Ward Wise
Neighborhood Infrastructure Spending in Chicago
Chicago spends $75 million a year on neighborhood infrastructure improvements like sidewalk repairs, residential street resurfacing, and bike lanes. Who decides where and how the money is spent?
Scroll down to find out!
Chicago is split up into 50 wards. Each ward elects an alder.
CDOT sends ward offices a neighborhood infrastructure menu.
Every year, each ward receives a $1.5 million budget for “menu money” through the aldermanic menu program.
Alders decide how to spend this money on neighborhood infrastructure in their ward, choosing between menu and non-menu projects.
You can influence infrastructure spending in your ward!
Get involved with participatory budgeting
or speak directly with your alder.