Blog

Bill eliminating local match for walk/bike infrastructure becomes law

Aug 31, 2021 | by Kyle Whitehead

Illinois law now requires the state to cover 100 percent of the cost of walking and biking infrastructure when it’s needed on state roads.

Illinois House Bill 270 took effect on Tuesday, August 30, after it passed the legislature in May with strong bipartisan majorities.

Active Transportation Alliance championed the legislation along with Ride Illinois and Metropolitan Planning Council.

Until now,

Take action now to restore $10 billion in federal transit funding cuts

Aug 20, 2021 | by Kyle Whitehead

The infrastructure bill that passed the U.S. Senate in August cut $10 billion that would have gone toward public transit — and that was $10 billion that was already agreed to by both parties.

This is just one reason the bill is woefully inadequate in creating a cleaner and more equitable transportation network.

We need the House to hold the line and honor the original commitment. Either by amending the Senate bill or as part of a budget reconciliation package,

Take action now to fix highway-heavy bipartisan infrastructure bill

Aug 6, 2021 | by Kyle Whitehead

The U.S. Senate is finalizing a $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill that would increase funding for transit and traffic safety, but still includes far too much unchecked spending to build and expand roads. 

Now we need your help to make sure our senators take advantage of an opportunity to improve the bill before it’s called for a final vote, which could occur as soon as this weekend.  

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Please ask your senators to support the following transit justice amendments: 

• The Kaine amendment (2373),

Rep. Moeller plays key role in passing bill to improve walking & biking

Jul 29, 2021 | by Ted Villaire

Getting the Illinois Department of Transportation to eliminate its 20 percent local match requirement for walking and biking improvements on state roads was a long and arduous battle.

It required months of work on the part of advocates and lawmakers across Illinois.

Thankfully, all the effort paid off.

IDOT has always covered all costs for motor vehicle infrastructure on state roads.

Now, thanks to this legislation that Active Trans spearheaded,

Chicago ranked near bottom of list of bike-friendly big cities

Jul 9, 2021 | by Maggie Melin Czerwinski

With high speed limits and few low-stress bike routes, Chicago and its largest suburbs score poorly in a new international ratings program designed to evaluate a city’s level of safety and comfort for people biking.

The City Ratings program was developed by People for Bikes, a national non-profit bicycle advocacy group. It ranks cities based on the quality and connectivity of their bicycle networks, and includes 21 cities in the Chicago region.

Cycling Without Age helps older adults combat social isolation

Jun 22, 2021 | by Maya Norris

With the warm weather settling into Illinois, many people are hopping on their bicycles, enjoying the wind in their hair and the sun on their faces. But many older residents with limited mobility don’t often get the chance to cruise through their neighborhoods via pedal power — until now.

Cycling Without Age has made its way to Illinois to help older people reclaim the benefits of bicycling to improve their physical and emotional well-being.

Take action now to make CTA and Metra fully accessible

Jun 22, 2021 | by Kyle Whitehead

The time has come for real access to public transportation.

As Congress considers a reauthorization of the federal transportation bill, transit and disability rights advocates are rallying behind an opportunity to finally make all public transit systems fully accessible.

Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth introduced the All Stations Accessibility Program (ASAP) Act (S. 1680) in the Senate and Illinois Rep. Marie Newman and Chuy Garcia introduced companion legislation in the House (H.R.

New analysis highlights racial disparities in Chicago area transit access

Jun 17, 2021 | by Kyle Whitehead

A new tool illustrates how longstanding patterns of segregation and discrimination in public policy have caused transit access for Black and Brown residents to lag behind access for White residents.

The Transit Equity Dashboard, produced by the national foundation TransitCenter, maps and quantifies the disparities in transit access caused by segregation and discrimination in land use and transportation policy. TransitCenter helps fund and support local transit advocacy organizations like Active Trans and the Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT).

Why Congress must deliver ongoing operations support for Chicago-area transit

Jun 16, 2021 | by Kyle Whitehead

All residents of the Chicago region deserve access to reliable, affordable public transportation, no matter where they live.

Imagine a region where every community has great bus and train service that can safely and conveniently get you to work, school, shopping, church, or anywhere else you need to go; a place where you don’t need to spend thousands of dollars per year owning and operating a car.

Putting every resident within reach of frequent transit service is possible — we just need to fund it.

Kevin Clark’s family and others urge city to take action

Jun 14, 2021 | by Ted Villaire

Around 100 people gathered on Saturday in Logan Square to celebrate the life and legacy of Kevin Clark, who was tragically killed while riding a bike on May 26.

Kevin was hit by a driver at the intersection of Logan Boulevard and Western Avenue, a spot that has long been known to be very dangerous for people walking and biking.

During the vigil and press conference, family members shared details about Kevin’s kind and gentle nature,