What can nearly $140 million do to improve walking, biking, and trails in Illinois?
The answer is a lot!
Indeed, one of the many great features of walking and biking infrastructure is that a relatively small amount of funding goes a long way when compared to typical infrastructure projects for driving.
The Governor’s Office and Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) recently announced $139.2 million in funding for walking, biking, and trail projects through the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program (ITEP).
The ITEP grant represents our state’s most significant funding source for walking and biking improvements.
This year, 67 projects received funding out of 233 project applications.
Chicagoland represents 38 of those approved projects. As these projects get built, they will continue to connect our region’s trail, sidewalk, and bike network.
This fund was made possible as a direct result of a statewide campaign in 2019 led by the Active Transportation Alliance, supported by passionate advocates like you, who pushed for dedicated state funding for biking and walking infrastructure.
Congratulations to this year’s Chicagoland award recipients! Here’s a sample of funded projects:
- Alsip – Hazelgreen sidewalk improvements, $3M
- Berkeley – Taft Avenue Corridor Improvements, $2.3M
- Chicago – Ogden Avenue bike lanes and pedestrian improvements, $3M
- Des Plaines – Devon Avenue Sidepath, $1.2M
- Elgin – Kimball Street bridge, Fox River Trail Underpass, $3M
- Evanston – Chicago Avenue Multimodal Corridor Improvements, $3M
- Lemont – 131st Street Multi-Use Path, $568K
- Lincolnwood – Pratt Avenue Pedestrian/Bicycle Bridge, $3M
- Maywood – Illinois Prairie Path Improvements, $2.3M
- Forest Preserve District of Will County (Naperville and Bolingbrook) – DuPage River Greenway Trail, $1.6M
- Oak Forest – Natalie Creek Trail at 151st Street, $3M
- Park Forest – 26th Street Multi-Use Path, $2.4M
- Prospect Heights – Camp McDonald Road Sidewalks, $1.5M
- Summit – 74th Avenue Pedestrian Bridge, $2.4M
Thanks to everyone who helped push for these projects. The resulting projects would not have been possible without your advocacy.
It’s clear that more funding for this state program is needed. While 67 projects were approved this year, most of the applications for funding were rejected. In fact, 166 project applications totaling $244 million didn’t receive funding.
For a full list of this year’s awardees, visit IDOT’s ITEP webpage.
PLANNING FOR THE NEXT ROUND
If your community isn’t on the list this time, don’t worry — the next round of ITEP funding is around the corner, expected to open in August 2026. Now’s the perfect time to start preparing.
To help communities get ready, we partnered with IDOT and the Illinois Public Health Institute to host a three-part webinar series last year covering everything from project eligibility to application tips.
This year we also provided direct 1-on-1 application assistance to 10 communities looking to secure funding.
When we assist communities with their applications, we sometimes receive thank-you notes. Here’s one we recently received from Joshua Sage, the Executive Director of the Boone County Conservation District, which is located in North Central Illinois:
“Your commitment to reviewing our proposal and providing thoughtful, constructive feedback is very appreciated. Having the Active Transportation Alliance support our project is both encouraging and affirming; it reinforces the importance of the work we are doing to improve connectivity, accessibility, and quality of life in our region.”
To start preparing for 2026, you can view our ITEP webinar recordings and grant FAQs here.
You may also be interested in applying for Safe Routes to School (SRTS) funding, which is opening this summer, August 2025.
This program funds walking and biking infrastructure within 2 miles of an elementary, middle, or high school. More details about the SRTS grant and upcoming webinars are available here.