Sen. Bill Cunningham Secures $3M IDOT Grant For Sidewalk Enhancement At Hazelgreen School

ALSIP – New sidewalks near Hazelgreen Elementary School in Alsip are about to be added to make passage to school safer, thanks to a $3 million grant secured by Sen. Bill Cunningham (18th District). The grant was awarded under the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program, administered by the Illinois Department of Transportation.

“Something as simple as an accessible sidewalk can provide peace of mind to parents who have kids going back a forth from school,” Cunningham said, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the southwest suburbs. “This is part of the village’s promise to keep kids safe, and I was glad to play a role in securing the funding.”

The project consists of completing accessible ramps and filling in sidewalk gaps to establish a viable sidewalk network where one currently does not exist near Hazlegreen at 117th Street and Lawler Avenue. The project is part of the Village of Alsip’s multi-year Safe Routes to Schools Sidewalk Project, which will create more safe passages throughout the village by having more sidewalks and bike paths to use.

“The village is extremely thankful for the support we receive from Sen. Bill Cunningham‘s office and especially the recognition IDOT has shown Alsip how much they share our concerns for the need to develop more Safe-Passage in our community, as many subdivisions still lack having typical sidewalks for pedestrians and for school children to get to school safely,” Alsip Mayor John Ryan said.

The grant is part of IDOT’s commitment to improving non-motorized transportation options and supporting local infrastructure development across Illinois.