Post image: Last week, Metra unveiled its rail line improvement plans for the next ten years – and it’s not going to be cheap. Metra, the second largest commuter rail line in the country, plans to replace and restore old passenger cars and locomotives, and install Positive Train Control (PTC) on all trains. PTC is a system that forces train compliance […]

Post image:  Every day in metro Chicago, an average of nearly 14 pedestrians are injured or killed as a result of getting hit by people driving cars. That’s nearly 5,000 injuries and fatalities each year. You wouldn’t know that car traffic poses such a serious danger to people walking if you read Chicago Tribune columnist Ron Grossman’s recent musings about banning […]

Post image:  Crossing a busy street is an everyday activity for most local residents, but too often it’s also one of the most dangerous things they’ll do all day. That’s why we’re excited to be launching Safe Crossings, a pedestrian-focused campaign designed to raise awareness about intersection safety and work with community partners to push for more dedicated funding for […]

The staff of the Active Transportation Alliance work for better transportation throughout Chicagoland. We'd love to hear from you! Our main phone number is 312-427-3325 and our general email is [email protected]. See the Active Trans Board of Directors below.    Active Transportation Alliance Staff Executive Staff Ron Burke Executive Director [email protected] 312-216-0482     Melody Geraci Deputy Executive Director [email protected] 312-216-0478 Events […]

This past Wednesday, schools across the country participated in International Walk to School Day. To commemorate the day, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx celebrated with students in Charlotte, NC, calling on everyone to encourage students to walk to school. Here are just a few highlights from some schools we heard from around the Chicagoland area: Evergreen Academy Middle School in […]

As criticism of the ill-conceived Illiana Tollway project mounts, the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) board and policy committee will hold two critical votes this week to determine whether the 50-mile, four-lane Will County highway should remain in the GO TO 2040 regional plan. The proposed highway would link Interstate 55 with I-57 and I-65, serving only 8,000 vehicles […]

Bike sharing is coming to Evanston and Oak Park, and once again it's expanding in the city of Chicago, too! “Expanding Divvy outside of the city limits means fewer cars on the roads and gives more residents and visitors the fun opportunity to take a ride,” said Governor Pat Quinn at Evanston’s annual Bike the Ridge event last weekend. Evanston […]

The city announced today that work will begin next year on the Central Loop Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system, a new transit center at Union Station and an elevated Washington/Randolph CTA station. This is exciting news that will help make transportation downtown safer and more efficient for everyone. With increasing demand to move around the Loop and limited space, the […]

We’re getting closer and closer to seeing the popular North Branch trail extended 3 miles further south, adding low-stress connections from the North Branch Trail to the Sauganash, Lakefront and Weber Spur trails. Construction on the trail extension, which has been in the works since 2005, is anticipated to start in the spring of 2015 and will take approximately a […]

After hearing from a growing number of bicyclists who ride Metra, Metra leadership took positive steps to better accommodate bicyclists today with changes to its bikes on trains policy. Starting October 6, bikes will be allowed on some early morning trains and they will no longer be banned during special events. The change allows passengers to bring their bikes on […]