Post image: Imagine if you could get from Midway to O’Hare in less than 40 minutes on public transit. Currently, that trip takes well over an hour and involves transferring from the Orange to the Blue Line in the Loop before coming all the way back west towards O’Hare. Building the Airport Connector Express, one of 10 expansion projects in our […]

Post image:  Housing that is walkable to public transit may soon become attainable to more Chicagoans thanks to a zoning proposal that would double the land that can support transit-convenient development.  This sort of zoning is called “transit-oriented development,” or “TOD,” which designates land around a train station as focused on providing a mix of housing and commercial opportunities all […]

Post image:  Extending the CTA's Red Line south to 130th street has been talked about for more than a decade. The project has strong public and political support, and Mayor Emanuel has said it’s one of his second term priorities. In 2014, the CTA announced the list of extension alternatives had been narrowed to one “preferred alternative,” and work is […]

Post image:  Across the U.S., many students who live in rural areas are subjected to hours of bus riding before and after school every day.  Historically, American students attended the school that served their neighborhood. But in rural areas, school consolidation took hold.  Rural, sparsely populated areas weren’t effectively serving the small number of students in the area, so schools […]

Post image:  July 30th was PlayStreets Day and Active Trans was out in the neighborhoods having a ball! PlayStreets, a Chicago Department of Public Health youth obesity prevention initiative, closes traffic to specific neighborhood streets for three or more hours to transform the community into safe, supervised play areas for families to stay active and healthy.  Active Trans has been […]

Post image:  People who have been daydreaming about toting their bicycles on the South Shore Line will soon see their dreams come true thanks to advocacy efforts by Active Trans and other grassroots voices.  After years of pressure from Active Trans, the Save the Dunes Council and the National Parks Conservation Association, the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District (NICTD)  — […]

Post image:  Big Marsh bike park on Chicago’s far south side is going to be a world-class venue for mountain biking, cyclocross and BMX racing, leisurely trail riding, walking and running. There will be trails appropriate beginners, professionals and everyone else — and supporters are hoping to open the park in the spring.  Big Marsh has a lot going for […]

Post image:  On July 31, the Northern Indiana Commuter Rail District (NICTD) will be holding a board meeting to discuss how bikes can be allowed on the South Shore Line trains in the near future — and hopefully the board will have an updated proposal. A team of NICTD consultants recently released a proposed plan to allow bikes on the […]

Post image:  As a 20-year resident of Oak Park, I’m excited to share a number of changes coming to Oak Park that will improve conditions for biking and walking. Last week, the village board approved the Oak Park Neighborhood Greenways system as an addendum to its 2008 bike plan. Elements of the 2008 bike plan have already been adopted, such […]