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REI to be honored for its longtime support

Feb 25, 2019 | by Maya Norris

We will be honoring REI by giving the company a Business Leadership Award at our 2019 Active Transportation Alliance Awards Reception on March 7. Please join us as we recognize REI as well Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Logan Square Neighborhood Association. Specialty outdoor retailer REI does more than just sell clothing and gear for the outdoor enthusiast. The nation’s largest consumer co-op is committed to connecting people with nature and outdoor recreation, encouraging them to live active, healthy lifestyles that include bicycling and walking. And locally, REI has been a longtime supporter of Active Trans, providing funding and other resources to help create and promote more sustainable transportation infrastructure in the region. "Active Trans’ mission resonates with REI and...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, Walking

Mayoral candidates support upgrading Metra Electric

Feb 21, 2019 | by Julia Gerasimenko

Chicago’s leading candidates for mayor recognize the untapped potential of the Metra Electric Line and understand why the next administration must upgrade it. For years Active Trans has worked with community-based partners in the Coalition for a Modern Metra Electric to fight for more service, better coordination and safer stations along the line. Now mayoral candidates are getting on board in response to a candidate questionnaire from Active Transportation NOW, a 501(c)4 affiliate of Active Trans. Coalition goals for the Metra Electric include: Trains every 10 to 15 minutes An equitable fare structure with easy, low-cost transfer to CTA and Pace Clean, safe, bright, accessible stations We were thrilled to see that all eight candidates who responded to the candidate questionnaire (Daley,...

Tags: Advocacy, Chicago South Side, transit

Most mayoral candidates support a Bike Walk Fund

Feb 20, 2019 | by Julia Gerasimenko

Currently there is no money in the Chicago Department of Transportation’s (CDOT) annual capital budget set aside specifically for biking and walking projects. But change could be around the corner with most of Chicago’s mayoral candidates supporting a new, dedicated Bike Walk Fund in the city’s budget. The $20 million fund would give priority to the city’s highest-crash corridors on the South and West Sides. Take action now to a support a Chicago Bike Walk Fund. Today, funding for street safety projects like better-lit crosswalks and curb-protected bike lanes comes from a patchwork of local, state and federal sources, including aldermanic menu money. These inconsistent and inadequate funding sources mean that many essential projects get left by the wayside. According...

Tags: Advocacy, biking, Chicago South Side, Chicago West & Southwest Side, Walking

Mayoral candidates support 100 new miles of bikeways

Feb 19, 2019 | by Julia Gerasimenko

Chicago’s leading candidates for mayor pledge to build at least 100 miles of new on-street bikeways over the next four years, including at least 50 miles of protected bike lanes. All eight candidates who responded to the Active Transportation NOW candidate questionnaire (Daley, Enyia, Fioretti, Ford, Kozlar, Lightfoot, Preckwinkle and Vallas) support building at least 100 miles of new on-street bikeways over the next four years, including at least 50 miles of protected bike lanes. More access to bikeways needed Currently, outside of downtown, only about one-third of Chicagoans live within one-quarter mile of a high-quality, low-stress bikeway. Low-stress bikeways could be a protected bike lane, neighborhood greenway or an urban trail. These types of facilities are proven to encourage more people to...

Tags: Advocacy, biking

South Branch vision advances Chicago River Trail

Feb 15, 2019 | by Steve Simmons

Although trails have grown rapidly along the Chicago River, the largest remaining gap in a continuous river trail network is the five-mile stretch from Ping Tom Park in Chinatown southwest to Western Avenue. Adding a trail along the South Branch (pictured) would be a major step toward a 27-mile Chicago River Trail. A complete trail would promote biking and walking and support healthy communities, cleaner environments and a vibrant local economy. Developing a connected network of walking and biking trails along this stretch of the river is not without complications, however. Many members of nearby communities have raised important concerns about environmental conditions and impacts on local neighborhoods. Given these opportunities and challenges, a robust community-led dialogue is necessary. In...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, Chicago South Side, Walking

Report shows Chicago riders leaving transit for Uber, Lyft

Feb 14, 2019 | by Julia Gerasimenko

A new study released this week by TransitCenter shows that Chicago is one of two cities, along with New York, where transit riders say they are shifting a significant share of their transit trips to Uber and Lyft. The report shows that Chicago needs to do more to improve bus service to win back riders given that bus ridership accounts for nearly all the recent transit ridership loss in our city. Take action now to tell your alderman and Chicago’s mayor you want to see a plan for at least 50 miles of new transit priority streets! Buses move many more people than cars while taking up a fraction of the street space, and yet Chicago and other cities continue to...

Tags: Advocacy, transit

Lime endorses Active Transportation Agenda

Feb 14, 2019 | by Ron Burke

The following post is a guest blog by Nico Probst of Lime, a new mobility company that operates e-scooter and dockless bike programs in the U.S. Active Trans is still analyzing the pros and cons of e-scooter sharing, in consultation with our members, board and staff. Active Trans doesn't agree with Lime or other new mobility companies on everything, but we welcome their support for our shared bike/walk/transit goals in Chicago and the suburbs. Lime is founded on the simple idea that all communities deserve access to reliable, on-demand, and affordable mobility. Through the equitable distribution of shared scooters, bikes and carshare, we aim to reduce dependence on personal automobiles and leave future generations with a cleaner, healthier Chicago....

Tags: Advocacy, E-scooters, Elections

The 78 can do more to promote walking, biking & transit

Feb 5, 2019 | by Steve Simmons

The planned mega-development along the South Branch of the Chicago River, known as the 78, moved a step closer to reality as Chicago's Community Development Commission recommended tax increment financing to pay for streets and public works upgrades for the project. This 62-acre project will add 10,000 housing units and create a big opportunity to prioritize healthy and sustainable transportation. While the 78's master plan has some promising ideas for transportation, we think with some key changes the 78 would benefit walking, biking and transit. Much like Lincoln Yards on the North Side, the 78 offers a valuable opportunity to add trails, moving the city closer to a 27-mile continuous Chicago River Trail. A trail would promote walking and biking while supporting healthy...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, Chicago South Side, Planning, Walking

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. One thing is for sure, a lot of people rely on CTA to get downtown. But what about getting to all the other destinations in Chicago? Known issues Among young commuters, reliability is a frequent complaint. Youth that I spoke with were frustrated by some trains randomly becoming...

Tags: Advocacy, Chicago West Side, transit

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. Pace says the I-55 service would grow beyond the current 3,000 daily riders if they only had more buses. Most suburbs are designed around the inefficient model of moving one person per car. Highway shoulders are part of that equation. They...

Tags: Advocacy, North Suburbs, South Suburbs, transit, West Suburbs

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