HB4759ham001 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Rep. Theresa Mah

Filed: 4/9/2026

10400HB4759ham001 LRB104 19857 LNS 35571 a

AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 4759

AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend House Bill 4759 by replacing everything after the enacting clause with the following:

"Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Green Light for Buses Act.

Section 5. Definitions. As used in this Act:

"Authority" means the Northern Illinois Transit Authority.

"Committee" means the Committee on Efficient Arterial Signal Infrastructure established under this Act.

"Department" means the Department of Transportation.

"Mass transit district" means any local mass transit district created pursuant to the Local Mass Transit District Act, any urban transportation district created pursuant to the Urban Transportation District Act, or any successor transit agency operating fixed-route public transportation service in the State.

"Person throughput" means the number of persons moved through a corridor in a given period of time across all travel modes, measured using available data and reasonable estimation methodologies.

"Queue jump" means a roadway treatment or signal phase that enables a bus to proceed through an intersection ahead of general traffic.

"Roadway" means a street, road, or highway under the jurisdiction of the Department or a unit of local government.

"Secretary" means the Secretary of Transportation.

"Service Board" means the Board of the Commuter Rail Division of the Authority, the Board of the Suburban Bus Division of the Authority, and the Board of the Chicago Transit Authority established pursuant to the Chicago Transit Authority Act.

"Traffic capacity" means the designed capacity for traffic volume on a roadway facility.

"Traffic volume" means the number of persons moved through a corridor in a given period of time, across all travel modes measured using available data and reasonable estimation methodologies.

"Transit-served intersection" means an intersection:

(1) through which 2 or more scheduled bus trips per hour per direction during weekday peak periods as defined by the Service Board or Mass Transit District operating such service; or

(2) within 1,500 feet of a passenger rail station or transit rail station and through which at least one scheduled bus route operates.

"Transit signal priority" or "TSP" means the operational strategies and associated equipment, software, communications, and timing changes that improve the movement of public transportation vehicles through signalized intersections.

"Vehicle traffic capacity" means the designed capacity for vehicle traffic volume on a roadway facility.

"Vehicle traffic volume" means the number of motor vehicles traveling through a corridor in a given period.

Section 10. Establishment of the Committee.

(a) The Committee on Efficient Arterial Signal Infrastructure shall be established to advise the Department on strategies and initiatives to improve public transit service efficiency and reliability through roadway and signalization infrastructure improvements in a metropolitan region.

(b) The Committee shall make recommendations to increase the person throughput of roadway corridors within a metropolitan region, and that maintain or reduce the vehicle traffic capacity of those same corridors.

(c) As needed, the Committee shall coordinate with the Interagency Coordinating Committee on Transit Innovation, Integration, and Reform.

(d) The Committee shall meet at the call of the Chair or Co-Chair, but not less than quarterly.

The Committee shall be subject to the Open Meetings Act and the Freedom of Information Act.

(e) The Department shall provide administrative support to the Committee.

Subject to appropriation and applicable procurement law, the Department may procure consulting assistance necessary to support the work of the Committee.

(f) The Committee shall, at a minimum:

(1) inventory and review controlled intersections, traffic signals, and on-board bus equipment along corridors where transit signal priority is operational, in advanced planning or engineering, and in a long range plan for implementation;

(2) develop strategies and recommendations to expand transit signal priority and related transit-supportive signal operations that increase traffic capacity and improve transit travel-time reliability;

(3) review the Evaluation Report for the Regional Transit Signal Priority Implementation Program as published in 2019 by the Regional Transportation Authority for updates, including:

(A) a map and description of where transit signal priority is operational, where queue jumps are operational, and where transit signal priority projects are currently in advanced planning or engineering;

(B) a review of technological, legal, and procedural impediments experienced while implementing current or planned transit signal priority projects;

(C) a review of performance measures used to evaluate TSP corridors, including impediments to adoption and collection of quantitative data; and

(D) recommendations for legal or procedural changes that would allow for signal optimization on corridors where transit signal priority is operational to achieve improved performance relative to the established performance measures;

(4) develop objectives and recommended approaches for providing technical assistance to units of local government and transit operators for implementation of the Committee's recommendations;

(5) estimate costs associated with procuring, installing, operating, maintaining, and replacing signal priority infrastructure, including;

(A) an estimate of the cost of the infrastructure required for planned and future signal priority implementations identified in the report;

(B) an estimate of signal timing optimization and ongoing maintenance for existing corridors where transit signal priority is operational;

(C) a review of the cost differences between alternative signal priority systems, including passive signal priority and centralized signal priority; and

(D) a review of the challenges in the procurement of signal priority infrastructure and maintenance services;

(6) estimate economic impacts associated with the Committee's recommendations, including;

(A) an estimate of the cost savings in vehicle and operator expenses per mile of revenue service;

(B) an estimate of the value of travel time savings for all persons moved through a corridor, across all travel modes;

(C) an estimate of the health benefits in surrounding areas from reduction in brake dust and engine exhaust; and

(D) an estimate of the impacts to roadway surface maintenance costs;

(7) estimate, where practicable, anticipated changes in person throughput and vehicle traffic volume associated with the Committee's recommendations;

(8) identify opportunities to align or modify existing and future Department funding programs and grant criteria to support implementation, including criteria that reward measurable improvements in person throughput while maintaining or reducing vehicle traffic capacity or transit signal priority projects in the Department's Highway Improvement Program; and

(9) submit recommendations for inclusion in the Department's Public Transportation Plan, including any recommended legislative or administrative changes needed to implement best practices.

(g) The Committee shall include the following members, appointed by the Secretary:

(1) the Secretary or the Secretary's designee;

(2) the Department's Region 1 Engineer or the Engineer's designee;

(3) one staff member from the Department's Office of Finance and Administration whose duties involve transit grant administration or procurement;

(4) one staff member from the Department's Office of Highways Project Implementation whose duties involve the operations of local roads and streets;

(5) one staff member from the Office of Intermodal Project Implementation whose duties involve transit oversight;

(6) one staff member from the Office of Highway Planning and Implementation whose duties include planning in urban areas;

(7) one staff member representing the Northern Illinois Transit Authority, who shall serve as Chair, as designated by the Chairman of the Board of the Authority;

(8) one staff member representing the Chicago Transit Authority, who shall serve as Co-Chair, as designated by the Chairman of the Board of the Chicago Transit Authority;

(9) one staff member representing the Suburban Bus Division, who shall serve as Co-Chair, as designated by the Chairman of the Suburban Bus Board;

(10) one staff member representing the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning;

(11) one staff member representing the Chicago Department of Transportation, as designated by the Mayor of Chicago;

(12) one staff member representing the Cook County Department of Transportation and Highways, as designated by the President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners;

(13) five staff members that are involved in planning, design, construction, maintenance, and permitted use of roadways, as designated by the chair of the county boards of Kane, Lake, McHenry, DuPage, and Will counties; and

(15) additional members as determined necessary by the Secretary to ensure subject-matter expertise, community representation, and geographic diversity.

(h) Members shall serve without compensation. To the extent permitted by law and subject to appropriation, members may be reimbursed for necessary expenses associated with Committee service in accordance with applicable State travel rules.

(i) The Committee shall publish a report containing its findings and recommendations no later than 2 years after the effective date of this Act.

(1) The Department shall post the report on its website and transmit the report to the Governor and the General Assembly.

(2) The Department shall incorporate any recommendations included in the Committee's report in the Department's next update of the Public Transportation Plan.

(j) The Chair may dissolve the Committee 2 years after the effective date of this Act or continue the Committee as a working group.

Section 11. Performance metrics and reporting. In coordination with the Authority, the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning shall make publicly available on its Internet website, and update on at least an annual basis, the following information regarding transit signal priority and queue jump infrastructure within the metropolitan planning area:

(1) the total number of traffic signals equipped with transit signal priority and the total number equipped with queue jump infrastructure;

(2) the current number of signals with transit signal priority, disaggregated by technology type or communications standard where such information is available;

(3) the number of traffic signals where transit signal priority or queue jump infrastructure is included that are currently in advanced planning or engineering;

(4) the number of buses capable of engaging a transit signal priority system, reported by bus garage or operating division for the Suburban Bus Division and the Chicago Transit Authority;

(5) an estimate of total annual bus vehicle-hours traveled on corridors where transit signal priority is operational; and

(6) a list of bus routes currently operating on corridors where transit signal priority is operational.

Section 12. State standards.

(a) Within 2 years after the effective date of this Act, the Department shall update its standards and specifications governing traffic signal control devices and signal timing operations to incorporate person throughput as a performance measure for roadway segments that contain or are adjacent to transit-served intersections.

In applying such standards, the Department shall evaluate person throughput as appropriate to the functional classification and operational context of the roadway.

Nothing in this Section shall be construed to require the Department to implement signal timing changes or device placements that would conflict with applicable federal requirements or safety standards.

(b) In updating its standards and specifications under this Section, the Department shall provide that transit signal priority systems installed on roadways containing transit-served intersections operate by default for eligible public transportation vehicles.

Such standards may allow the Department to limit or disable transit signal priority at a specific location where the Department determines that operation would materially degrade safety or violate applicable traffic control standards.

Section 15. Implementation authorization.

(a) Under the supervision of the Secretary, and for the benefit of a Service Board, the Authority may, by ordinance, establish and administer a transit signal priority program for public transportation vehicles in the metropolitan region. The Department shall provide technical support to the program. Subject to appropriation and applicable procurement law, the Department may procure consulting assistance necessary to support the work of the program.

The Authority may provide funding, procure equipment and services, and enter into intergovernmental agreements or other agreements necessary to plan, design, implement, operate, and maintain transit signal priority and signal priority infrastructure on public ways in the metropolitan region.

(b) For any Department-funded project that includes the installation, modernization, replacement, or retiming of traffic signals on a roadway segment greater than one mile in length, including projects that are part of a larger corridor improvement, containing 2 or more transit-served intersections, the Department shall notify the Authority or any mass transit district operating within the project's geographic scope at least 60 days prior to approval of final plans, specifications, and estimates.

Following the notification, the Authority or mass transit district may provide written comments or request that the Department evaluate incorporating transit signal priority, queue jumps, or related signal system improvements into the project. Upon receipt of a request, the Department shall, in consultation with the requesting Authority or mass transit district, evaluate the technical feasibility, safety considerations, and cost-effectiveness of incorporating infrastructure capable of supporting transit signal priority into the project. The Department may conduct or commission a cost-benefit analysis and shall provide available technical data necessary to support the evaluation.

Where the Department determines, based on the evaluation, that transit signal priority is technically feasible, cost-effective, and consistent with applicable safety and traffic control standards, the Department shall incorporate transit signal priority or the necessary infrastructure to support future implementation of transit signal priority into the project design.

Nothing in this subsection requires the Department to fund or install onboard equipment on public transportation vehicles, or to implement transit signal priority where doing so would conflict with applicable safety or traffic control standards.

(c) For any Department-funded project on a roadway segment greater than one mile in length, including projects that are part of a larger corridor improvement, containing or adjacent to 4 or more transit-served intersections, the Department shall conduct or commission a study of signal timing and equipment not less than 30 days prior to approval of final plans, specifications, and estimates. The study may be waived upon written agreement with the Authority or mass transit district operating within the study's geographic scope. The study shall include:

(1) an itemization of existing signal equipment and timing plans;

(2) identification of intersections that are not included in signal synchronization groupings and recommendations for corrective action; and

(3) an optimized signal timing plan for the completed project, which shall prioritize improvements in person throughput, and may include passive signal priority where practicable.

The study shall be completed and transmitted in writing to the Authority or mass transit district operating within the study's geographic scope. The Authority or mass transit district may request design changes recommended by the study to the Department.

The Department shall implement the study's signal timing plan to the extent practicable and consistent with safety and operational requirements.

(d) The Department shall review and may approve reasonable variances set forth by the Authority or a mass transit district, for the benefit of bus operations through changes to signalization operations, to State specifications regarding signal timing on any roadway under the jurisdiction of the Department. The Department shall evaluate and document whether implementation of such variance would improve person throughput and bus operations without materially degrading safety performance. If the Department determines that a variance should not be implemented at a specific location, the Department shall provide a written determination stating the engineering and safety basis for that decision within 30 days after notice has been given. The Department may extend this notice period for an additional 60 days upon providing a written statement stating the cause.

(e) The Department shall respond in writing to proposals within 30 days after notice has been given for permission from the Authority or a mass transit district to place or maintain any traffic control device upon any roadway under the jurisdiction of the Department for the purpose of improving bus operations. The Department may extend this notice period for an additional 60 days upon providing a written statement stating the cause.

(f) The Authority or mass transit district may designate a roadway segment as a future transit signal priority corridor. Designated future signal priority corridors shall be made publicly available on an Internet website, and transmitted to the Department in a written statement. The Department shall incorporate designated future signal priority corridors in the Department's next update of the Public Transportation Plan.

(g) The Department shall conduct or commission an optimized signal timing plan for a designated future transit signal priority corridor upon any roadway under the jurisdiction of the Department within one year of a written request of the Authority or mass transit district, and shall submit the plan to the requesting Authority or mass transit district for written approval.

Upon written approval, the Department shall implement the study's signal timing plan to the extent practicable and consistent with safety and operational requirements within 180 days.

(h) The Department shall notify the Authority or mass transit district associated with transit signal priority infrastructure not less than 30 days prior to any construction or maintenance that may affect transit signal priority functionality, and within 10 days after becoming aware of damage to that transit signal priority infrastructure. The Department shall coordinate with the Authority or mass transit district to minimize disruption to transit signal priority operations during and after construction or maintenance activities.

In the case of emergency maintenance or repairs necessary to protect public safety or restore roadway operations, the Department shall provide notice as soon as practicable.

The Department shall restore transit signal priority functionality prior to completion of construction or maintenance, unless otherwise agreed in writing with the affected Authority or mass transit district.

(i) Optimized signal timing plans developed under this Act shall prioritize improvements in person throughput and, where practicable, be designed to reduce average intersection delay experienced by buses relative to existing conditions.

(j) Transit signal priority implemented pursuant to this Act shall be configured to operate by default for eligible public transportation vehicles.

Transit signal priority may be limited or disabled at a specific location only where the Department or roadway authority determines that operation would materially degrade safety or violate applicable traffic control standards. Any such determination shall be documented in writing and made available to the Authority or applicable mass transit district upon request.

(k) Transit signal priority systems installed on or before the effective date of this Act on roadways under the jurisdiction of the Department shall be reviewed by the Department within one year after the effective date of this Act. Where practicable and consistent with safety and operational requirements, the systems shall be configured to operate by default for eligible public transportation vehicles.

Nothing in this subsection requires the replacement of existing equipment that is incapable of supporting transit signal priority operation.

The Department shall provide a summary of such reviews in writing to the Authority upon request.

(l) Transit signal priority implemented under this Section shall not impair emergency vehicle signal preemption, railroad signal preemption, or other safety-critical signal operations required by law or engineering standards. For roadways under the jurisdiction of the Department, implementation under this Section is subject to the Department's approval and permitting requirements.

Section 20. Local coordination.

(a) For roadways under the jurisdiction of a unit of local government, implementation under this Section shall be carried out pursuant to an intergovernmental agreement with the unit of local government having maintenance jurisdiction.

A unit of local government shall not unreasonably withhold agreement for transit signal priority improvements that are consistent with this Act and that are funded in whole or in part by the Authority or the Department.

If the local government determines that signal priority improvements should not be implemented at a specific location under jurisdiction of that local government, the local government shall provide a written determination stating the basis for that decision within 30 days after notice has been given. The local government may extend this notice period for an additional 60 days upon providing a written statement stating the cause.

(b) A unit of local government shall notify the Authority or mass transit district associated with transit signal priority infrastructure not less than 30 days prior to any construction or maintenance that may affect transit signal priority functionality for a roadway segment under the jurisdiction of that local government, and within 10 days after becoming aware of damage to that transit signal priority infrastructure. The local government shall coordinate with the Authority or mass transit district to minimize disruption to transit signal priority operations during and after construction or maintenance activities.

In the case of emergency maintenance or repairs necessary to protect public safety or restore roadway operations, the local government shall provide notice as soon as practicable.

The local government shall restore transit signal priority functionality prior to completion of construction or maintenance, unless otherwise agreed in writing with the affected Authority or mass transit district.

(c) This Section is a denial and limitation of home rule powers and functions under subsections (g) and (h) of Section 6 of Article VII of the Illinois Constitution.

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.".