Frequently Asked Questions

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The Planning and Environment Linkages (PEL) Study along IL Route 15 and Bond Avenue in East St. Louis is an early planning effort to help guide future transportation improvements in and around East St. Louis to improve mobility and reduce travel time delays. The study’s limits include IL Route 15 between I-255 and I-55 and/or Bond Avenue between IL Route 163 and 8thStreet. The Study Team will examine transportation needs while also considering community priorities, environmental factors, and economic opportunities.

This project helps ensure future transportation decisions are thoughtful, coordinated, and focused on what matters most to the East St. Louis community - before specific projects move forward.

The PEL process helps create transportation solutions that:

• Better reflect local needs and concerns
• Support community goals and economic growth
• Reduce unexpected delays and disruptions later on

By planning ahead, the project helps set the stage for smarter investments in the community.

No. The PEL Study does not approve or build transportation projects. It helps identify needs, priorities, and possible options that may be considered in the future.

Community input is a key part of the PEL process. Residents, businesses, and local stakeholders will have opportunities to share feedback, ask questions, and help shape the study’s recommendations. Please visit the “Get Involved” section of this website to submit a comment directly to the Study Team and/or be added to the email distribution list to received project updates and news.

By addressing key issues early, the PEL process helps avoid repeating studies later. This can reduce delays and make better use of public funds when future projects are developed.

The study looks at transportation needs alongside:

• Neighborhood and community priorities
• Environmental considerations
• Access, safety, and connectivity
• Economic and quality‑of‑life impacts

The Study involves transportation agencies, specifically IDOT and outside consultants hired by IDOT, working alongside local governments, partner agencies, and the East St. Louis community to ensure a coordinated and inclusive planning process.

The results of the Study will help inform future transportation planning and decision‑making. Any future projects would go through additional review, public input, and approval processes.

Because it is anticipated that many of the potential improvement projects stemming from this Study would rely on federal funding or federal permitting, they would be subject to environmental review under NEPA. NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act of 1969) is a federal law protecting the environment for all federally permitted or funded projects. Before approval of federal actions, NEPA requires analysis of potential impacts to the environment (both the human and natural environment) and when there are, the consideration of alternatives to avoid impacts and mitigative measures to compensate for impacts.