Blog

Survey results show broad support for platform ideas

Oct 22, 2018 | by W. Robert Schultz III

The call for a dedicated Bike-Walk Fund of $20 million in Chicago’s annual budget received the strongest support among respondents to a recent survey of Active Trans supporters and allies.

The survey is part of Active Trans’ Walk and Roll the Vote Campaign, which educates candidates and voters about the city’s most pressing transportation issues. Active Trans is working with community partners from across the city to develop a game-changing transportation platform for the 2019 elections.

CEOs urge gubernatorial candidates to fund biking & walking

Oct 15, 2018 | by Kyle Whitehead

Business leaders from across the Chicago region are urging the next Illinois Governor to spend a “fair share” of state transportation dollars for a new, dedicated Bike Walk Fund.

The group of 27 CEOs recently sent a letter to Gov. Rauner and J.B. Pritzker asking the candidates to commit to spending at least $50 million annually on biking and walking projects if elected. Currently, the state spends very little of its own money on biking and walking projects that “enhance the safety,

Active Trans joins Chicago’s New Mobility Task Force

Oct 15, 2018 | by Ron Burke

UPDATE (3/14/19): Chicago released a report featuring recommendations from the New Transportation and Mobility Task Force, including many ideas Active Trans pushed in task force discussions.

—

As executive director of the Active Transportation Alliance, I am excited to join Chicago’s New Transportation and Mobility Task Force, which meets for the first time Oct. 25.

Cities are poised to become more livable and equitable by making it easier and cheaper to get around with fewer cars on our streets,

Community leaders support Illinois Bike Walk Fund

Oct 11, 2018 | by Kyle Whitehead

Leaders from neighborhoods throughout the Chicago region agree that more state transportation dollars should be spent on biking and walking projects.

Active Trans has called upon the next Illinois governor and general assembly to commit to spending a fair share of state transportation dollars for a new, dedicated Bike Walk Fund of $50 million per year, which is only about 2 percent of transportation capital spending at the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT).

New regional plan has mobility vision but lacks funding, political will

Oct 10, 2018 | by Ron Burke

Chicagoland’s new regional plan, called “ON TO 2050,” has plenty of good ideas on paper to tackle the problem of too many cars and traffic crashes, but it lacks the mechanisms, funding and leadership to actually implement a new mobility future and move away from the car-centric status quo.

The plan was prepared and approved by the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP), which is run by a collection of committees comprised of representatives of local,

Illinois celebrates Walk to School Day with new biking and walking education requirement

Oct 10, 2018 | by Ron Burke

School districts across Illinois are working to meet a new requirement to teach biking and walking safety while celebrating national Walk to School Day on Wednesday, October 10.

Illinois crash data shows nearly five children are hit by people driving every day in Illinois while walking or biking within one block of a school.

In August, Governor Rauner signed the Bike Walk Education in Schools Act (HB4799) into law.

Suburban advocacy summit on October 27

Oct 4, 2018 | by Maggie Melin Czerwinski

Do you want better walking, biking and transit options in your community?

For people who walk, bike or ride transit in the suburbs, our transportation system is often neither safe nor welcoming.

But when bolstered by a collective voice of advocates, transportation conditions in the Chicagoland suburbs have the potential to be transformed.

Be a part of this suburban transformation by attending our annual gathering of suburban advocates at our Bike Walk Every Town Summit on Saturday,

Bartlett advocate petitions for trail connection

Oct 4, 2018 | by Maggie Melin Czerwinski

Longtime bicycling advocate Terry Witt is leading the charge to fill in a significant regional trail gap through the Village of Bartlett.

Now he’s created a petition and needs your help collecting 1,000 signatures.

Terry (pictured) grew up in the northwest suburbs and now resides in Bartlett. His enthusiasm for biking was originally sparked by his adult son’s love for riding. “I started riding at age 55 with my son and didn’t stop!”

Upon retirement and with a newfound love of riding his bike,

Don’t believe the hype about distracted walking

Oct 3, 2018 | by Kyle Whitehead

Despite endless media coverage about the dangers of distracted walking, a new analysis shows only a small fraction of the pedestrians struck by cars in Illinois were using a cell phone.

From 2013 to 2016 in Illinois, less than 2 percent of pedestrians hit by cars were using cell phones at the time of the crash.

Let’s stop blaming victims and focus on the real problem.

Many pedestrians involved in crashes were legally crossing the street in a crosswalk,

Room for improvement on Lakefront Trail routing

Oct 2, 2018 | by Ron Burke

The Chicago Park District’s design for separate biking and walking paths on the Lakefront Trail between Ardmore and Montrose addresses a major safety issue by redirecting cyclists away from street crossings where cars funnel into and out of the park.

However, what this busy trail really needs and deserves is to eliminate street crossings altogether with ramps, underpasses or street closures so that everyone can enjoy the trail entirely car-free. This would also allow the bike path to revert to its original alignment closer to Lake Shore Drive.