Tag Archives: Events

Longtime supporter has made her mark on local cycling

Jul 3, 2019 | by Active Trans

Even if you don’t personally know Kathy Schubert, there’s a good chance you’ve seen her riding around Chicago or volunteering at an Active Transportation Alliance event. That’s because she not only puts on a lot of miles during the year — 6,000 is her record — but you tend to get noticed when you bike around town or across entire states with a miniature schnauzer riding in your basket. Suzy, her former riding companion, isn’t Schubert’s only claim to fame however. For the past 20 plus years, Schubert (pictured) has been an active commuter, enthusiastic recreational cyclist, and a staunch advocate for safety. She is a founding member of the Chicago Cycling Club, joined Active Trans when it was still...

Tags: Bicycling, Chicago, Events

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Clif Bar helps Active Trans get more people biking

Jun 25, 2019 | by Active Trans

Getting around Chicago on a bike is not as daunting as it seems. That’s what Linor Vaknin learned when she became involved in Active Trans’ annual Bike to Work competition (going on now and continuing until the end of the week). Prior to the event, biking on Chicago streets was out of the question for her. Too hectic, too scary. Then, during the Bike to Work competition in 2010, Linor (pictured left) saw throngs of people safely biking on Chicago’s streets. She met people who were having fun while contributing to a healthier, more sustainable city. “I remember feeling super-energized by the event,” said Linor, a marketing manager for Clif Bar. “People were cheering each other on. I felt a...

Tags: Bicycling, Events

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Support for biking to school pays off in Palatine

May 28, 2019 | by Active Trans

What started in Palatine with a single school and about 30 kids in 2003 is now an annual spring affair expanded to 13 public and private schools and 1,300 students. Bike to School Day, held the first Wednesday in May, is now a community-wide effort in Palatine. The success of the event is due to various groups — PTAs, a local bike shop, and school administrators — pulling together creatively to urge students to cycle and to do it safely. But much of the success is due to the work of the Bike Palatine Club over the years, and specifically the efforts of club vice-president Gail Artrip (pictured below). Gail initiated the event in 2003 at Pleasant Hill School, which...

Tags: Bicycling, Events, kids, North Suburbs

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Get ready for Fifth Third Bike the Drive on May 26

Mar 29, 2019 | by Clare McDermott

Notice anything different? MB Financial Bank recently merged with Fifth Third Bank, and Active Trans is thrilled to announce this new partnership. Welcome to Fifth Third Bike the Drive ! Participants will still enjoy a car-free Lake Shore Drive and experience all the magical moments that this event has become famous for. Join this iconic two-wheeled celebration on May 26 and feel proud knowing that you're supporting efforts to make biking, walking and transit safe and easy options for getting around Chicagoland. Since 2010, MB Financial Bank has served as the title sponsor of Active Trans’ marquee event. Along with its support, the event has grown into one of the nation's best and largest organized bike rides. Active Trans is...

Tags: Bicycling, Events

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Using balance bikes to build relationships in Elgin

Jan 3, 2019 | by Maggie Melin Czerwinski

A group of advocates in Elgin is working to advance the city’s decade-old bike plan and boost bike access for children in low-income parts of the town.Elgin Bike Hub is a non-profit organization working for better biking in the northwest suburban city that straddles both Cook and Kane counties. The group is pushing for the community’s nearly ten-year-old Bikeway Plan to be updated and revised as an active transportation plan that prioritizes equity. The updated plan would map out the community’s vision of a connected and equitable network of low-stress bikeways, trails, sidewalks and transit access.Using a mini-grant from Active Trans’ Bike Walk Every Town suburban advocacy campaign, the Elgin Bike Hub purchased four balance bikes (bikes without pedals that...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, Education, Events, North Suburbs

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Bike Week grants inspire events around the city

Jul 16, 2018 | by Julia Gerasimenko

Active Trans was thrilled to be able to offer financial support to bring Bike Week into additional communities throughout Chicago this year. Thanks to financial support from Google, Active Trans provided four grants to community groups so that they could host Bike Week encouragement and educational events. The North River Commission -- serving the Albany Park, Irving Park, North Park and Mayfair communities -- held several educational and encouragement events while partnering with local bike shops, Bikes N Roses and Tailwind Cycles. NRC was able to borrow a bus bike rack from the CTA so that folks could practice securing their own bikes to the front of a CTA bus rack without the added stress of holding up a crowded bus....

Tags: Advocacy, biking, Chicago North Side, Chicago South Side, Chicago West & Southwest Side, Events

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Have fun. Enjoy the ride.

Apr 30, 2018 | by Active Trans

Chicago’s biggest cycling event is back and better than ever for its seventeenth year! This year, MB Bike the Drive will be held on Sunday, May 27. Enjoy nearly 5 hours of car-free riding on the city’s scenic Lake Shore Drive, which will be closed to all auto traffic for the event. A post-ride festival including live music, giveaways and breakfast (pancakes, anyone?) will take place from 8 a.m. to Noon in Butler Field. This unique event is open to riders of all ages and skill levels, making it a perfect event for the family. And if you're a seasoned cyclist looking for a challenge, you can snag a special bib at packet pick-up to become a 30 Mile Challenge participant and...

Tags: Bicycling, Events

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Small group rides offered this summer

Apr 30, 2018 | by Active Trans

Do you love scenic bike rides but wish you could stop to learn more about the hidden gems Chicagoland has to offer? New for summer 2018, Active Trans brings you Pedal Chicagoland, our small group ride series! We will take you through some of Chicagoland’s most treasured spots via bike at a casual, no-drop pace. These one-of-a-kind experiences are open to cyclists of all skill levels. Check out the available group rides below: Visit some of Chicago’s most interesting and spectacular water fountains Date: Sunday August 5, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Guide: Greg Borzo, author of Where to Bike Chicago, Chicago’s Fabulous Fountains and other books. You’ll learn the unique stories of these fountains within the broader history of Chicago, while enjoying...

Tags: Bicycling, Events

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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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