Tag Archives: Advocacy

Free-floating car-sharing program should be welcomed in Chicago

Mar 22, 2018 | by Active Trans

The free-floating car-sharing pilot program passed by Chicago City Council could help residents who don’t own a car get around and encourage more people to live car-free or car-lite lifestyles.Unlike Zipcar and Enterprise CarShare, free-floating carshare companies like car2go don’t require users to pick up and drop off the vehicles in a fixed location for a set period of time. The cars can be parked in any legal spot within a designated zone and reservations aren’t required.The ordinance introduced by 1st Ward Ald. Joe Moreno would set up a nine-month pilot program starting in May 2018. One vendor chosen by the city would be permitted to deploy up to 500 vehicles in designated “home area.”The proposed area includes all of...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, Chicago Central, Chicago North Side, Education, Planning, transit, Walking

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Bike rodeo tips from the expert

Mar 15, 2018 | by Active Trans

Active Trans’ Bike Walk Every Town program is training suburban advocates to lead campaigns to create better communities for walking and biking. One of the topics we focus on in our trainings is how to build support and mobilize community members around advocacy campaigns.Organizing fun and engaging community events is a fantastic way to build awareness for a campaign or project you’d like to see supported by your elected officials. Events like these can offer an opportunity to connect to residents and encourage them to become more active in advocating for better biking and walking. So what type of events can help get your neighbors engaged in your local advocacy? Have you ever been to a bike rodeo?A bike rodeo is...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, North Suburbs, Planning, Walking, West Suburbs

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See where candidates for governor stand

Mar 6, 2018 | by Active Trans

With primary election day two weeks away, the Active Transportation Alliance has released its 2018 Sustainable Transportation Voter Guide so constituents can learn about the views of candidates for governor on transit, walking and biking issues.The voter guide is comprised of responses from gubernatorial candidates to a questionnaire Active Trans sent to all candidates last month.As a non-partisan 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization, Active Trans does not endorse candidates or evaluate their positions. This voter guide is an educational resource to inform the public and candidates for statewide office about current priorities for improving public transit, walking and biking as identified by our members, supporters and staff.Daniel BissBob DaiberTio Hardiman (did not respond)Jeanne Ives (did not respond)Chris Kennedy (did not respond)Robert Marshall...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, Chicago Central, Chicago North Side, Chicago South Side, Chicago West & Southwest Side, Chicago West Side, Lakefront Trail, North Suburbs, South Suburbs, Walking, West Suburbs

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March events on the Lakefront Trail

Mar 2, 2018 | by Active Trans

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 March so you can better plan your walking, biking or running route. As we inch towards spring, the trail gets busier. For regular updates about the Lakefront Trail, follow our Lakefront Trail Twitter page and the #chiLFT hashtag. NOTE: For updates on the Lakefront Trail separation construction, visit the Chicago Park District’s page. Temporarily, all path users are asked to share the newly separated bike trail between Fullerton Parkway and North Avenue. Reminder, please use caution and slow down in work zones. Sunday, March 4 Chicago Polar Plunge 10 a.m. North Avenue Beach Saturday, March 17...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, Chicago North Side, Chicago South Side, Lakefront Trail, Walking

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Active Trans to award legal firm at event

Feb 28, 2018 | by Active Trans

It’s not easy for nonprofits to navigate the complex maze of local, state and federal laws that govern their organizations without the help of attorneys. And those legal services can get pricey for grassroots nonprofits with limited resources. Luckily, that’s something Active Transportation Alliance doesn’t have to worry about. Active Trans benefits from pro bono legal services provided by Kelley Drye & Warren LLP’s Chicago office. The international law firm’s generous legal advice helps Active Trans stay focused on its mission while giving Kelley Drye a fascinating inside look at how the nonprofit works to improve walking, bicycling and public transit in Chicago.As a result of the firm’s outstanding legal assistance to Active Trans for the past four years, we will...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, Education, Walking

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Weber Spur, a crucial connection

Feb 21, 2018 | by Active Trans

Urban trails are one of the best tools we have to encourage more people to walk and bike for everyday transportation, improve public health, strengthen local businesses and create a cleaner environment.That's why we're making the completion of the Weber Spur Trail on Chicago's Northwest Side a top priority for Active Trans' Chicago River Trail campaign.Suburban Lincolnwood recently built a one-mile stretch of the trail; now we're calling on the city of Chicago to follow through on plans to build its 1.7-mile portion.The Weber Spur is a 2.7-mile trail that starts at Touhy Avenue in Lincolnwood, takes a southwestern route through LaBagh Woods and connects to Elston Avenue's bicycle lanes (see map). This trail will create the ultimate low-stress connection...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, Chicago North Side, North Suburbs, Walking

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Active Trans leads new push for safer Logan Boulevard

Feb 20, 2018 | by Active Trans

The idea of creating safe and easy access to and from the growing network of trails along the Chicago River gets us excited.What makes us even more excited is when improving access to the river also creates an opportunity to address long-standing concerns of our members and supporters.That's exactly what's happening in our quest to improve conditions for people walking and biking between Logan Boulevard and new river trail segments near Lathrop Homes.For the next six months, we'll be working with residents, community organizations, design experts and city officials to develop a list of recommendations for creating safe and comfortable spaces to walk and bike between local hubs. Helping us carry out this work are our two project partners, Logan...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, Chicago North Side, Walking

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State platform prioritizes transit funding and IDOT reform

Feb 20, 2018 | by Active Trans

Active Trans has released its 2018 Illinois Sustainable Transportation Platform for the upcoming primary and general elections for governor and state legislature. The platform is based on input from Active Trans members, partner organizations, board, and staff.The platform features specific action items to achieve progress on three core goalsDedicate funding to sustainable transportation projectsReform state transportation policy to take a more multimodal approachChampion transformational projectsHighlights include calling on leaders to establish a new Bike-Walk Fund in the state’s annual budget; restoring and, ultimately, growing state support for public transit operations and capital projects; and reforming IDOT policies to support building more and better biking and walking facilities on state routes.The platform also calls on state leaders to advance a vision...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, Chicago North Side, Chicago South Side, Chicago West & Southwest Side, Education, Lakefront Trail, North Suburbs, South Suburbs, Walking, West Suburbs

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Expedia to be honored at 2018 Awards Reception

Feb 13, 2018 | by Active Trans

Chicago is still entrenched in the grip of winter. But Todd Scales is already thinking about the summer. The director of technology of the Android team at Egencia, which is an Expedia company, is hard at work planning bicycling activities and events that he hopes will not only strengthen the bicycling culture at Expedia, but also get employees pumped about the Bike Commuter Challenge, Active Transportation Alliance’s annual biking competition in June.To honor the hard work of Scales and his colleagues, Expedia will be receiving Active Trans’ Business Leadership Award at our 2018 Awards Reception on March 7. As coordinator of the Bike Expedia affiliate group in Expedia’s Chicago office, Scales volunteers his time to manage the company’s bicycling programs, including participation...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, Education, Events

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Chicago police must respond to racial disparity in bike ticketing

Feb 12, 2018 | by Jim Merrell

In a follow-up story on a report that first appeared last spring, the Chicago Tribune today published an analysis showing stark disparities in the number of bike related citations issued in African American neighborhoods. The report states that "about 56 percent of all bike tickets were issued in majority black neighborhoods, compared with 24 percent in Latino neighborhoods and 18 percent in white neighborhoods, according to Chicago police statistics. Blacks, Latinos and whites each make up about a third of the city’s residents, according to the U.S. Census." Unfortunately, we are not surprised there was no significant shift in the pattern of bike-related citations. The disparity in where these tickets are being issued strongly suggests they are not primarily about...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, Chicago South Side, Chicago West & Southwest Side, Education

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