Blog
Keep up with the latest news
on Active Trans and topics that
we care about in the region.
As our region’s transit system faces unprecedented funding and service challenges, a powerful movement is underway, driven by the collective voices of those who know we deserve better service from our trains and buses. Our recent gathering at the Transit is Essential Town Hall, held at the Mt. Carmel Baptist Church in the Douglas neighborhood, showed the transformative power of […]
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The Weber Spur Trail on Chicago’s Northwest Side has been subject to a series of starts and stops over the last decade, resulting in slow, sporadic progress for the rails-to-trails project. But the trail may finally be making some progress as the North Branch Trail Alliance re-engages local communities and stakeholders and works to ensure the project is top of […]
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The DuPage County Department of Transportation recently completed a survey that will help inform a trails plan that is expected to be approved this year. The new trails plan, which has been in development for several years, will focus on the maintenance and operations of nearly 100 miles of trails, including the Illinois Prairie Path, Great Western Trail and Southern […]
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Rail service at the CTA, unfortunately, continues to be plagued by issues surrounding hiring and training. The persistent problems with the agency’s employment pipeline means riders continue to be frustrated with unreliable, infrequent transit service, and CTA workers continue to be frustrated by lack of adequate job growth opportunities. In late December, we mobilized nearly 900 transit supporters in response […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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: SAFETY TRENDS […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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