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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

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

Let’s re-envision Route 53 extension

Jan 31, 2020 | by Maggie Melin Czerwinski

After nearly six decades of debate over the highly controversial Route 53 highway expansion project, victory was finally declared for walking, biking, and transit in Lake County last summer. Recognizing the $3 billion project would not relieve congestion problems, in July of 2019, the Lake County Board unanimously voted to remove support for the Route 53 highway extension from its strategic plan. A day later, the Illinois Tollway announced that it would cease work on a multi-million dollar environmental impact study of the extension. This was a monumental step forward, putting an end to a needless, environmentally destructive highway project. Success was in large part due to the persistent work of many advocates in Lake County, including the Illinois Sierra Club,...

Tags: Bicycling, North Suburbs, Trails, Walking

Celebrating one year of cycling success

Jan 27, 2020 | by Active Trans

Every year, as part of our suburban advocacy program Bike Walk Every Town, the Active Transportation Alliance offers multiple mini-stipends to individuals and groups working to improve walking and biking in the Chicagoland suburbs. This past year, grassroots leaders from Cycle Brookfield in the western suburbs were awarded a stipend to expand their efforts to build greater community support and advance the implementation of its active transportation plan. One of the plan’s goals is creating a safer walking and biking corridor along 31st Street, which would include better access for the Brookfield Zoo. This guest blog post by Cycle Brookfield member Terri Rivera recaps how the club has mobilized the Brookfield community and engaged elected officials during the past year....

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, Walking, West Suburbs

New Uber, Lyft fees should be step toward congestion pricing

Jan 23, 2020 | by Kyle Whitehead

Starting January 6, the fee on solo Uber and Lyft trips citywide increased from 72 cents to $1.25 and the fee on shared trips decreased from 72 cents to 65 cents. Trips that start or end in a new “downtown congestion zone” are charged an additional surcharge ($1.75 for solo trips and 65 cents for shared trips). A portion of the new revenue goes to the city’s Bus Priority Zones initiative that seeks to make bus service faster and more reliable. These new fees championed by Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot could be a precursor to a broader congestion pricing approach. Active Trans lobbied in favor of the fees because of their potential to reduce driving and spur public transit use...

Tags: Advocacy, Back on the Bus, Bicycling, biking, Chicago, Chicago Central, Downtown, legislation, public transit, transit, Transit Equity, Walking

Top 10 walking, biking, and transit stories of 2019

Dec 16, 2019 | by Kyle Whitehead

There were plenty of attention-grabbing developments among the top active transportation stories of 2019. Some of these developments helped make our streets safer and more inviting for people using active transportation, while others were intended to give more people access to better transportation options. Here they are. If we missed an important story, please let us know. 1. State dedicates funds to walking, biking, and public transit. For the first time ever, Illinois’ long-term capital program includes dedicated funding — $50 million annually — for walking and biking projects. The capital bill also includes sustainable funding for public transit for the first time ever. Active Trans championed both initiatives with a bipartisan group of legislators in the Illinois State House...

Brother of crash victim advocates for safer streets

Nov 20, 2019 | by Maya Norris

Andrew DeMott is channeling his family’s tragedy into a catalyst for change. Since his brother was killed in a car crash while bicycling home early this year, DeMott has been advocating to improve the walking and bicycling infrastructure in Tinley Park, where his brother was killed. On Oct. 27, his family held a ghost bike ceremony as a memorial to his brother, Douglas DeMott, 52, near the crash site where his brother was struck by a car on Jan. 24. Instead of giving flowers as a memorial, DeMott’s family generously asked that donations be made to Active Trans. Douglas Demott was bicycling home along Harlem Avenue just north of I-80 in Tinley Park at about 5:30 p.m. when a 93-year-old...

Tags: Bicycling, crash, South Suburbs

How Carol Maher became a cycling advocate

Oct 15, 2019 | by Maya Norris

Carol Maher came to bicycling relatively late in life. But the 58-year-old retired IT project manager has certainly made up for lost time. Since she took up cycling four years ago, Maher has ditched her car in favor of cruising around Chicago on two wheels full-time and has become a sustainable transportation advocate. Maher credits a program called Go Albany Park for sparking her love of cycling in 2015. A collaboration between the Chicago Department of Transportation, Alta Planning and Design, and Active Transportation Alliance, the Go programs encouraged residents of Albany Park, Bronzeville, and other neighborhoods to walk, bike, and ride public transportation more frequently. Maher participated in the program as part of her block club, helping to create...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, Chicago North Side

Chicago should keep e-scooter sharing program

Oct 14, 2019 | by Kyle Whitehead

UPDATE (1/29/20): The City of Chicago released an evaluation of the 2019 scooter pilot and announced there will be a second pilot during summer 2020. They're currently working on the terms of the new program. No details about how it will be structured are available at this time. ________________ During the past four months while the City of Chicago's e-scooter sharing pilot program has been underway, Active Trans has been busy gathering information — online and in-person — from hundreds of Active Trans members, supporters, and residents. Many of the people who provided feedback live or work in the West Side pilot area. We wanted to hear what people thought about the pilot program and their general thoughts about e-scooters....

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, Downtown, E-scooters, Equity, public transit, transit, Walking

Palatine bike club rolls out the racks

Oct 11, 2019 | by Active Trans

Installing a new rack for bike parking may seem like a modest contribution to a community. But the reality is that it can a big difference in people’s lives — especially for people with limited transportation options who rely on bikes to get around. Getting more bike racks in the community has been one of the recent goals of the Palatine Bike Club. With the September installation of a bike parking rack at St. Joseph’s Home for the Elderly in Palatine (see photo), the Bike Palatine Club has now donated five bike racks in three locations as part of its initiative to encourage cycling in the community. According to Development Director of St. Joseph’s Home, Diana Olson, many volunteers, employees,...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, North Suburbs

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