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we care about in the region.

Developing a holistic city-wide mobility platform for the Chicago election

By Ted Villaire | February 23, 2023

In preparation for the coming election, Active Transportation Alliance held a series of focus groups in neighborhoods around the city to ask residents about their transportation challenges when walking, biking, or using transit. Over and over, we heard about frustrations with CTA’s reliability and that people were often feeling unsafe, whether they were riding CTA, walking, or biking. The feedback […]

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Better bus service is a crucial election issue

By Courtney Cobbs | February 14, 2023

The Active Transportation Alliance is part of the Safe Streets for All, Transit That Works coalition that is working to educate Chicago voters for the municipal elections on February 28 and April 4. The coalition developed a platform based on concerns and wishes for Chicago’s transportation landscape. While the platform covers a range of topics surrounding sustainable transportation, two of […]

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Chicago, Bike Grid Now! pushes for easy-to-implement bicycle infrastructure

By Maya Norris | February 11, 2023

Creating bicycle friendly infrastructure can often take years due to a lack of political will, scarcity of funding and frustrating government bureaucracy. But it doesn’t have to be that convoluted, according to Chicago, Bike Grid Now! The bicycle advocacy group is pushing for bicycle friendly, traffic-calmed streets that it says can be achieved sooner rather than later with minimal effort. […]

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Agreement is a step toward safer streets

By David Powe | January 24, 2023

This week, Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) and the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) came to a new agreement that aims to streamline the building of safer streets and intersections across Chicago. The Active Transportation Alliance is hopeful about the potential this new agreement has for making our roadways safer and more hospitable to people walking, biking, and using transit. […]

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RTA’s plan for the future needs more details

By David Powe | January 12, 2023

The Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) recently released its draft strategic plan, Transit is the Answer, for public comment.   The RTA coordinates the Chicago region’s transit system (CTA, Pace, and Metra), oversees its financing, and coordinates regional planning for public transportation in Northeastern Illinois.  Active Transportation Alliance joined forces with a handful of local nonprofits to send a letter to the […]

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Speak up for a greener, safer, more equitable Grant Park

By David Powe | January 6, 2023

Last year, the Chicago Park District began developing its 2023 Grant Park Framework Plan. The plan seeks to define Grant Park’s role as a neighborhood park, a key destination, and as a public space, and it will outline next steps in the park’s development. The park district is hosting a series of public meetings to share updates on the design […]

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Top stories in sustainable transportation from the past year

By Ted Villaire | December 27, 2022

One fact weighs heavily on the mind while recounting the past year of walking, biking, and transit in Chicagoland. The lack of safe infrastructure for all road users resulted in the tragic loss of life in 2022. This summer alone, motorists struck and killed at least seven Chicagoland children on foot, scooters, and bikes. After two young children were killed […]

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Red Line Extension takes major step forward

By Ted Villaire | December 15, 2022

This week a key hurdle has been cleared to bring high-quality rapid transit to Chicago’s far South Side. Chicago City Council’s approval was nearly unanimous for a “transit TIF” that leverages the property value realized from investments already made in places like the South Loop and Chinatown. This local TIF (tax increment financing) funding provides the match funding needed to […]

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Commuters Take Action presses CTA to improve unreliable service

By Maya Norris | December 8, 2022

Commuters Take Action has only been around since April 2022. But in that short period of time, the resident-led advocacy organization has made a name for itself, representing a movement of frustrated commuters fed up with the slow and unreliable service of the Chicago Transit Authority’s buses and trains. Micah Fiedler, Olivia Gahan and Fabio Göttlicher co-founded Commuters Take Action […]

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Bus priority zones needed near the planned casino

By David Powe | December 5, 2022

Bally’s Corporation, an international gambling company, is planning to build a $1.7 billion casino on the southeast corner of Chicago Ave. and Halsted St. The City of Chicago is currently in the process of gathering community feedback on this massive project that promises to dramatically increase vehicular traffic on two of the city’s busiest bus routes and along major bike […]

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