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Share your ideas for the 2019 Chicago transportation platform

Jul 27, 2018 | by Julia Gerasimenko

As election season in the City of Chicago approaches, Active Trans is excited to invite our partners and supporters across the city to provide input on our 2019 transportation platform. Active Trans will host two meetings open to all to help build a collaborative and intersectional platform, which will be used to educate candidates and voters in the 2019 Chicago mayoral and city council elections. Join us on either August 8 in Logan Square or August 21 in Bronzeville for a Transportation Justice Dialogue to collectively develop our 2019 platform. Next year the city of Chicago will elect a mayor and city council. Will these elected officials be champions for transportation justice for all residents of Chicago? What does transportation...

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

Teaching safe cycling a passion for Active Trans board member

Jul 24, 2018 | by Maggie Melin Czerwinski

At this year’s Illinois Bike Summit hosted by Ride Illinois, Active Trans board member and Chicago Heights resident Larry Mysz was given the prestigious Illinois Educator Award. The award was well deserved. As a bicycle advocate and educator over the last two decades, Larry has touched the lives of thousands of people, inspiring many to seriously consider the bicycle as a mode of transportation for everyday use, even in the suburbs. Larry started a program that has taught hundreds of adults to ride a bicycle for the first time and has trained about 200 League of American Bicyclists Cycling Instructors (LCIs) from around the country how to conduct bicycle safety classes. Last fall, Larry attended our Bike Walk Every Town...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling

Chicago’s dockless bike share program needs more bikes

Jul 13, 2018 | by Kyle Whitehead

Reports indicate the City of Chicago’s dockless bike-sharing pilot program is off to a slow start, and the city should consider changes to the program to ensure it generates useful data. Since early 2017 Active Trans has been exploring the potential for dockless bike share in the Chicago region by talking with community members, dockless bike-sharing companies, peer advocates in cities where dockless bike sharing is currently operating, and city officials. These talks continued after Chicago launched a pilot program on the South Side in May and Active Trans released principles to help ensure bike share services are developed in an inclusive and equitable way. Two months later, there’s plenty of excitement and enthusiasm for the new service in the...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling

Tell governor to sign Bike Walk Education in Schools Act

Jul 10, 2018 | by Kyle Whitehead

Another important bike safety bill has arrived on Governor Rauner's desk and we need your help to make sure it's signed into law. The Bike Walk Education in Schools Act (HB 4799) passed the Illinois House and Senate with strong bipartisan majorities and awaits the governor's signature. The legislation requires school boards statewide to adopt policies for educating K-8 students about biking and walking safety. Schools boards determine how best to implement the requirement in their schools. Tell Governor Rauner to sign HB 4799 to make Illinois streets safer for everybody, especially the most vulnerable users on foot and on bike. Illinois crash data shows that nearly five children are hit by people driving every day in Illinois while walking or...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, Walking

Ride sparks discussion with 31st Ward alderman

Jul 9, 2018 | by Julia Gerasimenko

Belmont Cragin residents are eager to see better biking infrastructure in their neighborhood. This desire was clearly on display on a recent weekend when 80 people came out to the Bike 4 Belmont Cragin ride organized by the Northwest Side Housing Center (NWSHC) and Active Trans. In addition to offering the ride as a fun local event, the ride was intended to demostrate community support for biking infrastructure and the need for maintaining existing bike lanes on the Northwest Side of Chicago. Some the participants kept the momentum going with a visit to their alderman to discuss ways to make biking safer in the ward. The route covered quiet neighborhood streets such as Wrightwood Ave., as well as busy arterial streets...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, Chicago North Side, Chicago West Side

July events on the Lakefront Trail

Jul 9, 2018 | by Julia Gerasimenko

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 July so you can better plan your walking, biking or running route. This month will be busy! 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. A small section of the lakefront trail between Chicago Ave. and Ontario St. has been affected by recent storm damage. The pedestrian portion of the trail in this area is open for both foot and bike traffic. Repairs will be made when weather allows in the spring....

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

Become an Active Trans Ambassador on Aug. 2

Jul 9, 2018 | by Active Trans

Do you share our vision for a region with safe opportunities to bike, walk and take public transit? Are you excited about the work that Active Trans does and have an interest in advancing our mission by educating others? If you answered yes, we need you to help us fight for this vision by becoming an Active Trans Ambassador. Click here to sign up for an evening training in our office, 6-7:30 p.m. on August 2. The Active Trans Ambassador program is a new initiative for volunteer leaders focused on promoting Active Trans' city and suburban advocacy initiatives. Ambassadors represent us at events, highlighting our advocacy campaigns, building grassroots support for legislative priorities, and building our membership base. The Active...

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

Tell governor to sign Bike Safety and Dutch Reach Act

Jun 28, 2018 | by Kyle Whitehead

A critical bike safety bill has arrived on Governor Rauner's desk and now we need your help to make sure it's signed into law. On Wednesday, June 27, HB 5143 – the Bike Safety and Dutch Reach Act – was sent to Governor Rauner. The bill amends the Illinois Vehicle Code to add information about bike safety to the state's Rules of the Road manual and driver's license exam. The added information includes a description of using the "Dutch reach" method when opening a car door to prevent a "dooring" crash if a cyclist approaching from behind. This past spring the bill passed both chambers with strong bi-partisan majorities. But the final step is still needed. Tell Governor Rauner to sign HB...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling

Extending the I&M Canal Trail

Jun 27, 2018 | by Matt Gomez

A few southwest suburban communities, including Summit, are exploring an extension to the popular Illinois and Michigan (I&M) Canal Trail for biking and walking.Earlier this month, Active Trans joined Summit Mayor Sergio Rodriguez, local advocates and trail development experts for a tour of a potential site for the trail along the Sanitary and Ship Canal in the Village of Summit (The Sanitary and Ship Canal is a 28-mile-long canal system that connects the Chicago River to the Des Plaines River). Active Trans has been working on the I&M Trail for the past few months as part of our larger Trail Connect Chicagoland campaign, which is our effort to build both community and government support across the region for closing gaps...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, Walking

Electric scooters: promise or peril?

Jun 25, 2018 | by Ron Burke

Active Trans has long been a believer in the power of bike sharing to increase bicycling, sustainability, equity and more. Divvy recently topped 15 million rides since launching in 2013, and new dockless bike-sharing companies offer the potential to improve and expand bike share if cities adopt the right policies. But what about electric scooter sharing? This new service has already arrived in San Francisco where it has been wonderful or awful, depending on who you ask. Similar to dockless bike sharing, these scooters are self-locking and customers use an app to unlock and ride them. When the ride is over, the scooter can be left anywhere within the designated service area. Also similar to dockless bike sharing is that there...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling

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