Normal and Illinois State plan seven "quick-build" pilot projects after safety review finds elevated pedestrian crash rates

Town of Normal staff and Illinois State University officials presented an update on the Pedestrian Roadway Campus Safety Initiative, telling the council they have completed Phase 1—analysis of existing conditions and an initial public engagement—and plan to install about seven temporary "quick-build" pilot safety projects the week after Labor Day.

Ryan Otto, public works and engineering director for the Town of Normal, said the project is funded in part by a state planning and research grant from the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) awarded in 2023 and that the full project budget is $450,000. "We're using data and innovative traffic solutions to advance pedestrian safety and work towards implementing safety solutions for the entire campus area," Otto said.

Otto said data and public feedback show elevated crash rates for vulnerable users in the campus area: pedestrian and bicycle crashes account for a higher crash-rate percentage in the campus study area (about 6%) compared with McLean…