Author Archives: Ted Villaire

On Wednesday, May 18, you’re invited to join others around the world on an annual bicycle ride to honor the people killed while biking in the past year.

In addition to honoring those people killed by drivers, the ride highlights the urgent need for infrastructure that will make biking in Chicago safer and more welcoming for people of all ages and abilities.

“We need to remember that this tragic loss of life is unnecessary and completely avoidable,” said Chicago Ride of Silence organizer Elizabeth Adamczyk.

The recent 2022 Active Trans Awards Reception provided an opportunity for advocates and supporters to celebrate the work of Active Trans and reconnect with one another.

The focus of the evening, however, was to recognize the local people who are putting us on a better path for getting around.

These champions of sustainable transportation deserve our appreciation and support for making walking, biking, and riding transit easier, safer, and more equitable.

We were saddened to hear the news of the death of Al Sturges, someone who had a deep and enduring impact on cycling in Chicagoland and throughout Illinois.

A resident of south suburban Park Forest, Sturges served as a board member and founding executive director of the state-wide bike advocacy organization Ride Illinois (formerly the League of Illinois Bicyclists), and he served on the board of the Active Transportation Alliance for many years.

Community members in Cairo, Illinois, and a local planning agency are taking a close look at how conditions in the town are helping or hindering local walking habits.

Recently, with help from Active Trans and the Southern Five Regional Planning District, a walkability evaluation was conducted in this far Southern Illinois town of about 1,700 people.

During the event, planning staff fanned out with notepads and cameras to document the walking conditions and infrastructure.