Blog
Keep up with the latest news
on Active Trans and topics that
we care about in the region.
The Chicago Transit Authority recently provided a bus tour along the right-of-way for the much-needed 5.6-mile Red Line Extension project. Once completed, Chicago’s major north-south L line will extend to the southernmost neighborhoods and fulfill a decades old promise. The extension will begin at 95th Street and head south to 130th Street, hitting four new stations along the way. […]
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Despite nearly 450 people speaking out against a series of roadway expansion projects, leadership at our regional planning agency approved plans to add nearly 300 lane miles to our region’s roadways. As roadway expansion plans are being stopped in the name of racial equity, climate change, safety, and fiscal responsibility, it was disheartening to see the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for […]
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Active Trans recently joined with allies to mobilize around a city council hearing that shined a light on CTA’s recent service shortcomings and reliability problems. Before the hearing, a press conference was held by aldermen, transit worker unions, and several organizations, including the Active Transportation Alliance. The same day our allies at Commuters Take Action rallied outside the CTA board […]
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The residents of the Village of Brookfield and neighboring towns got the chance to learn about the village’s current and future pedestrian and bicycle improvements during a recent walking tour and discussion that Active Transportation Alliance helped organize. During the tour, village staff, local leaders, and community advocates shared behind-the-scenes stories about planning, funding, and building support for various active […]
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In recent months, the Active Transportation Alliance has been urging our regional planning agency to stop giving the green light to road expansion projects that are intended to alleviate congestion, yet end up worsening not just congestion, but climate change, safety, and equity. At a recent hearing held by the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP), Active Transportation Alliance’s Director […]
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In recent weeks, Chicago City Council passed an ordinance that will promote more affordable housing near transit within the city’s South and West Side neighborhoods and improve safety for pedestrians and other road users. Among benefits will be new approaches toward development near transit, including reducing parking minimums, increasing density/height limits (including bus lines), and increasing affordable and accessible housing […]
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The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP), which is responsible for comprehensive transportation planning in northeastern Illinois, is currently updating its list of regionally significant projects that are eligible for federal funding. Unfortunately, the proposed list includes projects that would add nearly 300 miles of lanes to our region’s expressways and arterial streets, leading to a substantial increase in driving, […]
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Violeta Valadka faced a dilemma that many ardent supporters of Bike the Drive face. What to do with all those Bike the Drive T-shirts she has amassed over the years. Her inventive solution: Create a quilt out of those collectible T-shirts as a lasting memento of one of her favorite bicycling events of the year. Valadka (pictured left) has been […]
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Thank you to the aldermen who voted to reject efforts to raise the threshold for automated speed enforcement, which would have enabled dangerous speeding and put vulnerable roadway users at risk. On July 20, a majority of aldermen defeated a measure that would have raised the threshold for speed camera ticketing, making it legal to travel 10 mph above the […]
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David Powe is a self-professed transportation nerd — a moniker he wears proudly. After all, he has devoted his entire career to sustainable transportation planning and activism, shaping walking, biking, and public transit conditions in various cities across the United States to help create equitable, healthy, and thriving communities. And now he brings that vast experience and deep expertise to […]
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