When Active Transportation Alliance develops our state legislative agenda, we focus on what will help us achieve our mission, what’s realistic in the current political moment, what are the best practices we should follow, what our partners are prioritizing, and what our team can feasibly take on. But one factor rises to the top: What you’re passionate about. In policy […]

Autonomous taxis are in the headlines and they are likely to stay there for a while as one of the leading companies in the industry seeks to expand its service to Illinois. Waymo has already started preliminary mapping of the Chicago streets, a key first step before deployment of their services. Additionally, the Illinois General Assembly has taken up alternative […]

Illinois lays claim to one of the great episodes in American cycling history, and historian Christopher Sweet brings that era vividly to life — an era when Chicago proudly billed itself as the “bicycle center of the United States.” In his new book, A History of Bicycling in Illinois: 160 Years of Booms and Busts, Sweet uncovers the state’s central […]

Want to ignite a passion for cycling in your community this May? Active Transportation Alliance is thrilled to announce our Bike Month mini-stipend program for 2026, offering a perfect opportunity to bring the joy of biking to your local streets. Last year, grassroots groups and towns across Chicagoland transformed their communities with vibrant Bike Month celebrations. From community rides to […]

While speaking to the City Club of Chicago in January, CTA Acting President Nora Leerhsen probably surprised a few people in the audience when she mentioned her experience participating in a recent Second City comedy show called “Save Chicago Transit.” The comedy show included a series of skits looking at the local transit system’s looming fiscal cliff, followed by a […]

When Illinois passed the Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA) Act last fall, many credited former State Representative Elaine Nekritz as one of the main reasons the legislation made it across the finish line. Her political acumen, strategic thinking, and years of experience navigating the Capitol were indispensable. Without her, some say, the bill might have taken a far weaker form […]

For many people who love to bike, winter is the perfect season to dream up new ways to get more riders in the saddle. If you enjoy planning events that encourage others to discover the joy of biking, May’s Bike Month is the ideal time to bring your ideas to life. Throughout Bike Month, passionate grassroots organizations and local municipalities […]

Update 12/22/25, 3:00 PM Recently, Active Transportation Alliance and our allies met with the Mayor’s Office and Chicago Department of Transportation regarding changes in local bond funding for safe streets projects in Chicago. During this meeting, the administration acknowledged that bond funding levels beyond 2027 are reduced in the 2025-2029 Capital Improvement Plan, but that this reflects a change in […]

Active Transportation Alliance had plenty to celebrate at our recent member party. In addition to turning 40 this year, we experienced a monumental win for the state’s transit system. Indeed, one month ago our coalition passed a comprehensive transit funding and reform package. We fixed it and we funded it – to the tune of over $1.5 billion annually! Not […]

The Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) has made major progress transforming Chicago’s streets into safer, more accessible places for people of all ages and abilities. The city’s infrastructure bond has been essential to this work — funding repairs to roads and bridges, constructing new sidewalks, and expanding the network of bike lanes that connect our neighborhoods.  Across the city, these […]