Blog

Stories from the bus

Jan 31, 2019 | by Active Trans

Guest blog by SWOP Organizer Devonta Boston. Southwest Organizing Project is one of our Bus Advocacy Community Partners and mini-grant recipients. SWOP organizer Devonta Boston met with 60 individuals on the Southwest Side to discuss their experiences with bus service in their community:

During the time I spent doing relational meetings centered around bus advocacy, I have had the opportunity to learn a lot and heard varying opinions of local bus service.

Connecting Chicago’s suburbs with rapid transit

Jan 31, 2019 | by Ron Burke

Chicago suburbs eager to attract people and companies should start by becoming more walkable and transit-friendly.

One place to look for successful ways to accomplish this is Pace’s “bus on shoulder” service. A recent Chicago Tribune article documents the growing ridership on routes between the suburbs and downtown Chicago that use the highway shoulders of I-55 and I-294. The buses can bypass traffic jams created by thousands of drive-alone commuters, allowing bus riders a faster and less stressful commute.

Lincoln Yards lacks vision for walking, biking & transit

Jan 29, 2019 | by Steve Simmons

Last week, the Chicago Plan Commission approved the master plan for Lincoln Yards, a 55-acre mixed use development on the Chicago River that includes Bucktown and Lincoln Park (pictured).

The vote brings Lincoln Yards another step closer to reality.

Lincoln Yards will have major implications for people walking, biking and taking public transportation to and from neighborhoods on the north side.

It’s expected the influx of new residents and workers will create tremendous demand for healthy and sustainable transportation.

West Side advocates share bus service woes with CTA board

Jan 28, 2019 | by Julia Gerasimenko

Getting to jobs on time is difficult for many West Side residents who rely on the bus during off-peak hours.

Active Trans joined Charles Perry, Director of Organizing at the West Side Health Authority, in testifying before the CTA board in January. We were calling for the transit agency to develop a plan for 50 miles of transit priority streets for Chicago.

As one of our Bus Advocacy Community Partners,

Mayoral candidates pledge support for better bus service

Jan 28, 2019 | by Julia Gerasimenko

The leading candidates for mayor of Chicago say they support creating more bus-only lanes and other improvements that would make bus service faster and more reliable.

On Tuesday, January 15, nine candidates participated in the Bus Riders Forum organized by the Pilsen Alliance and Active Transportation Now. The forum was moderated by Mary Wisniewski, transportation reporter and columnist at the Chicago Tribune.

The Pilsen Alliance is a 20-year-old social justice organization that sees equitable public transportation as crucial to social justice in Chicago.

Alderman Villegas on board for better bus service

Jan 24, 2019 | by Julia Gerasimenko

After hearing from a group of youth in his ward who are frustrated with the Diversey bus, Alderman Villegas (36th ward) says he’ll work with city agencies to speed up bus service.

Active Trans partnered with a group of youth advocates from the Northwest Side Housing Center on a meeting with Alderman Villegas in late 2018. The alderman heard stories from the youth of what slow and unreliable bus service has cost them,

Members weigh in on electric scooter sharing

Jan 24, 2019 | by Kyle Whitehead

Active Trans supporters are intrigued about the potential for electric scooter sharing to help build support for bike/walk/transit infrastructure, but scooter riding on the sidewalk is a major concern.

These are some of the findings from Active Trans’ recent member survey on electric scooter sharing. More than 645 supporters completed the survey, which was launched at our 2018 Annual Meeting in December. At the event, attendees had the opportunity to discuss the pros and cons of scooter sharing with staff,

Using balance bikes to build relationships in Elgin

Jan 3, 2019 | by Maggie Melin Czerwinski

A group of advocates in Elgin is working to advance the city’s decade-old bike plan and boost bike access for children in low-income parts of the town.

Elgin Bike Hub is a non-profit organization working for better biking in the northwest suburban city that straddles both Cook and Kane counties. The group is pushing for the community’s nearly ten-year-old Bikeway Plan to be updated and revised as an active transportation plan that prioritizes equity.

Batavia advocates connect with local businesses

Jan 3, 2019 | by Maggie Melin Czerwinski

A western suburban advocate has been going door-to-door in Batavia educating local business owners and their customers about the benefits of walking, biking and public transportation.

Abby Beck of Walk Batavia/Bike Batavia wanted to help businesses in downtown Batavia better understand how walking and biking can have a positive impact on their bottom line.

She asked businesses to place little chalkboards on their counters with the message “How did you get here today?” Customers were asked to mark “walk,” “bike” and “other.” 

Top 10 biking, walking and transit stories of 2018

Dec 21, 2018 | by Ted Villaire

There were plenty of attention-grabbing developments among the top active transportation stories of 2018.

Some of these developments helped make our streets safer and more inviting for people using active transportation, while others were intended to give more people access to better transportation options.

Here they are. If we missed an important story, please let us know in the comments below.

1. Lakefront Trail separation. After decades of trail advocacy by Active Trans and our community partners,