Post image: In an effort to make communities more livable for its members (and everyone), AARP released a helpful set of Livability Fact Sheets to help illustrate what makes a place work for people of all ages.  There are 11 fact sheets, each four pages long, covering topics such as bicycling, traffic calming, sidewalks, economic development and more. You can view […]

Post image:  Three thousand pedestrians are hit by motor vehicles in Chicago annually, resulting in about 30 deaths a year. Seven to eight Chicago pedestrians suffer a traffic-related injury every day.  How can these deaths and injuries be prevented? A growing movement called Vision Zero aims to eliminate all traffic crash fatalities, and Chicago subscribes to the movement with its […]

Post image:  Since its launch in 2009, Po Campo has been a friend and partner of Active Trans. We’ve worked together at MB Financial Bank Bike the Drive and on other events. Plus, Active Trans members have the exclusive perk of 15 percent off all Po Campo merchandise. Most recently, a PoCampo bag was a part of the silent auction at […]

Post image:  With local municipal elections slated for the city and suburbs in 2015, active transportation advocates need to be prepared to speak with a unified voice on the issues we care about. That's why Active Trans wants to hear from you about your biking, walking, and transit priorities. We’ve been busy connecting with people across our movement to build […]

Post image:  The League of American Bicyclists recently announced its Fall 2014 list of Bike Friendly Communities (BFC), with Elgin and Urbana netting new honors. Elgin received an Honorable Mention and Urbana leapt from Bonze to Gold level. (Elgin also received an Active Trans award this year for the outstanding renovation of its Riverside Drive Promenade and bike path.)   […]

Post image:  Megan Williams, 27, was jogging on Chicago’s Lakefront Trail while training for her first Chicago Marathon earlier this fall when she was suddenly struck by a bicyclist. The next thing she remembers is waking up in a hospital bed with her hands restrained, a breathing tube down her throat, a fractured skull and bleeding in her brain. Thankfully, […]

Post image:  Great news arrived yesterday for thousands of school children and families in Illinois. On November 17, 2014, the Illinois Department of Transportation announced the 2014 funding awards for the Illinois Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program. A total of 58 infrastructure and non-infrastructure projects were approved for funding totaling $5.9 million dollars. The projects will enable and encourage […]

Post image:  For decades transportation planning in Cook County has focused largely on moving cars as quickly as possible through our streets, but it looks like that approach may be changing at last. The county is currently in the second year of a three-year process to develop a Long Range Transportation Plan. This plan will guide the design and implementation […]

If motorists and bicyclists are going to be safe on the roads they need to share space instead of fighting for it.  This summer, the Active Transportation Alliance teamed up with national bike advocacy group PeopleforBikes and AAA, the nation’s largest motor organization, on a campaign to encourage bicyclists and motorists to respectfully share the road. Now an Austin, Texas-based campaign is […]

Post image:  Whenever you encounter anti-bike sentiment in opinion columns, a level-headed response is necessary to help set the record straight. That’s what we saw recently in suburban Niles after The Bugle newspaper guest columnist Morgan Dubiel claimed that infrastructure improvements like bike lanes are, among other things, dangerous and discouraging for motorists. The column came on the heels of […]