment of the Northern Illinois Transit Authority Act, this podcast reviewed the threatened northeastern Illinois transit fiscal cliff and the unfinished legislative debate over governance reform, funding, and statewide public-transit investment. It now provides background for understanding the policy conditions that led to Senate Bill 2111 and the creation of NITA.
Listen to the Illinois Capitol Group podcast review
Podcast analysis reflects the information and legislative status existing on its publication date.
Illinois has moved from debating a public-transit fiscal crisis to implementing a new regional governance, funding, and accountability system. The Northern Illinois Transit Authority Act—Senate Bill 2111, enacted as Public Act 104-0457—was signed in December 2025 and took effect June 1, 2026.
The legislation replaced the Regional Transportation Authority with the Northern Illinois Transit Authority, or NITA. The new authority officially launched on September 1, 2026, and oversees regional planning, funding, capital programming, fare coordination, and performance standards involving the Chicago Transit Authority, Metra, and Pace.
CTA, Metra, and Pace continue to operate their respective transit services. Their responsibilities include running buses and trains, employing operating personnel, maintaining equipment and facilities, and managing daily service.
NITA has broader regional responsibilities, including:
Developing regional operating and capital budgets
Allocating state and regional transit funding
Establishing service and performance standards
Coordinating routes, schedules, and transfers
Developing an integrated regional fare-collection system
Evaluating and overseeing major capital investments
Supporting transit-oriented development and community planning
Coordinating accessibility, safety, and rider-assistance initiatives
Monitoring the performance and financial condition of the transit system
Cross-membership between the NITA Board and the CTA, Metra, and Pace boards is intended to improve coordination among institutions that previously maintained separate planning and governance structures.
At its first meeting on September 10, 2026, the NITA Board elected Tom Kotarac as chair, named Jamie Rhee interim executive director, and authorized a national search for permanent executive leadership. These initial actions established operational leadership, but development of the new authority’s long-term organizational, budgeting, and oversight practices remains underway.
The NITA Act provides approximately $1.5 billion annually for public transit operations and infrastructure across Illinois. The principal funding components include:
Approximately $860 million annually from redirecting part of the existing state sales tax on gasoline, with 85 percent allocated to NITA and 15 percent to downstate transit
Approximately $478 million annually from authority to increase the regional sales tax by 0.25 percentage points within the six-county NITA region
Approximately $200 million during the first year from interest earned by the Road Fund and State Construction Account Fund, with 90 percent directed to northeastern Illinois transit capital needs and 10 percent directed downstate
The amount generated from Road Fund and State Construction Account Fund interest is expected to decline as account balances are spent. It should therefore not be treated as a permanently fixed annual revenue source.
NITA separately reports that the law provides more than $1.2 billion in new annual operating support for CTA, Metra, and Pace. This funding prevented the major service reductions and fare increases that had been projected as federal pandemic-relief funding expired.
The legislation also increased support for downstate transit operations and capital projects. Among other changes, it reduced the local cost-share requirement for certain downstate transit investments from 35 percent to 20 percent. Although NITA’s governance responsibilities principally concern northeastern Illinois, the broader funding package has statewide implications.
The law directs NITA to develop a unified regional fare-collection system by 2030. That process is intended to make transfers and payment across CTA, Metra, and Pace more consistent, but it will require coordination of technology, fare policies, revenue allocation, customer information, and the different operating structures of the three systems.
Early service improvements supported by the new funding have included expansion of CTA’s Frequent Bus Network, additional Pace weekend service, and increased frequency on Metra’s Rock Island and Metra Electric lines.
NITA has also expanded the Access Pilot Program. Beginning October 1, 2026, qualifying Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients will be eligible for reduced fares on CTA and Pace as well as Metra, creating a regionwide income-based reduced-fare program.
Additional implementation decisions will address:
How regional fares and transfer policies will be structured
How fare revenue will be distributed among operating agencies
Which service-frequency and reliability standards will apply
How routes and schedules will be coordinated across systems
How accessibility improvements will be prioritized
How NITA will measure whether new funding increases ridership or improves rider experience
The new law connects regional oversight with expanded performance and financial-accountability requirements. NITA is expected to begin implementing service and performance standards in 2028, with a transition toward performance-based funding allocations.
Accountability provisions include:
Independent performance audits by the Illinois Auditor General every five years
A chief internal auditor responsible for continuing compliance review
Regional performance and service standards
Oversight of operating and capital budgets
Greater coordination of procurement, planning, and capital investment
Revised farebox-recovery requirements
The statutory farebox-recovery ratio—the share of eligible operating expenses expected to be supported by passenger fares—is set at 25 percent for 2026 through 2028 and 20 percent beginning in 2029. The lower requirement recognizes changes in ridership and commuting patterns while reducing pressure to address operating needs principally through fare increases.
The effectiveness of these measures will depend on the quality and transparency of the performance metrics, the consequences attached to unmet standards, and the ability to distinguish conditions within an agency’s control from external factors affecting ridership or service.
Operating support keeps buses and trains running, while capital funding pays for vehicles, stations, tracks, signals, accessibility improvements, technology, maintenance facilities, and other long-term assets.
The 2026–2030 regional capital program contains approximately $9.25 billion in planned investment. Major priorities include:
Returning aging assets to a state of good repair
Replacing or rehabilitating railcars, buses, bridges, tracks, and stations
Improving station and vehicle accessibility
Modernizing signals, communications, and fare technology
Transitioning portions of the CTA and Pace fleets and facilities toward zero-emission operations
Advancing projects such as the CTA Red Line Extension
Supporting limited system expansions and service improvements
Significant unmet needs remain. NITA estimates that the region has approximately $44.6 billion in capital needs over ten years and would require substantially greater annual investment over an extended period to bring the system fully into a state of good repair.
The distinction between operating and capital funding is therefore important. Resolving the immediate operating deficit does not eliminate the need to finance replacement of aging infrastructure or complete major accessibility and modernization projects.
The NITA Act establishes several safety initiatives intended to coordinate law enforcement, transit personnel, and human-services responses. These include:
A law-enforcement task force led by the Cook County Sheriff
A Coordinated Response Safety Council involving law-enforcement and social-service representatives
An unarmed transit-ambassador program scheduled for implementation in 2027
Technology allowing riders to report safety concerns
Additional coordination of crisis intervention and behavioral-health responses
These initiatives recognize that transit incidents may require different responses depending on whether they involve violent crime, medical emergencies, behavioral-health needs, service disruptions, or riders seeking assistance. Their implementation will require clear responsibilities, information-sharing procedures, workforce training, sustainable funding, and measurable safety outcomes.
The NITA Act also included the People Over Parking Act, which took effect June 1, 2026. The law generally prevents municipalities from imposing minimum automobile-parking requirements on new development located within one-half mile of a designated public-transportation hub or one-eighth mile of a qualifying public-transportation corridor.
NITA, CTA, Metra, Pace, and the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning have developed a mapping tool to help municipalities, property owners, and developers determine where the law applies.
The provision connects transit policy with housing, economic development, and local land use. Removing a parking mandate does not prevent a developer from providing parking, but it changes who determines the appropriate amount. Implementation questions may involve:
Whether a property falls within a covered transit area
How municipalities revise zoning codes and development applications
How developments address market demand for parking
Whether reduced parking requirements improve project feasibility
How bicycle, pedestrian, accessibility, and curb-management needs are addressed
How new development affects surrounding neighborhoods and transit demand
The NITA Act establishes a framework, but many outcomes will depend on future administrative and budget decisions. Important issues include:
Development of NITA’s permanent leadership and organizational capacity
Adoption of the first fully integrated regional operating and capital budgets
Creation and enforcement of performance-based funding standards
Implementation of unified fare collection by 2030
Coordination of routes, schedules, and transfers
Allocation of capital resources among maintenance, accessibility, modernization, and expansion
Implementation of safety and transit-ambassador programs
Distribution and use of downstate transit funding
Municipal implementation of the People Over Parking Act
Long-term replacement of declining interest-based capital revenue
Transparency in measuring service, financial, safety, and ridership outcomes
The legislation avoided immediate service reductions and established a more durable operating-funding structure. Its longer-term significance, however, will depend on whether the new governance system produces better regional coordination, more reliable service, transparent capital priorities, improved accessibility and safety, and demonstrable value for riders and taxpayers.
Illinois infrastructure investment operates through several overlapping plans, budgets, revenue sources, and project schedules. Rebuild Illinois, enacted in 2019, established a $44.8 billion statewide capital program, including approximately $33.2 billion for transportation. It continues to provide the statutory and financial foundation for investments in roads, bridges, transit, rail, aviation, ports, waterways, and bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure.
The Illinois Department of Transportation’s current Fiscal Year 2026–2031 Highway and Multimodal Improvement Program is the principal six-year transportation project plan. Announced in October 2025, the program identifies approximately $50.6 billion in planned investment across all 102 counties:
$32.5 billion for state and local roads and bridges;
$13.8 billion for public transit;
$2.9 billion for freight and passenger rail;
$1.2 billion for aviation; and
$200 million for ports and waterways.
The six-year program builds upon Rebuild Illinois while also incorporating recurring state revenues, federal transportation funds, local participation, and other available resources. Because these programs and funding periods overlap, their headline totals should not be added together as separate pools of new funding.
Approximately $5.5 billion of the FY2026–2031 program was identified for highway improvements during its first fiscal year. Across the six-year period, IDOT anticipates building or improving more than 7,100 lane miles and approximately 8.4 million square feet of bridge deck on the state system.
The program also identifies approximately $6.8 billion for locally administered improvements covering more than 1,650 lane miles and 1.3 million square feet of bridge deck. State and local agencies must still move individual projects through applicable planning, design, environmental review, land acquisition, procurement, and construction requirements.
The current program includes $400 million from a special legislative appropriation for 223 locally identified projects, with additional consideration given to disadvantaged or economically distressed communities. The awards include road and bridge work, bicycle and pedestrian improvements, transit projects, and port investments.
Local governments may receive infrastructure support through several different mechanisms, including formula distributions, state or federal grants, legislative appropriations, and participation in projects administered by IDOT. Each funding source may carry different eligibility rules, matching requirements, deadlines, and reporting obligations.
A project’s appearance in a multiyear program reflects the state’s current plan and anticipated resources; it does not necessarily mean that all funding has been obligated, a construction contract has been awarded, or work will occur on the originally projected schedule.
Annual capital appropriations provide legal authority to spend, while IDOT’s annual highway program and letting schedules identify work moving closer to implementation. Appropriations may also be reauthorized across fiscal years for projects that remain in design or construction. Project schedules can change because of engineering, environmental, right-of-way, procurement, funding, or coordination issues.
Organizations evaluating a particular project should therefore review:
Whether the project appears in the current multiyear program;
Whether work is anticipated in IDOT’s Two-Year Look Ahead;
The project’s phase, estimated cost, and responsible agency;
Whether funding has been appropriated, obligated, or awarded;
Applicable local matching or intergovernmental requirements; and
Subsequent letting, construction, and expenditure information.
The Illinois Tollway operates a separate, user-funded roadway system and capital program. In August 2026, its Board of Directors approved Driving Connections, a $26.5 billion program scheduled from 2027 through 2042.
The program includes reconstruction and modernization across the Tollway’s five roadways, interchange and access improvements, congestion-reduction projects, technology and maintenance-facility investments, and partnerships with state and local agencies. It is primarily supported by toll revenue and revenue bonds rather than state or federal tax dollars.
New passenger and commercial vehicle toll rates are scheduled to take effect January 1, 2027. For I-PASS passenger vehicles, the most common mainline toll will increase by 45 cents. Beginning in 2029, toll rates are scheduled to be adjusted every two years based on inflation.
Because Tollway projects may intersect with IDOT, airport, municipal, and regional transportation initiatives, implementation will require continued attention to agency coordination, project sequencing, financing, and community impacts.
Key implementation questions include:
Whether available revenues keep pace with construction costs and system needs;
How preservation and modernization are balanced against capacity expansion;
The timing of federal funding awards and required state or local matches;
Whether projects advance according to published schedules;
How funding is distributed among regions, modes, and state and local systems;
Opportunities for local governments to prepare projects and compete for grants;
Workforce, procurement, and disadvantaged-business participation requirements; and
The effect of toll and fee changes on transportation users and project financing.
Illinois transportation projects may originate with IDOT, a transit agency, a county or municipality, a metropolitan planning organization, another public agency, or—in certain programs—a competitive grant applicant. A project generally must advance through multiple stages before construction:
Identification of the transportation need;
Preliminary planning and feasibility analysis;
Inclusion in an applicable state, regional, or local plan;
Identification of an eligible funding source;
Engineering and environmental review;
Acquisition of necessary property or easements;
Execution of intergovernmental or funding agreements;
Procurement and contract award;
Construction, reimbursement, and project closeout; and
Continuing operation and maintenance.
The responsible agency, approval process, funding requirements, and schedule depend upon the transportation mode, ownership of the facility, and whether state, federal, local, or user-generated revenue supports the project.
IDOT directs most available highway funding toward maintaining and improving the existing system. Preservation projects can include resurfacing, reconstruction, bridge repair, safety improvements, drainage work, and replacement of aging assets.
Capacity projects expand or materially change the transportation system. Examples can include adding highway lanes, constructing a new roadway or interchange, expanding an intersection, or making another improvement intended to accommodate additional traffic or development.
Because preservation and capacity projects address different needs, they do not necessarily proceed through the same prioritization process. Preservation decisions are informed substantially by asset condition, safety, system performance, available funding, and the timing of needed repairs.
Public Act 102-0573 directed IDOT to develop a transparent and data-informed process for evaluating capacity projects. IDOT’s Data-Driven Decisions methodology assesses proposed projects across five principal goal areas:
Traffic operations and congestion;
Safety needs;
Economic development;
Environmental impacts and community livability;
Regional priorities.
The methodology considers measures such as traffic volume, travel-time reliability, serious crashes, freight-network connections, anticipated development, access to intermodal facilities, equity, environmental review, emissions, resiliency, and each project’s regional ranking.
Safety receives the greatest individual weight in the current methodology. Traffic operations, economic development, and environmental or livability considerations also contribute substantially to the final project-value score, with regional priorities providing an additional factor.
IDOT evaluated 27 capacity projects in 2025 for possible inclusion in the FY2026–2031 Highway Improvement Program. A project’s score informs the department’s comparison of proposed investments, but selection also remains subject to available funding, project readiness, statutory requirements, and other planning considerations.
Transportation funding may come from motor-fuel taxes, vehicle-registration revenue, state capital appropriations, federal formula programs, competitive state or federal grants, local revenue, transit or toll revenue, and agreements among multiple agencies.
For local governments, securing an award or legislative appropriation is often only one part of the process. Before applying for or accepting funding, a local sponsor should evaluate:
Sponsor and project eligibility;
Required local matching funds;
Preliminary-engineering and application expenses;
Environmental and historic-preservation requirements;
Property acquisition and utility-relocation needs;
Whether expenses incurred before authorization are reimbursable;
Applicable procurement and disadvantaged-business requirements;
Cash-flow needs under a reimbursement-based program;
Project deadlines and sunset provisions; and
Responsibility for future operations and maintenance.
A strong application generally requires more than a project concept. Local sponsors may need an adopted resolution, documented financial commitment, reliable cost estimate, location map, public support, preliminary design work, and coordination with IDOT, the appropriate metropolitan planning organization, and affected jurisdictions.
As of September 2026, IDOT is accepting applications for Cycle 17 of the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program. The cycle makes approximately $157 million available for eligible bicycle and pedestrian facilities, trails, streetscapes, historic transportation facilities, and certain environmental-mitigation projects.
Applications are due October 5, 2026. The program provides up to $5 million per project and offers up to $1.25 million in state assistance toward the required sponsor match.
Eligible sponsors must be recognized as local public agencies, possess an active federal Unique Entity Identifier, demonstrate their financial commitment, and assume responsibility for project implementation and long-term maintenance. Work performed before an executed agreement or formal notice to proceed generally is not reimbursable.
Locally administered projects remain subject to the requirements attached to their funding. Depending on the program, the local public agency may be responsible for engineering, project supervision, documentation, contract administration, materials testing, change orders, reimbursement requests, final acceptance, and financial closeout.
For projects involving federal funding, IDOT retains oversight responsibilities and federal requirements may apply even when the project is locally sponsored. Delays can arise from incomplete engineering, environmental review, right-of-way acquisition, utility coordination, agreements, procurement, cost increases, or an unavailable local match.
An announced award therefore should be distinguished from an executed agreement, an obligation of funds, a construction letting, a contract award, and completed expenditures. Each represents a different point in the implementation process.
Several IDOT resources can be used together to assess a project’s status:
The FY2026–2031 Highway and Multimodal Improvement Program identifies projects contemplated during the six-year planning period.
The MYP Specialized Breakout Table permits searches of highway and multimodal project listings and includes county, legislative-district, local-funding, and subject-specific information.
The Two-Year Look Ahead identifies projects IDOT currently anticipates putting out for contract during the next two years, although schedules remain subject to change.
The Annual Highway Improvement Program provides a more detailed list of current-year highway work organized by district and phase.
IDOT’s interactive maps provide geographic views of highway and multimodal projects.
The Transportation Bulletin and related procurement notices identify projects and professional services moving into solicitation, bidding, or award.
IDOT’s project and accomplishment dashboards can help distinguish planned work from completed improvements.
For a complete assessment, organizations should confirm information with the responsible agency because public project lists may not reflect every subsequent schedule, scope, cost, or funding change.
Illinois’s transportation system extends well beyond highways and urban transit. Freight railroads, intercity passenger rail, airports, ports, waterways, trails, sidewalks, and bicycle facilities connect communities and support agriculture, manufacturing, commerce, tourism, employment, and access to essential services.
These modes frequently depend upon shared infrastructure and coordinated investment. A port project may require improved rail or truck access; passenger and freight trains may use the same corridors; airport development can generate roadway needs; and pedestrian or bicycle improvements can strengthen connections to transit, schools, employment, and commercial districts.
Illinois occupies a central position in the national freight system. All six Class I railroads operate in the state, approximately one in four freight trains nationally travels through Illinois, and the state contains more than 10,000 miles of railroad track and 1,100 miles of commercially navigable waterways.
The 2023 Illinois State Freight Plan provides the principal policy framework for improving freight safety, reliability, resiliency, system condition, truck parking, and connections among highways, railroads, airports, ports, and distribution facilities.
IDOT also administers the Illinois Competitive Freight Program to direct federal freight funds toward projects aligned with the state plan. The 2026 program made $100 million available across FY2027 and FY2028 for internally submitted IDOT projects. That application period is closed. Its scoring framework considered safety, reliability, system enhancements, operational needs, truck parking, and intermodal connectivity.
Freight projects often require coordination among IDOT, local governments, railroads, port districts, federal agencies, and private businesses. Implementation questions can include public and private cost sharing, property acquisition, grade-crossing impacts, truck routes, community effects, and whether an improvement primarily benefits a local facility, a regional corridor, or the national freight network.
The Chicago region is the nation’s largest rail hub and also one of its most complex. Freight, Metra, and Amtrak trains share and cross numerous rail corridors, producing operational conflicts that can affect both regional commuters and interstate commerce.
The Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency Program, commonly known as CREATE, is a long-term partnership among the federal government, State of Illinois, Cook County, City of Chicago, Metra, Amtrak, and the freight railroads. Its projects include rail flyovers, track and signal improvements, viaduct work, and highway-rail grade separations intended to increase capacity, improve reliability, reduce delays, and enhance community safety.
Individual CREATE projects remain in different stages of planning, design, procurement, construction, and completion. Accordingly, the overall program should not be treated as a single project with one uniform funding or completion date.
Illinois supports state-sponsored Amtrak service and continues to study, improve, or develop passenger-rail corridors. The 2023 Illinois State Rail Plan addresses both passenger and freight needs and provides a framework for future investments, safety improvements, service development, and coordination with private railroad owners.
One major project is the planned restoration of intercity passenger service between Chicago and Rockford, with intermediate stops planned in Elgin and Belvidere. The State committed $275 million through Rebuild Illinois, selected Metra as the intended operator, and anticipates construction of required improvements during 2026 and 2027. Passenger service is currently anticipated by the end of 2027, although the schedule remains subject to project delivery, agreements, construction, and operational readiness.
Illinois is also continuing broader passenger-rail planning through IDOT and the Illinois High-Speed Railway Commission. Potential corridor improvements and service expansions require coordination among the State, Amtrak, Metra, host freight railroads, local governments, federal agencies, and station communities. Capital funding alone does not resolve questions involving operating support, track access, equipment, schedules, stations, or long-term governance.
Illinois’s aviation system includes major commercial airports, regional facilities, general-aviation airports, and airports supporting freight, emergency services, agriculture, business development, and other public purposes.
IDOT’s Illinois Aviation System Plan and Economic Impact Analysis guide the allocation of state and federal aviation resources. The current planning materials are supplemented by airport inventories, pavement-condition surveys, and the Annual Proposed Airport Improvement Program.
For FY2027, IDOT’s airport program identifies projects at airports throughout Illinois. Projects are evaluated according to identified needs and the Federal Aviation Administration’s National Priority Rating system, with priorities generally proceeding from safety and preservation to standards, upgrades, and additional capacity.
An airport project’s inclusion in the annual program does not necessarily represent all identified needs or guarantee implementation on a particular schedule. Local airport sponsors may still need to secure matching funds, complete environmental and engineering requirements, obtain federal and state approvals, and coordinate procurement and construction.
Illinois is also studying emerging aviation issues, including advanced air mobility and highly automated aircraft. Those technologies may create future questions involving infrastructure, land use, safety, regulation, workforce development, and integration with existing airports and transportation networks.
The Illinois Marine Transportation System connects the state to the Great Lakes and Atlantic Ocean through the St. Lawrence Seaway and to the Gulf of Mexico through the Mississippi River system. Illinois has five commercially navigable waterways, Lake Michigan access, 27 locks and dams, and 19 public port districts.
Public port districts are special-purpose units of local government created to facilitate transportation, commerce, and economic development. Their projects may involve docks, terminals, storage facilities, rail or roadway access, cargo-handling equipment, security, and other supporting infrastructure.
The Illinois Marine Transportation System Plan and the Port Facilities Capital Investment Grant Program provide frameworks for state involvement. Port projects may also rely on federal grants, local contributions, private investment, or partnerships with railroads and other transportation providers.
Successful implementation can depend upon more than construction funding. Navigational conditions, federal lock and dam investments, dredging, access roads, rail connections, environmental review, local governance, and private shipping demand can all affect whether a project produces its intended economic benefits.
IDOT’s new Walk.Roll.Illinois Active Transportation Plan provides a statewide framework for improving travel by walking, bicycling, and mobility device. It replaces the narrower focus of the previous statewide bicycle plan with a more comprehensive approach to safety, accessibility, equity, connectivity, public health, economic vitality, and community livability.
The initiative includes:
A statewide active-transportation plan;
A local implementation guide;
Quick-start resources addressing funding, implementation, and public involvement;
Analyses of transportation demand, equity, health, and existing conditions; and
An interactive map displaying demand, crash, equity, trail, and bicycle-facility information.
These resources can help communities identify needs, develop locally supported plans, evaluate potential benefits, and prepare projects for programs such as the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program.
Active-transportation improvements should be considered as part of a connected transportation network rather than only as recreational amenities. Sidewalks, trails, crossings, bicycle facilities, accessibility improvements, and connections to transit can affect access to employment, education, health care, businesses, and other daily destinations.
Important statewide implementation questions include:
Allocation of funding among highways and other transportation modes;
Completion and performance of previously awarded freight projects;
Passenger-rail construction schedules and continuing operating support;
Progress on CREATE and other projects involving multiple public and private partners;
Federal rail, aviation, port, and active-transportation funding;
Maintenance responsibilities after new infrastructure is constructed;
Connections among ports, airports, railroads, highways, and local development;
Safety at highway-rail crossings and for pedestrians, bicyclists, and mobility-device users;
Project impacts on nearby communities and disadvantaged populations; and
Whether planning tools translate into funded and completed projects.
The following official resources provide current information about Illinois transportation planning, funding, projects, grants, agency actions, and procurement. Program availability, project schedules, appropriations, and application deadlines may change.
IDOT — Highway and Multimodal Multi-Year Program — Current six-year transportation program, district fact sheets, maps, and the Two-Year Look Ahead.
IDOT — Project Listings and Specialized Breakouts — Searchable and downloadable highway, multimodal, county, legislative-district, and local-funding project lists.
IDOT — Annual Highway Improvement Program — Current-year highway projects organized by district and phase of work.
Getting Around Illinois — Interactive maps covering projects, construction, road conditions, restrictions, and other traveler information.
IDOT — Rebuild Illinois Capital Program — Program background, grant information, project maps, and accomplishment dashboards.
Illinois Office of Management and Budget — Current enacted appropriations, proposed capital budgets, project lists, and fiscal documents.
Illinois General Assembly — Legislation, public acts, committee materials, and legislative histories affecting infrastructure policy.
Northern Illinois Transit Authority — Regional transit governance, budgets, capital planning, performance information, community programs, and implementation of the NITA Act.
IDOT — Statewide Transit Programs and Next Move Illinois — Downstate and statewide transit planning, performance, service needs, capital condition, and development of the next statewide public-transportation plan.
Chicago Transit Authority — CTA service, capital projects, board materials, procurement, and financial information.
Metra — Commuter-rail service, capital plans, board materials, projects, and procurement.
Pace Suburban Bus — Suburban bus and paratransit service, planning, projects, board materials, and procurement.
Illinois Tollway — Driving Connections — The Tollway’s 2027–2042 capital program, project priorities, and related toll-rate information.
IDOT — Rail and Freight — State rail and freight plans, passenger-rail initiatives, freight programs, and rail-safety resources.
IDOT — Illinois Competitive Freight Program — Current and prior program information, scoring tools, awards, and annual implementation reports.
CREATE Program — Chicago-region freight and passenger-rail improvement projects, project status, public engagement, and contracting opportunities.
Chicago-to-Rockford Passenger Rail — Project schedule, maps, public materials, and updates on the planned restoration of service.
IDOT — Aviation Projects and Planning — State aviation planning, airport inventories, pavement conditions, studies, and program information.
IDOT — Annual Airport Improvement Program — Current and prior annual airport project lists.
IDOT — Illinois Marine Transportation Programs — Port, waterway, marine-planning, funding, and transportation data.
IDOT — Walk.Roll.Illinois Active Transportation Plan — Statewide policy, local implementation guidance, planning analyses, and mapping tools for walking, bicycling, and mobility-device infrastructure.
IDOT — Trails and Active Transportation — Active-transportation programs, plans, funding, and partner resources.
IDOT — Local Public Agency Project Resources — Requirements for locally administered projects, reimbursement, documentation, construction, and closeout.
IDOT — Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program — Application materials, eligibility, awards, matching assistance, and implementation requirements.
IDOT — Grants and Funding — State transportation grant and funding-program information.
IDOT — Procurement Opportunities — Construction, professional-services, land-acquisition, and transportation bulletins.
Chief Procurement Office — Transportation — Official solicitations, awards, change orders, alternative-delivery procurements, and related contracting information.
IDOT — Prequalification and Registration — Registration and prequalification requirements for contractors, subcontractors, consultants, and other transportation vendors.
U.S. Department of Transportation — Grants — Federal transportation grant programs and funding notices.
Federal Highway Administration — Illinois Division — Federal-aid highway policy, oversight, and Illinois program information.
Federal Transit Administration — Grant Programs — Federal transit formula and competitive funding programs.
Federal Railroad Administration — Grants and Loans — Passenger-rail, freight-rail, grade-crossing, and rail-safety funding.
Federal Aviation Administration — Airport Improvement Program — Federal airport capital-funding requirements and resources.
The materials below are retained as a recent historical record of Illinois infrastructure plans, budgets, and policy debates. They reflect the information, funding estimates, project schedules, and legislative status existing when published.
More recent laws, budgets, agency plans, or project decisions may have superseded portions of these materials. They should be used for background and comparison rather than as current implementation guidance.
Illinois Capitol Group — $1 Billion Mass Transit Fiscal Cliff Review — July 15, 2025 podcast analysis of the transit-funding and governance debate before enactment of the Northern Illinois Transit Authority Act. This item may also remain in the Featured ICG Analysis section above.
Streetsblog Chicago — State Sen. Ram Villivalam on Addressing the Transit Fiscal Cliff — July 24, 2025 interview discussing the unsuccessful spring legislation and the case for combining operating support with system improvements.
RTA — Transit Is the Answer — The former Regional Transportation Authority’s 2023 strategic plan addressing funding, service, accessibility, regional coordination, and other priorities.
RTA — 2025 State Legislative Agenda — The former RTA’s pre-enactment description of the projected operating deficit, proposed funding level, and requested governance reforms.
RTA — 2026 Regional Transit Budget — Budget materials developed while the former governance and funding structure remained in place.
These sources document the conditions and competing proposals that preceded Senate Bill 2111 and the September 2026 launch of NITA.
IDOT — FY2024–2029 Highway Improvement Program — Earlier six-year highway plan previously summarized on this page.
IDOT — FY2024–2029 Multimodal Improvement Program — Earlier transit, rail, aviation, port, and active-transportation program.
State of Illinois — FY2025 Proposed Capital Budget — The February 2024 capital proposal and the Rebuild Illinois implementation information formerly summarized on this page.
These earlier plans remain useful for comparing project schedules, funding estimates, and stated priorities over time. A project appearing in an older plan may have been completed, delayed, modified, transferred to a later program, or removed.
IDOT — Rebuild Illinois Capital Program — Background and accomplishment information concerning the capital program enacted in 2019.
Illinois General Assembly — Public Act 102-0573 — The 2021 law that established requirements for a more transparent and data-informed transportation project-selection process.
IDOT — Data-Driven Decisions Methodology — The methodology developed following Public Act 102-0573. Although historically significant, IDOT may revise the methodology as its performance-based programming practices develop.
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