What The campaign aims to make walking and cycling more safe and convenient along our lakefront and increasing access to public transit. This includes advocating for prioritizing bike, walk and transit improvements in long-term construction projects – like the reconstruction of North Lake Shore Drive – while calling for less costly enhancements that could be made now to the improve […]

WHAT Active Trans' Our Lakefront campaign aims to make walking and cycling safer and more convenient along our lakefront while increasing access to public transit. We advocate for making biking, walking and transit improvements the priorities in long-term construction projects – like the reconstruction of North Lake Shore Drive – while calling for less costly enhancements that could be made now to […]

  BACKGROUND In recent years, bicycling in Chicago has transformed from a fringe activity to a mainstream mode of transportation, opening up the benefits of biking to more Chicagoans than ever before. Since 2000, the number of people biking in the city has roughly tripled, with an average of 125,000 bike trips happening each day.   However, outside of downtown, […]

NEW! See Chicago's first-ever Bus Friendly Streets Report Cards for all 50 wards and eight high-ridership routes. A healthy and growing bus system is critical to building a more sustainable transportation network in Chicago. Back on the Bus identifies ways that elected officials and transit agency leaders can improve bus service and reverse the trend of Chicagoans abandoning public transit […]

It’s time for change. As we wrote last spring, our commuter tax benefit system favors car travel over public transportation and bicycle commuting. The benefit is an employer-provided federal tax benefit that allows commuters to purchase tax free transit passes, carpooling rides or parking. Currently, the monthly benefit for car parking is $250, compared to just a $130 benefit for […]

Post image:  Active Trans is excited to be working with Wayne Township officials to develop a comprehensive bike plan that should be completed by the end of this year. Once completed, Wayne would be the first township in Illinois to adopt a bike plan. Over the summer, residents and elected officials brainstormed ideas for making the six-community area in Chicago’s […]

As the public process for the reconstruction of North Lake Shore Drive continues, the demand for biking, walking and transit improvements throughout the corridor is becoming increasingly clear. Last week the reconstruction project team released an updated timeline and a list of the top 20 ideas raised during in public comments at the July meeting and submitted online through the […]

Post image:  It's Member Drive season here at Active Trans! We're looking for 200 new and renewing members to help strengthen our work in advocating for safer, more convenient travel for bicyclists, pedestians, and transit users alike. Your membership funds important programs and initiatives that: Build more trails, bike lanes, sidewalks and transit options Win legislation that supports safe, orderly […]

The 2014 election season is upon us and Active Trans has asked candidates running for Illinois governor to respond to a candidate questionnaire in order to provide insight into their positions on issues related to our mission. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, Active Trans does not endorse candidates for public office. The purpose of the candidate questionnaire is purely informational. […]

Post image:  The votes have been cast, but this battle is far from over. On October 9, the Metropolitan Planning Organization’s (MPO) Policy Committee, which oversees and approves federal funding in the state, voted to move the GO TO 2040 regional plan forward with the Illiana Expressway still included. This followed a vote a day earlier by the board of […]