While riding my bike to work last week, a delivery truck driver coming from the other direction illegally turned left in front of me, making my heart skip a beat and forcing me to stop suddenly. The truck couldn’t complete the turn right away, because he was (thankfully) yielding to a pedestrian.  I made eye contact with the driver and […]

  Over the years, we've been working tirelessly throughout the region to make it easier and safer to bike, walk and use public transit. Here are some of the great things we've been able to accomplishsince we started in 1985.    1985    Chicagoland Bicycle Federation is born.   1986   Volunteer-written “Safe Bicycling in Chicago” pamphlet attracts the attention […]

If you haven’t had a chance to see the Bronzeville BikeBox in action, mark your calendar for the Spoketacular on Sunday, August 17, 2-6 p.m. It promises to be a great bike and community event to get your bike fixed, tour Bronzeville and indulge in ice cream.   With the Spoketacular, Bronzeville Bikes hopes to draw attention to the advantages […]

This blog is part of our series chronicling our work with a Chicago Public Schools program called Healthy CPS. Read more about the project here. At Mary Lyon Elementary in the Belmont Cragin neighborhood of Chicago, active transportation is a community effort. Like Funston Elementary, Mary Lyon has a "wellness team" that works to increase staff and student wellness. Mary Lyon […]

At its core, public transit is intended to connect people to jobs, boosting economic activity and helping cities thrive. In Cook County, our current system fails to meet this basic need for about one out of every 10 people, according to a new report by the Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT) that's featured in the Chicago Tribune this week. The report is […]

Yesterday, Mayor Emanuel and the Chicago Park District announced the beginning of phase 1 work on Big Marsh Park — a truly awesome new project to benefit Chicago's far southeast side. The 268 acre, $30 million eco-recreation gem will be "a playground for cycling," featuring "family-friendly bike trails as well as world-class venues for mountain biking, cyclocross racing, and trail riding within […]

Look out! Everyone who lives in the Chicago region has had the experience of trying to walk, bike or drive through a particularly dangerous intersection, dodging traffic, cyclists, pedestrians – or some combination of all three. It doesn’t have to be this way. We’re looking to identify some of the most dangerous intersections and impossible street crossings in the city […]

Active Transportation Alliance members recently received the latest issue of our quarterly printed newsletter in the mail. If you haven’t yet taken a look at the newsletter – or if you’re considering a membership and wondering about the content of our newsletters– here’s a sneak peek at some of the articles from the summer 2014 edition. CDOT commissioner Rebekah Scheinfeld: […]

Evanston City Council members unfortunately delayed voting on a new bike plan at a recent council meeting. Most residents spoke in support of the plan, but several objected to the proposed extension of the Davis Street bike lane through their neighborhood. Residents raised concerns about the lane increasing traffic congestion and impacting the historic character of the area. They also […]

North Ave., between Oak Park and Ridgeland Avenues on the border of Chicago and Oak Park, presents many challenges for pedestrians. This road has pedestrian crossing signals that currently don’t work, faded crosswalks, no tactile or wheelchair ramps at the corner and pedestrians must walk a half a mile just to cross North Ave. at Elmwood Ave. These are all […]