Blog

Keep up with the latest news
on Active Trans and topics that
we care about in the region.

New campaign aims to improve safety

By Ted Villaire | October 13, 2014

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 pedestrian […]

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Staff & Board of Directors

By Ted Villaire | October 11, 2014

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 […]

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Schools celebrate 2014 Walk to School Day

By Ted Villaire | October 9, 2014

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 […]

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Fate of Illiana Tollway boondoggle to be determined this week

By Ted Villaire | October 7, 2014

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 […]

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Divvy expands to Evanston and Oak Park

By Ted Villaire | October 2, 2014

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 […]

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City moving ahead with Central Loop BRT and other downtown improvements

By Ted Villaire | September 29, 2014

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 […]

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Get ready for an improved North Branch Trail

By Ted Villaire | September 25, 2014

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 […]

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Metra changes bike policy to increase access

By Ted Villaire | September 23, 2014

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 […]

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Evanston leaders: Please forge ahead with Bike Plan Update

By Ted Villaire | September 23, 2014

Evanston has one of the highest rates of biking in the entire country and is second only to Madison, WI, on the list of midwestern bike hubs. In response to the rapid growth in the number of people using bikes to get around town, Evanston recently adopted an exciting update to the city's bike plan. But even in a bike-friendly […]

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New report calls region’s transit system “dysfunctional” and “depressing”

By Ted Villaire | September 18, 2014

A new report highlights the lack of connectivity in our regional transit system and demonstrates the need for increased investment to avoid falling further behind our peer cities throughout the world. The report draws further attention to the region’s shortcomings in public transportation on both national and international levels. It’s part of an international series on regional development by the […]

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