65 ILCS 5/11-90-2
The corporate authorities shall not grant the use of or the right to lay tracks in any street of the municipality to any railroad or street railway corporation except upon the petition of the owners of record of the land representing more than one-half of the frontage of the street, or so much thereof as is sought to be used for railroad or street railway purposes. Whenever the street or part thereof sought to be used is more than one mile in extent, no petition of landowners shall be valid unless the petition shall be signed by the owners of record of the land representing more than one-half of the frontage of each mile and of the fraction of a mile, measuring from the initial point specified in the petition, of the street or of the part thereof sought to be used for railroad or street railway purposes. However, the corporate authorities, without any petition of landowners, may grant the right to lay, maintain and also to operate railroad or street railway tracks, in, upon, or along any street, alley, or public place of the municipality in which the tracks are already laid at the time of making the grant. Also the corporate authorities, without any petition of landowners, may grant the use of or the right to lay tracks in any tunnel or subway beneath the surface of any street, alley, or public place.
65 ILCS 5/11-90-2