Keep up with the latest news on Active Trans and topics that we care about in the region.
A state law passed in 2017 establishes a regulatory structure for electric assist bicycles (e-bikes) in Illinois and helps riders understand the new technology.
The bill amended the Illinois vehicle code to create three classes of e-bikes based upon the bike’s equipment and top speed.
As election season in the City of Chicago approaches, Active Trans is excited to invite our partners and supporters across the city to provide input on our 2019 transportation platform.
Active Trans will host two meetings open to all to help build a collaborative and intersectional platform, which will be used to educate candidates and voters in the 2019 Chicago mayoral and city council elections.
At this year’s Illinois Bike Summit hosted by Ride Illinois, Active Trans board member and Chicago Heights resident Larry Mysz was given the prestigious Illinois Educator Award.
The award was well deserved. As a bicycle advocate and educator over the last two decades, Larry has touched the lives of thousands of people, inspiring many to seriously consider the bicycle as a mode of transportation for everyday use, even in the suburbs.
The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) finally has a plan to make all its rail stations accessible. Unfortunately, however, only a small portion of the work is funded.
This week CTA released its first All Stations Accessibility Program (ASAP) Plan — following through on a commitment CTA President Dorval Carter made in 2016. The plan outlines the short- and long-term projects needed to make all stations accessible within 20 years, including cost estimates and phasing.
Tags: Advocacy
The needs of people biking and walking on Chicago’s Southeast Side have been ignored for too long. In an effort to change that, community advocates are now ramping up the pressure on local elected officials.
Join Active Trans, the Southside Trailblazers, Friends of Big Marsh and Slow Roll Chicago on Saturday, July 28 for the Big Marsh Bike Convergence community ride. We will travel from four community areas around Lake Calumet and convene at Big Marsh Park to highlight the challenges for people biking and walking on the Far South and East sides of Chicago.
Tags: Advocacy, biking, Chicago South Side, Walking
Transit riders have spoken up throughout the planning process for the reconstruction of North Lake Shore Drive and that support is starting to show up in the project design.
A project team comprised of the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) and Chicago Park District (CPD) plans to rebuild North Lake Shore Drive between Grand and Hollywood Avenues. The proposed project involves seven miles of the 8-lane Lake Shore Drive boulevard,
Tags: Advocacy, Chicago North Side
Active Trans was thrilled to be able to offer financial support to bring Bike Week into additional communities throughout Chicago this year.
Thanks to financial support from Google, Active Trans provided four grants to community groups so that they could host Bike Week encouragement and educational events.
The North River Commission — serving the Albany Park, Irving Park, North Park and Mayfair communities — held several educational and encouragement events while partnering with local bike shops,
Reports indicate the City of Chicago’s dockless bike-sharing pilot program is off to a slow start, and the city should consider changes to the program to ensure it generates useful data.
Since early 2017 Active Trans has been exploring the potential for dockless bike share in the Chicago region by talking with community members, dockless bike-sharing companies, peer advocates in cities where dockless bike sharing is currently operating, and city officials.
In 2017, Active Trans and our partners from the Back on the Bus Coalition published the Back on the Bus report. This report found that bus ridership in the city was dropping and that the way to increase bus ridership was to focus on improving bus speed and reliability.
To reverse this trend, three recommendations were given:
To continue this work,
Chicago’s Chinatown has been touted as one of the only Chinatowns in the U.S. that is growing. Indeed, over the past several years, Chinese Americans have moved beyond Chinatown’s core within Armour Square and into “Greater Chinatown.”
While Chicago’s Chinatown is a vibrant neighborhood and great place to live, it’s also long overdue for active transportation investments.
The Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community (CBCAC), Alderman Solis and Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) began work on a long-term vision plan in 2013 as part of Chinatown’s centennial celebration.