Blog

North Shore Channel Trail extensions would bridge trail gaps

Jan 25, 2024 | by Maya Norris

Walking and biking trails are dotted throughout Evanston. While many of Evanston’s residents take advantage of those trails, they also find them frustrating.

Many of the trails don’t connect to other local and regional trails, forcing people to walk and bike along dangerous and stressful roadways if they want to move from one trail to another.

But that may change if the Evanston Transit Alliance has its way.

The advocacy group is making progress on connecting the North Shore Channel Trail in Skokie to trails north of Evanston,

Bike racks find a new home thanks to local partnerships

Jan 25, 2024 | by Active Trans

It was an early holiday surprise in mid-December when the residents of Baldwin-Green apartment complex in Palatine acquired six bike racks valued at $3,000.

The bike racks, which were being discarded by the Chicago Botanic Garden, initially didn’t have a new home.

Then the Chicago Botanic Garden reached out to the Chicago Tool Library to offer the racks as a donation.

Active Transportation Alliance got involved,

IDOT looks closer at crashes and how to respond effectively

Jan 18, 2024 | by Maggie Melin Czerwinski

Towards the end of 2023, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) released its 2023 Vulnerable Road User (VRU) Safety Assessment for the state.

As mandated by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the assessment identifies safety trends, policies, and strategies to enhance the safety of pedestrians, bicyclists, and other vulnerable road users.

The following are highlights from the report:

IDOT compiled and analyzed safety data spanning from 2005 to 2022,

Uncleared snow makes sidewalks treacherous for the most vulnerable people

Jan 12, 2024 | by Active Trans

Winter in Chicagoland means clearing those sidewalks of snow so that pedestrians have safe walkways to traverse during the winter.

Shoveling sidewalks is not only the neighborly thing to do, but it’s also the law in some places, including Chicago.

While we strongly support the effort to make sidewalk snow removal in Chicago a municipal service, snow removal—for now—continues to be the responsibility of the property owner.

According to Chicago’s municipal code,

Community spirit pushes the Great Western Trail forward

Jan 8, 2024 | by Maya Norris

The Great Western Trail, a 30-mile path tracing the legacy of the Chicago Great Western Railway, stands as a testament to advocacy and perseverance.

Broken into two segments due to geographical hurdles, this trail is a labor of love, continuously championed by the Friends of the Great Western Trail.

The newer of the two sections is 12.7 miles and runs between Villa Park and West Chicago in DuPage County,.

The older,

Mayor Johnson should make 2024 the Year of the Bus 

Jan 3, 2024 | by Julia Gerasimenko

At the Active Transportation Alliance, we often hear from Chicago transit riders who are fed up with buses that are unreliable and often delayed.

Indeed, it’s a major barrier that keeps many people from using buses. Slow buses that are undependable ensure that people will find other ways of getting around the city.

Thankfully, we know how to fix this problem — and the solution is very do-able.

Countless examples in other cities have shown that bus priority infrastructure is the most cost-effective intervention when it comes to improving the experience for riders and operators.

Our top ten walking, biking, and transit stories of 2023

Dec 21, 2023 | by Ted Villaire

2023 was a year of unprecedented progress for our movement.

Dozens of major infrastructure projects across the region created safe places for people to walk and bike where they did not exist before. There are more concrete protected bike lanes, pedestrian bump outs and islands, and smooth trail connections.

Illinois and Chicago passed bold new laws that put us on the path towards a more sustainable and equitable transportation system.

Why does it matter?

Illinois Prairie Path continues to grow and improve

Dec 15, 2023 | by Maya Norris

Since its inception in the 1960s, Illinois Prairie Path has woven itself through DuPage, Kane, and Cook Counties. As one of the nation’s pioneering rail trail projects, this 61-mile trail network offers plenty for Chicagoland residents to be proud of.

From the beginning and continuing on to this day, advocacy and collaboration have been crucial to the success of this trail that serves as the centerpiece for Chicagoland rail trails.

In 1963,

Want to learn how to become a better advocate for sustainable transportation?

Dec 13, 2023 | by Maggie Melin Czerwinski

Want to get more involved in making our region a better place to walk, roll, bike, and take transit?  

If you’re interested in learning about tangible ways to make a positive difference in your community and across our region, become a Street Team Advocate!

Join one of our two-hour trainings this winter to build your advocacy skills and get up to speed on our two most pressing campaigns – Transit That Works and Safe Streets for All.  

The community drive behind the East Branch DuPage River Trail

Dec 6, 2023 | by Maya Norris

In central DuPage County, a vision took root in the 1980s for a 28-mile regional trail meant to link communities and allow access to the natural environment west of I-355.

But progress on the trail was sluggish for many years.

Then trail development kicked into a higher gear when a group formed that was dedicated to completing the trail.

This north-south trail was originally conceptualized as an off-street non-motorized path for DuPage County residents west of I-355,