I lived in Illinois working as a professional engineer for IDOT from 1992-1999 at poverty wages. They thought I was nuts when I complained about the lack of paved shoulders on Illinois roadways that can accommodate bicycling. Illinois is still a horrible state for bicycling and maybe provides a "trail" here and there, which are simply glorified sidewalks which force bicyclists to dodge pedestrians, and constantly stop over and over again at every side street and even driveways.