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on Active Trans and topics that
we care about in the region.

Come to 'Spoketacular' event in Bronzeville on Sun., Aug. 17

By Ted Villaire | August 11, 2014

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 […]

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Mary Lyon school community supports biking and walking

By Ted Villaire | August 4, 2014

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 […]

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‘Transit deserts’ report demonstrates need for Transit Future

By Ted Villaire | August 4, 2014

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 […]

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Big. Marsh. Park. Is. HAPPENING!

By Ted Villaire | August 1, 2014

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 […]

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Tell us about the unsafe crossings in your neighborhood

By Ted Villaire | July 31, 2014

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 […]

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Here's a sneak peek at our latest newsletter

By Ted Villaire | July 30, 2014

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: […]

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Evanston bike plan hits the brakes

By Ted Villaire | July 30, 2014

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 […]

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Working for safe crossings on North Ave.

By Ted Villaire | July 29, 2014

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 […]

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Engagement leads to school biking and walking success

By Ted Villaire | July 25, 2014

This blog post is part of a series chronicling our work with Healthy CPS. Read more about the project here. An important part of the Healthy CPS Safe Routes to School project is developing school-specific recommendations to increase the number of kids walking and biking to school. Since parents are among the best people to identify obstacles to walking and […]

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Announcing the 2014 Bike Commuter Challenge winners!

By Ted Villaire | July 24, 2014

For the last 23 years, the Active Transportation Alliance has created thousands of new bike commuters each year through the Bike Commuter Challenge. The Challenge promotes bike commuting as an activity that is easy, fun and environmentally-friendly. Throughout the Challenge’s long history, it has been under the enthusiastic guidance of the Team Leader – our bike commuting evangelists – to […]

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