SPRINGFIELD, IL –State Senator Maggie Crotty (D – Oak Forest) has been awarded the “Legislator of the Year” honor from the Illinois Public Transportation Association (IPTA). 
The IPTA is a statewide organization that supports public transportation, such as buses and trains.  The Association works with state government and its members to help craft legislation in support of public transportation.

 “It is very gratifying to receive this award from the IPTA.  I have worked with this organization closely this year and to be recognized in this fashion is truly an honor,” Senator Crotty said.

The IPTA singled out Senator Crotty’s work on House Bill 1884.  That legislation, signed into law earlier this month, began a five-year pilot program that will allow mass transit buses to drive on road shoulders should traffic slow to under 35 miles per hour.  The legislation is an initiative of the RTA, Pace and IDOT.

Under the legislation, mass transit buses who encounter traffic that has slowed to under 35 miles per hour would be allowed to drive on the shoulder, should conditions warrant.  Mass transit buses that are driving on the shoulder would be restricted to a maximum speed of 35 miles an hour.

The legislation restricts the area where mass transit may drive on the shoulder to Interstate 55/Stevenson Expressway from roughly between Kedzie Avenue and Interstate 355.

“With this bill, we are doing what we can at the state level to ease traffic on I-55 and encourage the use of mass transit in that corridor.  It is thanks to the efforts of the IPTA that we got this bill passed,” Senator Crotty said.