Our suburban transit system took an important step forward recently when Pace announced a commitment to zero emission vehicles by 2040 in its strategic plan. In making this commitment, Pace is joining CTA in planning to phase out diesel and compressed natural gas buses within 20 years.
This transition will help improve the air quality and health in countless suburban communities that rely on Pace to provide an affordable,
UPDATE (10/13/21): At their October board meeting the Metra board approved the release of the Request for Proposals (RFP) to secure the equipment needed to launch a zero emissions train set pilot.
Active Transportation Alliance joined 28 other civic and environmental organizations in urging Metra to start testing zero emission technology.
The coalition delivered a letter to the Metra board on the topic that was read into the record at the September meeting.
The CTA and Metra’s lower priced daily passes have saved riders money while encouraging more people to ride transit.
Now, as the agencies develop their budgets for 2022, these discounts should be made permanent to help our region’s transportation network be more equitable and sustainable.
The CTA launched low-cost passes on Memorial Day this year and recently extended them through November 25.
Any further extension will require action from the CTA board.
The area where Kevin Clark and Tyler Fabeck were tragically killed while riding their bikes in recent years is slated to finally receive long overdue safety upgrades.
Active Trans worked with Kevin Clark’s family and 1st Ward Ald. Daniel La Spata to push for improvements at the intersection of W. Logan Blvd. and N. Western Ave. after 32-year-old Kevin was hit and killed while riding his bike through the intersection in May.
Illinois law now requires the state to cover 100 percent of the cost of walking and biking infrastructure when it’s needed on state roads.
Illinois House Bill 270 took effect on Tuesday, August 30, after it passed the legislature in May with strong bipartisan majorities.
Active Transportation Alliance championed the legislation along with Ride Illinois and Metropolitan Planning Council.
Until now,
The infrastructure bill that passed the U.S. Senate in August cut $10 billion that would have gone toward public transit — and that was $10 billion that was already agreed to by both parties.
This is just one reason the bill is woefully inadequate in creating a cleaner and more equitable transportation network.
We need the House to hold the line and honor the original commitment. Either by amending the Senate bill or as part of a budget reconciliation package,
The U.S. Senate is finalizing a $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill that would increase funding for transit and traffic safety, but still includes far too much unchecked spending to build and expand roads.
Now we need your help to make sure our senators take advantage of an opportunity to improve the bill before it’s called for a final vote, which could occur as soon as this weekend.
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Please ask your senators to support the following transit justice amendments:
The time has come for real access to public transportation.
As Congress considers a reauthorization of the federal transportation bill, transit and disability rights advocates are rallying behind an opportunity to finally make all public transit systems fully accessible.
Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth introduced the All Stations Accessibility Program (ASAP) Act (S. 1680) in the Senate and Illinois Rep. Marie Newman and Chuy Garcia introduced companion legislation in the House (H.R.
A new tool illustrates how longstanding patterns of segregation and discrimination in public policy have caused transit access for Black and Brown residents to lag behind access for White residents.
The Transit Equity Dashboard, produced by the national foundation TransitCenter, maps and quantifies the disparities in transit access caused by segregation and discrimination in land use and transportation policy. TransitCenter helps fund and support local transit advocacy organizations like Active Trans and the Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT).
All residents of the Chicago region deserve access to reliable, affordable public transportation, no matter where they live.
Imagine a region where every community has great bus and train service that can safely and conveniently get you to work, school, shopping, church, or anywhere else you need to go; a place where you don’t need to spend thousands of dollars per year owning and operating a car.
Putting every resident within reach of frequent transit service is possible — we just need to fund it.