Blog

Take that, Jazzercise! Cycling now official exercise in Illinois

Jan 3, 2018 | by Active Trans

Some victories are truly impactful, like the top ten 2017 stories we recently described. 

Others are more symbolic and/or fun, like passage of a new law that makes cycling the state of Illinois’ official exercise. Like the Cardinal being the state bird, the designation is largely symbolic although it could help make the case for good cycling legislation.

We hope it will, because Active Trans is planning to make a concerted push for more biking and walking money in the next state budget,

Back on the Bus: Create more effective ways to enforce bus lanes

Dec 21, 2017 | by Active Trans

Of the paltry four miles of dedicated bus lanes that exist in Chicago, the city already struggles with keeping them clear from car traffic.

As we are calling for more bus lanes, Active Trans would also like to ensure the bus lanes are enforced so they are effective in improving bus speed and service.

Buses are slowed when lanes are used illegally for pickup and drop-off, private shuttle buses,

Back on the Bus: Establish a local dedicated revenue stream to fund transit

Dec 21, 2017 | by Active Trans

Cuts to transit funding were buried in this summer’s state budget agreement. This is unacceptable given the proven economic, environmental and public health benefits of public transit investment. To continue to invest in Chicago’s public transit system, we need a new consistent stream of local funding.

CTA, Metra, and Pace all face enormous backlogs of repairs just to maintain current bus and rail infrastructure. In the meantime, the state continues to pursue costly and ineffective road projects that only lead to more driving and sprawl.

Stay informed with the Mayor’s Bicycle Advisory Council

Dec 19, 2017 | by Active Trans

The Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) organizes and chairs the Mayor’s Bicycle Advisory Council (MBAC), which meets quarterly at city hall, and is open to the public. The meetings are a great way to stay informed on CDOT projects and learn about new initiatives and improvements to infrastructure around the city. 

The most recent session, which convened last week, started with the sobering statistics of fatalities of people riding bikes.

Books for young readers

Dec 18, 2017 | by Active Trans

There is something exquisite about children’s books, in the lean, sometimes wry, prose and magical illustrations. I knew this, of course, before becoming a parent. 

What I didn’t expect was the variety of books for young children that celebrate bicycling and public transit. As 2017 winds down and the winter holidays and gift giving begin, I wanted to share some of my family’s favorites.

My son’s first favorite book was Bus Stops,

Participatory budgeting celebrates five years

Dec 15, 2017 | by Active Trans

Participatory budgeting (PB) is celebrating five years in Chicago! PB is a democratic process in which community members directly decide how to spend part of a public budget.

Every year, each ward in the city of Chicago receives $1.3 million in “menu money” that is spent according to the discretion of the ward’s alderman.

Alderman Joe Moore of the 49th ward in Rogers Park was the first to implement participatory budgeting for his menu money in the United States.

Top ten active transportation stories of 2017

Dec 15, 2017 | by Active Trans

The coming new year provides a moment to pause and reflect on the accomplishments of the past year. With that in mind, here is Active Transportation Alliance’s top ten list of active transportation stories from 2017.

As you browse through these, be sure to savor the successes — especially if you’re one of the many people who helped make them happen. 

1. First sections of Lakefront trail separation open
Thanks to many years  of advocacy and a $12 million donation from Ken Griffin,

31-days of car-free suburban life

Dec 14, 2017 | by Active Trans

Growing up middle class in rural Pennsylvania, Katie Shaw Thompson never imagined life without a car.

Now a resident in the City of Elgin, Katie’s opinion on transportation, what’s possible and what should be possible, has shifted. Katie is a proud four-season bike commuter, a mother of two squirrely preschoolers, and an ordained pastor.

Over her adult moves from Pennsylvania to North Carolina to California to Indiana to Iowa and now Illinois,

Back on the Bus: Create 50 new miles of dedicated bus lanes

Dec 12, 2017 | by Active Trans

The Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) and the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) should work collaboratively to create a plan for 50 new miles of bus lanes. 

With only four miles of bus-only lanes, Chicago is lagging other cities across the nation when it comes to prioritizing street space for transit.

The #J14 Jeffery Jump has the longest bus-only lanes in Chicago. In 2015, CDOT and CTA debuted bus lanes as a key feature of Loop Link,

Chicago River Trail comes together in 2017

Dec 11, 2017 | by Active Trans

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Great progress towards a continuous Chicago River Trail happened in 2017. As the year winds down, we're grateful to share progress on many fronts and excited about opportunities in 2018 to move the trail closer to a reality.

The city added several trail segments and moved forward with development concepts that improve biking and walking along the river. Chicago City Council approved the Goose Island redevelopment plan in July,