The University of Chicago recently completed numerous improvements to city streets near the north and south areas of campus to help enhance pedestrian safety.
The improvements range from speed feedback signs and flashing yellow pedestrian lights to the restriping of driving lanes to make them feel more narrow, which has been shown to encourage drivers to slow down and drive more carefully. UChicago implemented the changes with the approval and collaboration of the Chicago Department of Transportation, which oversees public streets, sidewalks, parkways, and crossings, including those around campus.
The input of the campus community and South Side residents was crucial to help guide the plans. In order to identify intersections and corridors where changes would make the most difference, the University’s Facilities Services team also looked at pedestrian activity, locations where traffic incidents had happened, vehicular speeds, and observed and reported dangerous driving behavior or crosswalk conditions.
Two primary zones were selected for safety upgrades. One area is 55th Street between Ingleside Ave. and Woodlawn Ave. The other is the broad corridor that includes 59th Street, the Midway Plaisance, and 60th Street, between Cottage Grove Ave. and Dorchester Ave.
The University-funded enhancements began in 2024 and were completed in January 2026. The latest upgrades built on enhancements made by the Chicago Department of Transportation in 2024, which included speed tables (raised crosswalks), crosswalk striping, and street resurfacing along the Midway Plaisance.
Safety Upgrades on 59th Street, 60th Street, and Midway Plaisance
This important corridor for campus and nearby communities received extensive improvements designed to establish a clear pedestrian zone and elevate safety for pedestrians. Enhancements along the .75-mile stretch included:
- Speed feedback signs displaying drivers’ speed placed at seven locations to encourage slower travel.
- Flashing yellow lights installed at six key crossings on the Midway to heighten driver awareness of pedestrians entering the intersection.
- Curb extensions such as concrete or painted bump outs and flexible bollards at 24 intersections. These extended curbs shorten pedestrian crossing distances and improve sightlines for both pedestrians and drivers, reduce the distance pedestrians have to travel across vehicular lanes, and reduce dangerous angles and speed of turning vehicles. At several locations along the Midway, parking restrictions were adjusted to improve driver visibility of pedestrians entering crosswalks from a greater distance.
- High-visibility crosswalk striping and lane markings, clearly designating pedestrian zones and encouraging drivers to slow down at multiple points throughout the zone.
- Bus stop at 60th and University Ave. moved away from crosswalk, in keeping with city standards, and enhanced with a concrete pad and a painted curb to improve visibility.
Extensive tree trimming also accompanied the changes, increasing driver visibility at night by ensuring lighting fixtures and signage were unobstructed.
Safety Upgrades on and Near 55th Street
Enhancements on and near 55th Street include:
- Left-turn traffic bumps installed along the centerline at three intersections. These bumps extend directly to the crosswalk, preventing drivers from swinging wide or cutting across the intersection at higher speeds. The design requires vehicles to approach the crosswalk more slowly and make a tighter, 90-degree turn, which increases driver awareness of pedestrians and reduces the risk of collisions during left turns—the most frequent type of pedestrian-related incident at these locations.
- Flashing yellow pedestrian lights at University Ave. and Greenwood Ave. crossings to increase visibility and signal pedestrian activity.
- Updated speed limit signs, new stop signs, high-visibility crosswalk markings, and fresh lane striping throughout the area, as well as bike lane striping at intersections.