Blog

A robust community of advocates gather together

Dec 10, 2024 | by Ted Villaire

The Active Transportation Alliance’s recent annual member party was abuzz with excitement as participants celebrated the organization’s successes of the past year and shared plans for the coming months.

The highlight of the evening was a panel discussion focusing on the work of local partners involved in sustainable transportation advocacy.

Panelists shared information about how they became involved in the work and their current efforts underway.

Most importantly, they shared advice for other grassroots advocates on how to build and execute successful advocacy campaigns.

ATA’s W. Robert Schultz III inducted into Chicago’s LGBT Hall of Fame

Nov 11, 2024 | by Miriam Eisinger

W. Robert Schultz III has been a powerful force for activism in Illinois for decades. His efforts have championed critical causes, including marriage equality, the abolition of the death penalty, and the protection of immigrant rights, and his work has not gone unnoticed.

And for the past 6 years, as a campaign organizer for the Active Transportation Alliance, he’s been an important voice in the region for better access to walking, biking, and transit.

How local groups energize Chicagoland’s Bike Month

Oct 30, 2024 | by Maggie Melin Czerwinski

Each year in May, Chicagoland celebrates Bike Month with exciting bike-related activities like community rides, educational workshops, and repair clinics.

While the Active Transportation Alliance plays a role in organizing some of these events, most are led by passionate grassroots groups and local municipalities.

These organizations are the true champions of local biking culture, quietly making a big impact by empowering people with biking skills and confidence right in their own neighborhoods.

Why lowering the speed limit will make our streets safer

Oct 24, 2024 | by Jim Merrell

The fight for safer streets took a step forward recently when the proposed ordinance to reduce Chicago’s default speed limit successfully advanced through the Chicago City Council’s Committee on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety.

This significant milestone means that the proposal will now go to a full city council vote.

As this legislation proceeds to city council, we want to emphasize that lowering the speed limit is a critical part of a broader strategy to decrease traffic fatalities and build safer neighborhoods throughout Chicago.

Empower your community: Apply for a $300 stipend with Project Sidewalk!

Oct 24, 2024 | by Maggie Melin Czerwinski

This fall and winter, cozy up with a cup of hot chocolate and make a difference in your community!

The Active Transportation Alliance is teaming up with University of Illinois-Chicago’s (UIC’s) Project Sidewalk team to offer stipends for up to 10 volunteer groups and individuals committed to virtually mapping the conditions of their local sidewalks and bikeways.

From the comforts of your own home, you’ll get hands-on experience with cutting-edge tools to identify areas in need of improvement,

Illinois voters show strong support for a unified transit system

Oct 23, 2024 | by Ted Villaire

Illinois voters have expressed a clear preference for unifying the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), Regional Transportation Authority (RTA), Metra, and Pace into a single agency.

A recent poll reveals that this initiative is favored by a 2-to-1 margin statewide, with even stronger backing in the Chicago area.

The proposed legislation, known as the Metropolitan Mobility Authority Act (MMA), aims to streamline these four agencies into one cohesive entity.

This transformation promises to save up to $250 million annually by eliminating redundant efforts and could lead to increased state investment.

Effort to lower speed limit proceeds to full city council vote

Oct 22, 2024 | by Active Trans

We’re thrilled that the proposed ordinance to lower Chicago’s default speed limit has passed out of the Chicago City Council’s Committee on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety and soon will go in front of a full city council for a vote.

Before the vote, we presented a statement (see below) to the committee on behalf of a coalition of 13 Chicago-based organizations.

The statement said the measures included in the legislation will save lives and enhance mobility by lowering speed limits,

Low-stress bikeways are the answer

Oct 21, 2024 | by Ted Villaire

When it comes to keeping people biking safe, some bike infrastructure works much better than others.

To understand peoples’ preferences, we asked some participants at our recent Bike the Drive event to let us know what bike infrastructure made them feel most safe.

We asked participants to examine a list of bike safety infrastructure improvements and vote for their favorite options (see photo below).

As you might expect, people overwhelmingly wanted protected bike lanes — physical separation from fast-moving vehicle traffic.

Tell city council: A lower speed limit in Chicago will save lives

Oct 16, 2024 | by Ted Villaire

*Editorial Note (October 4, 2024):  After being introduced earlier this summer, the ordinance to lower the speed limit was delayed in advancing due to parliamentary procedures. However, thanks to your advocacy, it has now moved to the voting stage at the Committee on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety. 

The committee must first approve the ordinance before it passes to the full city council for a final vote. We anticipate both votes will take place in the coming week. 

Every Street of Chicago

Oct 9, 2024 | by Active Trans

Having previously lived in Chicago for five years and now in Evanston for 13, I’ve ridden plenty in the city while commuting, running errands, or cruising down the lakefront.

But something special began brewing in early 2021 when I headed to the Back-of-the-Yards neighborhood to visit Sputnik, a coffee roaster whose beans I had recently bought in an Evanston store.

On that ride, I fell in love with exploring more of the city: riding the boulevards,