Author Archives: Kyle Whitehead

Active Transportation Alliance statement on speed camera vote

| Jun 22, 2022

Chicago is facing a traffic safety crisis. Crashes, serious injuries, and fatalities are on the rise. Vulnerable children and older adults are getting hit and killed while walking or biking just blocks from their home. People living in majority Black and Brown neighborhoods disproportionately bear the burden of these traffic crashes due to the prevalence of supersized streets and high-speed traffic.  

The city clearly needs an all-hands-on-deck strategy to slow down cars and trucks,

Chicagoans Demand No More Compromises at Walk + Roll for Safe Streets

| Jun 10, 2022

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Chicago, IL, June 10, 2022

On Sunday, June 12, Chicago Family Biking and Better Streets Chicago are organizing a family-friendly Walk + Roll for Safe Streets from Lincoln Square to Uptown to honor Raphael “Rafi” Cardenas and Elizabeth “Lily” Grace Shambrook, two toddlers recently lost to vehicle violence. The event will include a moment of silence for each child and demand city leaders and drivers commit to making Chicago streets safe for all.

Active Transportation Alliance statement on Uptown truck-bike crash

| Jun 10, 2022

For Immediate Release

June 10, 2022

MEDIA CONTACT:

Kyle Whitehead
Managing Director of Public Affairs
Active Transportation Alliance
312-216-0473
kyle@activetrans.org

Active Transportation Alliance statement on Uptown bike crash

Following is a statement from Active Transportation Alliance Executive Director Amy Rynell on Thursday’s truck-bike crash that resulted in the death of a 3-year-old girl

Chicago, IL: This crash is just the latest tragic example that even designated bike routes like Leland are often unsafe and uncomfortable for people biking.

Illinois must seize opportunity to move beyond car-centric transportation system

| Jun 8, 2022

Thanks to an unprecedented level of federal and state transportation funding, Illinois’ next governor and general assembly will have the ability to transform streets and trails in communities across the state. 

If they are willing to confront the failing status quo, the next governor and general assembly will have the opportunity to re-orient the state’s transportation system around safety, sustainability, and racial equity. 

Active Transportation Alliance’s 2022 Illinois Sustainable Transportation Platform provides a roadmap for state leaders to dramatically improve mobility over the next five years.

See where candidates for secretary of state stand

| Jun 3, 2022

With early voting underway in Illinois’ primary elections and Election Day approaching, the Active Transportation Alliance has released its 2022 Sustainable Transportation Voter Guide for the race to be secretary of state.

Six candidates — four Democrats and two Republicans — are vying for the opportunity to replace outgoing Secretary of State Jesse White, who is retiring after 23 years in office.

The secretary oversees Illinois’ Rules of the Road,

Advocates call for removing road expansion projects from regional plan

| Apr 29, 2022

A coalition of advocacy organizations is urging regional transportation officials to abandon plans to expand expressways and arterial streets given the proven harm these projects have on quality of life in communities across the Chicago region.

Active Trans joined nine other groups in a letter to the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning’s (CMAP) transportation committee. The agency is currently updating its list of regionally signficant projects that are eligible for federal funding.

Help build a transportation platform for Illinois’ gubernatorial election

| Apr 14, 2022

Active Transportation Alliance is planning a campaign to educate candidates and voters about key transportation issues facing the state and we need your help. 

Take our brief survey to share your input and ideas on our 2022 Sustainable Transportation Platform for Illinois. 

Illinois’ primary election for governor is on June 28 and the general election is set for November 8.

With transportation now the leading contributor to greenhouse gas emissions statewide primarily from fossil-fuel powered cars and trucks,

How can Chicago suburbs become more walkable and bike-friendly?

| Apr 13, 2022

With gas prices surging and climate threats getting worse, many towns across the Chicago region are trying to do more to support walking and biking as transportation options. But they often struggle to figure out what policies and projects to prioritize, and what makes a real difference in promoting alternatives to driving.  

Help is on the way.

Active Trans is excited to co-host a new event series, Taking Climate Action by Prioritizing Walking,

New Chicago scooter program heightens need for more protected bike lanes

| Apr 7, 2022

Mayor Lightfoot announced Chicago’s first multi-year electric scooter sharing program will launch in early May, introducing 4,000 new micromobility vehicles to city streets and bike lanes.

The new program adds to the urgency for city officials to plan and build a citywide network of protected bike lanes so people on bikes and scooters have safe places to ride.

With gas prices surging, shared bikes and scooters could provide needed alternatives to driving — but only if people feel safe and comfortable riding them. 

Action alert! Tell Chicago to make climate action plan stronger on transportation

| Mar 28, 2022

Chicago is working on a climate action plan featuring ambitious goals to reduce driving and get more people walking, biking, and riding public transit.

But the current draft lacks firm commitments to redesign city streets and invest in the hard infrastructure needed to support this shift to non-car alternatives. Without these commitments, Chicagoans will not be able track progress on the plan and hold city officials accountable.

Now we need your help to improve the plan.