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Keep up with the latest news
on Active Trans and topics that
we care about in the region.

Metra must get past serving just white-collar suburban riders

By Ted Villaire | September 18, 2020

This is a guest post by Scott Presslak, a regional transit advocate who runs the Star:Line Chicago Twitter account. As the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, the only certainty we have these days is uncertainty. 2020 has, without a shred of hyperbole, been the most challenging year that most of us have had to persevere, on multiple fronts. That challenge has […]

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Join our transit discussion during Cook County Racial Equity Week

By Kyle Whitehead | September 9, 2020

Active Transportation Alliance is excited to co-host a discussion on public transit during Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle’s second annual Racial Equity Week.  Register for the discussion, which will be held as a virtual event on Thursday, September 17 at 11 a.m.  The event is a roundtable on transportation equity in the time of COVID-19, with a spotlight on […]

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Support better transportation in Chicago’s 2021 budget

By Kyle Whitehead | September 8, 2020

Chicago faces many challenges as officials prepare next year’s budget. Among those challenges is the need to improve mobility options while keeping the city’s transportation system accessible to everyone. That’s why we need to ensure that transportation issues and improvements are part of the city’s budget conversation. You can help make sure this happens: If you’re a Chicago resident, please take […]

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The stress and uncertainty surrounding transportation

By Ted Villaire | September 2, 2020

At Active Trans, there’s been a lot to learn as we navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. Every day we’re fine-tuning our work so that we can better address the challenges people face while walking, biking, and using public transit during the pandemic. We’ve known that COVID-19 has altered walking, biking, and public transit, but we’ve been struggling to understand how different […]

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How to get everyone wearing masks on public transit

By Julia Gerasimenko | August 28, 2020

Universal mask wearing on buses and trains is the best way to ensure transit riders and operators stay safe and healthy amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. While universal compliance is difficult to achieve, leadership from local and state elected officials and local transit agencies is needed to send a clear, direct, and accessible message to transit riders that masks are required […]

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Founder Suzan Pinsof reflects on Active Trans’ origins

By Maya Norris | August 24, 2020

Ever wonder how the Active Transportation Alliance got its start? Well, Suzan Pinsof can tell you firsthand. The retired urban planner and bicycling advocate was instrumental in creating the nonprofit organization that evolved into Active Trans more than 30 years ago, laying the foundation for the nonprofit’s bicycling advocacy and its success in creating safer conditions for people walking, biking, […]

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Mobility and essential travel during COVID-19

By Alex Perez | August 21, 2020

When COVID-19 cases and deaths were rising in Chicago in March and April, the pandemic hit communities of color on the South and West Sides of Chicago at disproportionate rates. People in communities of color were already facing disparities in income, employment, health, traffic safety, and economic disinvestment before the COVID-19 outbreak. When the pandemic hit, Black people started dying […]

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Mobility in the time of COVID-19 in the north and west suburbs

By Maggie Melin Czerwinski | August 20, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed a lot of what we perceive and know about mobility and transportation. In recent months, Active Trans met with more than 100 stakeholders who are invested in our work. We spoke with community partners, elected officials, department of transportation and transit agency officials, and residents across the city and suburbs. As part of this process, […]

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Chicago’s budget needs to advance bus and bike lanes

By W. Robert Schultz III | August 18, 2020

Active Trans Campaign Organizer W. Robert Schultz III, a 31st Ward resident, provided testimony at a Chicago City Council hearing on the city’s infrastructure needs on August 18. The following is an excerpt of his remarks. I have lived in Belmont Cragin, Logan Square, and Uptown. Over the 30 years that I lived in Chicago, I have worked in nearly […]

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Mobility in the time of COVID-19 in the south suburbs

By Maggie Melin Czerwinski | August 18, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed a lot of what we perceive and know about mobility and transportation. In recent months, Active Trans met with more than 100 stakeholders who are invested in our work. We spoke with community partners, elected officials, department of transportation and transit agency officials, municipal staff, and residents across the city and suburbs. As part of […]

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