A freight train derailment near East Chicago and Gary knocked out power and forced South Shore Line to suspend service late Wednesday, with possible commute impacts Thursday.

Aurora approved nearly $7.8 million in contracts for sewer separation and water-main replacement across Wards 4 and 6, including dozens of lead-service line swaps.

A state trailer bill sets a January 1, 2031 deadline to rebuild the long-shuttered Central Blue Line stop and reopen a closed Lavergne entrance. Local leaders call it a step forward, but years of design and permits remain.

Soil testing is underway on Bronzeville’s Kenwood embankment as organizers push to build a two‑mile elevated trail that would link the South Side to the lakefront. The project has early foundation and city support.

Four plaintiffs say Chicago’s sidewalks, curb ramps and alternate routes are unsafe or impassable for people with mobility disabilities; the city has moved to dismiss.

A commission presentation projected roughly 8,000 daily riders for an East St. Louis–Chicago high-speed route, but operating subsidies and multibillion construction costs left officials wary.

On July 1, Illinois will stop routine behind-the-wheel tests for drivers 79–86, raising the mandatory-test age to 87 while keeping vision checks and a family-reporting option.

A pedestrian was killed early Friday after being struck by a Metra UP‑NW train at Baldwin Road and Northwest Highway in Palatine; service was suspended while crews investigated.

The Illinois Tollway’s Driving Connections plan would raise passenger tolls about $0.45 and commercial tolls 30% to fund a $26.5 billion, 15‑year program; public hearings are scheduled this summer.

A pedestrian was struck by a Metra Milwaukee District North train near Union Station on Tuesday; inbound and outbound service was halted and later restored with residual delays.

A Midwest storm last Thursday knocked Amtrak long‑distance trains off schedule, leaving several named routes hours to nearly a day late and forcing bus bridges and reroutes. Recovery stretched across the country as crews worked to reposition equipment.

Senators Durbin and Duckworth urged DOT to extend federal funding for the long‑promised Chicago–Quad Cities Amtrak line ahead of a July 31 deadline.

Lake County approved $22 million to rebuild 2.5 miles of Deerfield Road, adding a center turn lane, bridge work and a continuous multi‑use path. Construction is expected to begin late 2026 and could run into 2029.