Keep up with the latest news on Active Trans and topics that we care about in the region.
Every life lost is a tragedy. We can’t help but be overwhelmed when we think about the 78 lives lost in Chicago so far this year as a result of traumatic traffic crashes.
But we mustn’t become numb to these terrible events.
For the 2019 World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims event, which took place earlier this week, organizers lined up 78 pairs of white shoes in the Thompson Center.
Tags: Advocacy, biking, vision zero, Walking
Would you like the opportunity to bike on a seamless trail from Chicago to Starved Rock and Matthiessen State Parks?
The I&M Canal Trail and the Centennial Trail run from the southwest suburbs of Chicago to the downstate parks.
However, as riders of those trails know, major gaps exist in the trails that restrict users from staying on the same trail to make that journey. Instead, during those gaps, riders need to find their own alternative routes to safely make the trip.
Tags: IandMTrail, Trails
Yolanda Cruz lives in the Jeffrey Manor neighborhood on the Far South Side. She works part-time as a health aide in Hyde Park and buys a 7-day pass every week to get to work.
Yolanda knows the 7-day pass is more expensive in the long run than the monthly pass, but the upfront cost of the monthly pass is just too much for her.
“You can’t buy a monthly pass when you have to think about paying your bills,” said Yolanda,
UPDATE (11/26/19): Mayor Lightfoot’s budget passed Chicago’s City Council, including new fees on Uber and Lyft.
There’s so much misinformation flying around about Mayor Lightfoot’s changes to the Uber and Lyft fee structure that it’s easy to lose sight of what’s proposed.
The Mayor’s proposal targets downtown trips by adding a fee of $1.75 for solo trips and 65 cents for shared trips that start or end in and around the Loop.
A recent ride on the CTA’s 6000-series rail car provided an opportunity to travel back to 1959 when these cars were brand-new.
The feel of these cars is different from the CTA cars currently in use. For starters, the window seat in the front offers a wide view of the buildings, platforms, rail tracks, and signaling system. The plush seats gave the car a touch of old luxury.
Advertising and the CTA map in the rail cars dated back to the 1990’s,
UPDATE (11/26/19): Mayor Lightfoot’s budget passed Chicago’s City Council, including new fees on Uber and Lyft.
Mayor Lightfoot announced Friday she’ll use a portion of the revenue from new downtown ride-hailing fees to help expand Chicago’s network of bus priority streets. This is good news for anyone who wants better bus service and less congestion on Chicago streets.
Chicago residents: tell Mayor Lightfoot and your alderman you support fair fees and better bus service.
Earlier this week, developers, city leaders, advocates, and residents celebrated the official opening of the riverfront path at Lathrop Homes, one of the first local trails built by a public-private partnership.
The trail runs for roughly a half mile north and south of Diversey Avenue on the east side of the Chicago River and features new landscaping, benches, trees, and a boat and kayak launch.
Because the City of Chicago’s design guidelines require developers to build trails,
Carol Maher came to bicycling relatively late in life. But the 58-year-old retired IT project manager has certainly made up for lost time.
Since she took up cycling four years ago, Maher has ditched her car in favor of cruising around Chicago on two wheels full-time and has become a sustainable transportation advocate.
Maher credits a program called Go Albany Park for sparking her love of cycling in 2015.
Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, Chicago North Side
UPDATE (1/29/20): The City of Chicago released an evaluation of the 2019 scooter pilot and announced there will be a second pilot during summer 2020. They’re currently working on the terms of the new program. No details about how it will be structured are available at this time.
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During the past four months while the City of Chicago’s e-scooter sharing pilot program has been underway, Active Trans has been busy gathering information — online and in-person — from hundreds of Active Trans members,
Installing a new rack for bike parking may seem like a modest contribution to a community. But the reality is that it can a big difference in people’s lives — especially for people with limited transportation options who rely on bikes to get around.
Getting more bike racks in the community has been one of the recent goals of the Palatine Bike Club.
With the September installation of a bike parking rack at St.
Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, North Suburbs