Tag Archives: Advocacy

Continuing to push for safe, just, and livable streets

Mar 19, 2020 | by Melody Geraci

We hope you and your loved ones are staying healthy during these deeply unsettling times. Like countless other organizations, the coronavirus pandemic will undoubtedly have a major effect on the work we do over the coming weeks and months. For starters, we have postponed all of our in-person meetings, our trainings, and other events planned for coming weeks. Our staff is working from home and we’re encouraging them to take the steps necessary to protect themselves and their loved ones for the foreseeable future. While Fifth Third Bike the Drive remains set for Sunday, May 24, we’re looking at contingency plans if it needs to be rescheduled. Like every nonprofit organization right now, we’re reflecting on the value of our...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, transit, Walking

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Public transit is critical to Chicago’s COVID-19 response

Mar 19, 2020 | by Kyle Whitehead

Emergency funding is needed to keep Chicago's public transit system running throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Thousands of essential workers like healthcare professionals and grocery store clerks rely on buses and trains to get to work. Many Chicagoans living in historically marginalized communities rely on transit to get to essential businesses like grocery stores and pharmacies. Transit is critical to the Chicago region's public health response to COVID-19. Bus and train service must be maintained for the healthcare system and local economies to continue to function. Chicago Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady calls public transportation “an essential service,” noting how crucial it is for important workers to get to their jobs. Reducing or ending transit service would limit the mobility...

Tags: Advocacy, Back on the Bus, Chicago, public transit, transit, Transit Equity

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Reform – don’t ban – red light camera programs

Mar 17, 2020 | by Melody Geraci

As legislators in Springfield consider legislation to ban red light cameras in many Illinois communities, it’s important to recognize the proven safety benefits. When used fairly and effectively, research shows that red light cameras make our streets safer for everybody. In 2017 researchers at the Northwestern University Transportation Center found that Chicago’s red-light camera program delivers significant safety benefits. The study discovered that serious right-angle and turning crashes decreased by 19 percent at intersections with cameras, and injury-producing crashes dropped by 10 percent. Research has also found evidence of a “spillover effect,” which has lead to safety benefits and crash reductions at intersections and streets without cameras. The Federal Highway Administration first recognized the proven safety benefits of photo enforcement...

Tags: Advocacy, Chicago, legislation, zero vision

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Thanks to all who joined our 2020 Awards Reception

Mar 13, 2020 | by Ted Villaire

A big thank you to all the people who attended our 2020 Awards Reception. Your support enabled the event to be a great success! And if you participated in the event’s paddle raise or silent auction, extra kudos to you. Thanks to our friend Kye Martin of NBC Chicago, who served as the master of ceremonies as we honored John Buck, the Coalition for a Modern Metra Electric, State Rep. Theresa Mah, and Streetsblog Chicago. See more photos of the event on Flickr (photos courtesy of Steven Gross).    John Buck accepts the Visionary Leadership Award, presented by Interim Active Trans Executive Director Melody Geraci.   Andrea Reed (left) and Linda Thisted accept the Community Leadership Award for the Coalition...

Tags: Advocacy, Events

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Safety on CTA the right way

Mar 11, 2020 | by Julia Gerasimenko

Active Trans joined with the local CTA bus and rail operator unions and several community groups to call on Chicago to protect transit riders and operators by engaging in a community-driven process to address safety concerns on CTA following the Feb. 28 police shooting. Partners include Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) 308; ATU241; Chicago Jobs with Justice; the Bring Chicago Home coalition including the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless and ONE Northside; and the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. Following is the full joint statement: The Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) locals in Chicago representing thousands of CTA workers is joining with community partners to call on the City of Chicago and the CTA to move quickly to staff buses,...

Tags: Advocacy, Back on the Bus, Chicago, Fair Fares Chicagoland, public transit

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Make Illinois state roads safer and more accessible for all

Mar 10, 2020 | by Kyle Whitehead

Legislation currently moving through Springfield provides a rare opportunity to make walking and biking safety improvements to state roads in Illinois. Tell your state legislators you support safer state roads. State roads are often major streets that provide sole access to retail and service industry jobs, grocery stores, doctors’ offices, pharmacies, and other important destinations. For many people, sidewalks provide the only option for safely accessing these key places. And this is especially true for older adults and people with disabilities. Currently, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) requires that local communities cover 20 percent of the cost when IDOT includes infrastructure for people walking and bicycling to construction projects on state roads. Yet the state typically covers 100 percent...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, biking, Chicago, Chicago Central, chicago north, Chicago North Side, chicago south, Chicago South Side, Chicago West & Southwest Side, Chicago West Side, legislation, North Suburbs, South Suburbs, Walking, West Suburbs

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Support funding for walking and biking projects in low-income communities

Feb 12, 2020 | by Kyle Whitehead

Last year, Active Trans and hundreds of supporters made our voices heard to ensure that dedicated funding for walking and biking projects would be included in the state's capital bill. As a result, for the first time ever, Illinois' long-term capital plan includes dedicated funding for walking and bicycling projects. Now we need your help to make sure the program is successful. As the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) began moving ahead with the program, it’s become evident that the current language of the legislation lacks clarity on two key points. 1. How often IDOT should set aside the $50 million in new state funds for the walking and biking grant program. What we want: Every year — not every other...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, biking, Chicago, Chicago Central, chicago north, Chicago North Side, chicago north west, chicago south, Chicago South Side, Chicago West & Southwest Side, Chicago West Side, Equity, legislation, South Suburbs, Walking, West Suburbs

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Metra Electric Coalition picks up speed

Feb 6, 2020 | by Lynda Lopez

The Coalition for a Modern Metra Electric was founded about five years ago with the core question, “What would it take to get more Chicagoans riding Metra?” Comprised of nine initial organizations, the coalition was founded with the vision of the Metra Electric line serving as a high-speed rail line, better connecting South Side communities to hubs like downtown and O’Hare Airport. Next month Active Trans will be honoring this plucky organization for its efforts to improve many people’s lives on Chicago’s South Side. The award will be presented at our annual awards reception held at the tech incubator, 1871. Currently with twenty members (including Active Trans), the coalition’s vision and goals have expanded and now include the Rock Island...

Tags: Advocacy, Chicago South Side, South Suburbs, transit

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Become a better advocate in 2020

Feb 5, 2020 | by Lynda Lopez

Not to brag, but Active Trans is involved in some exciting projects around the region. If we have the capacity to help and it looks like we can make a difference, we wade into the waters and do what we can. Whether it's shepherding legislation through the state assembly or asking suburban municipalities to improve their walking infrastructure, we want to help out by sharing our expertise and resources. Often, our work focuses on cultivating other advocates — people who want to make their voices heard on behalf of safer, healthier streets. Recently, we hosted a webinar that was intended to give advocates the low-down on our work during the past year and offer advice on how they can plug...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, transit, Walking

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Will you help make Chicago’s streets safer?

Feb 4, 2020 | by Julia Gerasimenko

Do you want to see better streets for biking in your Chicago neighborhood and throughout the city? Would you like to learn how to be an effective advocate? Well, here's your chance to get directly involved in making a difference. Here's your chance to help create better walking and biking infrastructure in Chicago and help to hold Mayor Lightfoot accountable to her campaign promise to build 100 miles of new bikeways by 2023. Given that construction of new bikeways has slowed in Chicago, we need people like you getting involved. Will you join the effort to reverse this trend? If this sounds appealing, you'll want to join us for the Safer Streets campaign training on Saturday, March 14. During this...

Tags: Advocacy, biking, Walking

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