Blog

Chicago River Trail will improve mental health

Sep 20, 2017 | by Active Trans

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Have you ever wondered why you felt better after spending time in nature or exercising by water? You experienced this because research shows these activities improve mood, cognitive functioning and self-esteem.

That is just one of the reasons why creating more green space like trails in urban areas is critical.

Over 50 percent of the world's population lives in cities and that number will rise to 70 percent in the next twenty years.

Bike race on Oct. 1 offers something for everyone

Sep 19, 2017 | by Active Trans

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Whether you participated last year or this is your first time hearing about it, Active Trans invites you to the charming northwest suburb of Bartlett for the Kickstand Classic, a bike race for all on Sunday, Oct. 1!

This chip-timed event, which takes place on a closed road course, is open to ALL kinds of riders, skill levels and ages on ANY kind of bike. This year, kids of all ages will be able to ride in this event. 

How to influence infrastructure spending in your ward

Sep 19, 2017 | by Active Trans

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Do you have ideas for improving walking or biking in your neighborhood?

If your ward hosts a participatory budgeting process, you might have an opportunity to put your idea up for a vote.

All you have to do is snap a photo of the area you would like to improve and contact your alderman to propose the changes you would like to see.

And if you can build support for the improvement with other residents as well local community groups,

State cuts to transit leads to Metra, Pace fare hikes

Sep 19, 2017 | by Active Trans

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With state legislators again cutting funding for public transit in a recent budget agreement, both Metra and Pace plan to increase fares in 2018.

Metra also plans a limited amount of service cuts, with details still to come.

Chicago Transit Authority President Dorval Carter said at the agency’s September board meeting that neither fare hikes nor service cuts are currently on the table for 2018.

The fare hike for Metra’s suburban commuter rail service was expected as the agency is four years into a 10-year modernization plan that includes gradual fare increases.

New tool analyzes dangerous driving near Chicagoland schools

Sep 18, 2017 | by Active Trans

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A new study uses data from mobile phones to analyze dangerous driving behavior near U.S. schools, including every school in the Chicago region.

The study measures phone use, rapid acceleration and hard braking in real-time so parents, community leaders and elected officials can identify major traffic safety problems near schools. 

It was conducted by Zendrive, a mobile driver analytics platform that’s incorporated into apps used by more than 3.8 million people driving across the U.S.

Bike route for Chicago River Trail ride on 9-17

Sep 13, 2017 | by Active Trans

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Join us for a leisurely bike tour of the South Branch from 10 a.m. to noon on Sunday, September 17.

Please see the route (pictured). We'll ride in neighborhood bike lanes for the majority of the 6.5 mile course.

Riders will meet at Federal Plaza (Adams/Dearborn) at 10 a.m. The low-stress route includes stops at Ping Tom Park (Chinatown), El Paseo Community Garden (Pilsen), and the Eleanor Street Boathouse (Bridgeport).

Suburban updates from around the region

Sep 7, 2017 | by Active Trans

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The latest suburban news on biking, walking and transit issues in your community is here!

Check out highlights from our latest local suburban e-newsletters. Our local e-newsletters offer a quick read on issues related to bicycling, walking and transit across the Chicagoland region.

Don’t see the newsletter in your inbox? Join our mailing list by signing up for our advocacy updates and alerts and check out our In Your Community webpages to learn about what's new in your community.

Metra Electric service changes take effect September 11

Sep 6, 2017 | by Active Trans

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After initially proposing more sweeping service cuts on the South Chicago and Blue Island branches of Metra Electric, the agency revised its plan in response to community concerns and announced the changes will take effect Monday September 11.

The latest plan restores one late-night outbound train on the South Chicago branch and four trains on the Blue Island branch on Saturdays. The original proposal eliminated late-night service on the South Chicago branch and all Saturday service to Blue Island.

September events on the Lakefront Trail

Sep 1, 2017 | by Active Trans

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The Active Transportation Alliance compiles a list of events happening each month along the Lakefront Trail.

See what's going on in the month of September so you can better plan your walking, biking or running route.

For regular updates about the Lakefront Trail, follow our Lakefront Trail Twitter page and the #chiLFT hashtag.

NOTE: The Lakefront Trail detour will still be in effect for the first part of September between Fullerton Ave.

Ride hailing is increasing congestion

Aug 30, 2017 | by Active Trans

Recent reports out of San Francisco and New York City find that ride-hailing companies like Lyft and Uber are contributing to increased traffic congestion and could be hurting transit ridership.

The San Francisco study found that ride-hailing vehicles travel approximately 570,000 miles within city limits on a typical weekday.

This accounts for 20 percent of all local daily vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and includes both in-service and out-of-service mileage.