Milwaukee Avenue Rapid Delivery 

Approach — Chicago, Illinois 

VISION ZERO SUCCESS STORY — PLANNING, IMPLEMENTATION, & EVALUATION

APRIL 2020 | FHWA-SA-20-007

Background 

Chicago’s Vision Zero Action Plan1 identified 43 

High Crash Corridors, which are corridors where 

a disproportionately high number of people have 

been killed or severely injured in traffic crashes. 

The Chicago Department of Transportation 

(CDOT) adopted a Rapid Delivery approach to 

provide a better response to the community and 

quickly address road safety concerns for specific 

corridors. This approach uses low-cost, rapidly 

implemented countermeasures including new 

street markings, signage, colored pavement 

treatments, and flexible delineators. 

In 2017, CDOT piloted the implementation of 

the Rapid Delivery approach on the Milwaukee 

Avenue High Crash corridor, a 1.5-mile segment 

between Western Avenue and Division Street2. 

This project was designed to enhance the 

safety of the corridor for people walking, biking, 

riding transit, and driving. Based on crash data 

collected from 2010 to 2014, there were 1,097 

reported crashes. People walking and biking 

accounted for 20 percent of all crashes, however 

these more vulnerable users represented 66 

percent of the injury crashes and 68 percent of 

the serious injury crashes in the corridor.

1 http://visionzerochicago.org/

2 https://visionzerochicago.org/2019/03/29/evaluation-of-milwaukee-ave-rapid-delivery-project/

Key Successes

The pilot deployment of the Rapid Delivery 

approach allowed CDOT to test ideas, gain 

involvement and support, and see results 

quickly. The Milwaukee Avenue pilot resulted 

in the following outcomes:

Safer Biking:

52% - fewer people biking in 

the door zone.

37% - fewer people driving in bike lanes.

Safer Access to the 606 Recreational Trail:

74% - fewer people biking against traffic 

to access the 606 recreational trail.

Safer Intersections:

42% - fewer people failing to stop for 

pedestrians in uncontrolled crosswalks.

60% - more people crossing at two new 

crosswalks during the afternoon rush hour.

Safer Speeds:

43% - fewer people driving at > 30 mph.

16% - more people driving at < 20 mph.

Crash Data (2016 vs 2018):

23% - reduction in crashes involving 

people biking. 

16%- reduction in crashes for all modes.
Implementation

The Milwaukee Avenue pilot project was planned, 

designed, and installed in six months. The project 

goals included providing:

• More space for people biking.

• More comfortable access to the 606, a 

recreational trail and park built on a 

previously abandoned elevated rail line.

• A reduction in crossing distances and visibility 

improvements for people walking.

• A reduction in high-end motorist speeds.

CDOT used the following design elements to 

improve street safety on Milwaukee Avenue:

• Lower Posted Speed Limit – A lower posted 

speed limit of 20 mph was established along 

Milwaukee Avenue.

• Dashed Bike Lanes – Dashed bike lanes were 

used where the roadway was too narrow for 

a dedicated bike lane. The dashed bike lane 

provided clearer delineation while allowing 

larger vehicles to occupy the bike lane, only 

when necessary. Dashed bike lanes are 

currently an experimental treatment under the 

Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices3. 

3 https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/bicycle_pedestrian/

guidance/mutcd/dashed_bike_lanes.cfm

• Bike Boxes – Green bike boxes provided a 

space for bicyclists to wait safely at a traffic 

signal. The bike boxes were placed in front of 

the vehicle stop bar, making bicyclists more 

visible to drivers by giving them a head start. 

• Paint and Post Bump-outs – Pavement markings 

and flex posts designated space for pedestrian 

use. They reduced crossing distances, slowed 

vehicular turning speeds, increased pedestrian 

visibility, and prevented illegal parking near 

crosswalks. 

• Slip Lane Closures – Closure of right-turn

slip lanes with low vehicle volumes reduced 

conflict points at complex intersections and 

created additional space for pedestrians to 

congregate while waiting for a signal.

Funding

The project cost approximately $235,000. The 

City funded the project through the Divvy bike 

share program. The City’s High Crash Corridors 

Framework Plan4 indicates Divvy funds are best 

used to fund Rapid Delivery projects installed 

by in-house crews or through existing CDOT 

contracts.

4 https://visionzerochicago.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/

VZ_HCC_FrameworkPlan_2018-06-15.pdf

POINT OF CONTACT

DAVID SMITH

BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN PROGRAM MANAGER

CITY OF CHICAGO

312.742.7621 | DAVID.SMITH3@CITYOFCHICAGO.ORG

Figure 1. Graphic. Example of dashed bike lane on Milwaukee Avenue. Dashed bike lane positions 

motorists closer to the center line and provides more space for people on bikes.

Figure 2. Graphic. Paint and post bump-outs, reduce crossing distances, improve pedestrian visibility, 

and prevent illegal parking in crosswalks.

© 2019 Chicago DOT.