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Suburban superstars: Not taking ‘no’ for an answer

Feb 7, 2018 | by Active Trans

Through our Bike Walk Every Town suburban advocacy training, we've been meeting people doing great work in suburban Chicago communities.One of these people is Eberhard Veit, a 10-year bicycle-advocacy veteran from Crystal Lake. He has an impressive resume and has helped ensure the inclusion of biking and walking facilities and the closure of trail gaps on numerous projects throughout McHenry County.We spoke to Eberhard to learn more about his passion for bicycle advocacy and what drives him to keep going, despite the car-centric lifestyle and landscape of the suburbs.For Eberhard, his dedication to bicycle advocacy started with a failure.Ten years ago, a stretch of Rakow Road in McHenry County was set to be widened. The two-lane, wide shoulder road was to be converted...

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

City picks route for Red Line Extension

Feb 6, 2018 | by Active Trans

Planning for the long-promised southern extension of the Red Line to 130th Street took a step forward last week as the city chose a preferred route.The Chicago Transit Authority is hosting an open house on Tuesday, February 13 to solicit resident input on the proposed route: Begin the extension at 95th Street and run along the west side of the Union Pacific Railroad tracks from I-57 south to approximately 109th Street;Cross the Union Pacific Railroad tracks and run along the east side of the tracks until crossing the Metra Electric tracks near 119th Street; andContinue south to 130th Street.The proposed 5.3-mile extension would include four new stations near 103rd Street, 111th Street, Michigan Avenue and 130th Street.This project is decades in the...

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

Suburban superstars: a tale of two walking advocates (part 2)

Feb 1, 2018 | by Active Trans

This is a continuation of our two-part blog series highlighting the walking advocacy of two inspiring women in the suburbs. This fall the Active Transportation Alliance gathered more than 100 advocates from 63 villages and cities across the region, both online and in-person, to take part in our Bike Walk Every Town suburban advocacy training.At the training we were honored to meet Des Plaines resident Geraldolyn Harris, who is working to improve walkability in Chicagoland’s northwest suburbs. She has big plans and has a great deal of wisdom and inspiration to offer other advocates interested in transforming their communities.Geraldolyn’s journey into walking advocacy began in 2013 in Colorado.As a native to Denver, Colorado, Geraldolyn grew up near the city’s oldest...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, North Suburbs, Walking

New Divvy pricing offers more options for two-wheeled fun

Jan 24, 2018 | by Active Trans

Today the City of Chicago announced tweaks to the pricing structure for the Divvy bike share system. Active Trans is hopeful these changes will encourage more people to try Divvy while also providing existing users with a better experience.Ultimately, attracting more people to use Divvy will make more resources available for additional stations, expanded access through low-cost membership programs like Divvy for Everyone, and increased outreach and educational programming. “Cycling is surging in Chicago in large part because Divvy has it made it easy for experienced and new cyclists alike to travel by bike,” said Ron Burke, Active Trans Executive Director. “Giving people more time between dockings makes Divvy even more convenient. It's a change many Divvy riders have asked for and...

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

Suburban superstars: a tale of two walking advocates (part 1)

Jan 22, 2018 | by Active Trans

Last year, as part of the Bike Walk Every Town suburban advocacy program, the Active Transportation Alliance hosted several advocacy skills-building workshops.We were privileged to cross paths with several dedicated leaders who have spent years working to improve walking, biking and transit conditions in their communities. We wanted to learn what motivated them to volunteer their time and persist through the oftentimes bumpy road of transportation advocacy. Two Chicagoland women, Anne Nagle and Geraldolyn Harris, who attended the trainings stood out for their work in walking advocacy and their participation in the America Walk’s Walking College program. America Walks is a national nonprofit focused on making communities more walkable and livable. Their 12-week online Walking College offers an interactive experience that...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, North Suburbs, Walking

Parents share their hopes for Milwaukee Ave.

Jan 17, 2018 | by Active Trans

The Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) is completing a major reconstruction of the highly-trafficked corridor between Belmont Avenue and Logan Boulevard. The goals for the project, according to CDOT, are to create public space, improve walkability, achieve Vision Zero by enhancing traffic safety and access to the area, and harmonize the various modes of transportation. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reshape this popular corridor.The first public meeting for the project was held this past summer, at which CDOT shared with residents how the corridor is currently used by different modes of transportation and CDOT provided an overview of the physical space itself. For example:From Logan Square to Belmont, two-thirds of the space is dedicated to cars. The percentage of residents who bike to...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, Chicago North Side, Walking

An advocate’s lesson in making a difference

Jan 9, 2018 | by Active Trans

One of the highest priority transportation proposals in McHenry County has been a three-quarter mile multi-use trail along Bull Valley Road just south of the City of McHenry in the northwest suburbs.This proposed trail extension that runs between Route 31 and the Illinois Prairie Path was also highlighted in the Active Transportation Alliance’s Trail Connect Chicagoland map, which envisions a continuous trail network in Northwest Illinois.Closing the trail gap would establish the western link of the Millennium Trail by connecting east to Moraine Hills Park and eventually extend all the way to Lake Michigan.The trail would provide several important benefits: recreation, business, tourism and safety.As a member of the McHenry County Bicycle Advocates (MCBA), resident Greg Glover decided in 2016...

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

An advocate’s lesson in making a difference

Jan 9, 2018 | by Anne Evans

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

January events on the Lakefront Trail

Jan 5, 2018 | by Active Trans

Happy new year to all! May your 2018 be filled with walks, runs and rides along the Lakefront Trail. 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 January so you can better plan your walking, biking or running route. As winter weather consumes our city, there are fewer events to watch out for. 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,...

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

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, and people using the lanes to skip ahead of other traffic or make illegal right turns. Active Trans acknowledges that enforcement is a sensitive issue given the Chicago Police Department's battles with systemic racism. Police enforcement would provide an additional platform for officers to unfairly target black and brown communities. We’ve...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, Chicago Central, Walking

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