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.)   The […]

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 […]

Perusing these annual reports will give you an introduction to the important work that we've been doing in recent years. We think you'll be impressed.     Annual Reports   FY 2016-2017 Annual Report (PDF) 8 MB   FY 2015 Annual Report (PDF) 1 MB   FY 2013-2014 Annual Report (PDF) 6 MB   2012 Annual Report (PDF) 5.37 MB […]

Let’s roll together As the number of Chicagoland bike commuters continues to climb, it’s more important than ever that people biking and driving share the roads safely. That’s why 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 […]

It’s been a fast ride for Slow Roll Chicago, one of the newest bicycling groups in the city. After a few successful events, the group's final ride in 2014 is planned for this weekend.  The ride, called "Mending Broken Fences," is in partnership with the Chicago Police Department's 11th District office, and its aim fits Slow Roll's goal of improving […]

In the cycling community, a ghost bike is a roadside memorial for people who were hit and killed while riding bikes. Serving as a somber reminder of the bicyclists we've lost, the ghost bike movement has gained lots of traction and helped raise awareness. Now, it's the namesake of a play that will be performed at Whitney Young Magnet High […]