Blog
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on Active Trans and topics that
we care about in the region.
2021 marks a historic milestone for the Active Transportation Alliance. The nonprofit celebrates its 35th anniversary this year in leading the charge to create a sustainable transportation landscape in Chicagoland that emphasizes safety and health. Active Trans has come a long way since it was founded in 1985 as the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation by a small group of advocates looking […]
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The COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing economic crisis have reshaped the landscape for public transit in our region’s suburban communities. Dramatic declines in ridership and revenues have forced local agencies to make tough choices about suburban transit service, all while thousands of people throughout the region continue rely on transit to navigate their daily lives. At the same time, opportunities for […]
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Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and brutal February weather, nearly 350 people suited up and participated in the 2021 Winter Bike Challenge, presented by Keating Law Offices. Overall, riders logged nearly 2,000 miles over the course of 300 trips. During the two-week challenge, riders saw all types of cold weather thrown at them, including one day with over ten inches of […]
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The transportation committee in the Illinois State House is considering a bill that would make roads safer for vulnerable users, and we need your help to make sure it passes. House Bill 270 eliminates the 20 percent local cost share for walking and biking infrastructure on state roads. The bill is scheduled to be called in committee on Monday, March […]
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A new report from Chicago’s Inspector General (IG) finds police and emergency management personnel had outsize influence on decisions to shut down transit and raise bridges during last summer’s protests following George Floyd’s murder. These decisions had major transportation impacts on thousands of city residents, particularly our most vulnerable neighbors such as people with disabilities and low-income essential workers. Yet the report finds the city’s transit leaders who know their systems best often weren’t at the table […]
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As part of the 16th Annual Chicago Food Justice Summit, Active Transportation Alliance is excited to help lead a discussion about how food access is linked to transportation issues. The virtual event, which is focusing on the theme of “radical re-imagination,” is sponsored by the Chicago Food Policy Action Council (CFPAC). The CFPAC is an organization that works to improve food access for Chicago residents and […]
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Active Trans stands in solidarity with the hunger strikers and Southeast Side residents who are fighting to get Mayor Lightfoot and Public Health Commissioner Arwady to deny the final permit to General Iron, a car crushing and metal recycling facility. The facility, previously located in Lincoln Park, has a well-documented history of causing health issues in local residents due to […]
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Active Transportation Alliance is excited to participate in a virtual summit about the impacts of growth in warehousing and trucking on Chicago’s South Side. This 3-day event is being cosponsored by the Chicago Environmental Justice Network (CEJN) and the Transportation Equity Network (TEN). Registration is free and open to the public. Organizers plan to discuss the central role of freight in our region’s economy and how it […]
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Two community youth leaders pressed the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) board at the February meeting on service and cleanliness issues, earning commitments from CTA leadership that they would work to address their concerns. Minerva Garcia and Yalinette Rivera are youth organizers from the Belmont Cragin Youth Leadership Council, a part of the Northwest Side Housing Center. Both Minerva and Yalinette testified at CTA’s February board meeting. […]
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Hundreds of advocates and community leaders joined Congressman Chuy Garcia and Congresswoman Robin Kelly in Chicago’s first celebration of National Transit Equity Day on February 4. Transit Equity Day serves as a national day of action that commemorates the birthday of Rosa Parks while reminding us that public transit is a civil right. It was started four years ago by […]
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