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LA’s great BRT success story

Oct 10, 2016 | by Active Trans

As overall Chicago transit ridership continues to increase, CTA buses are experiencing a decline in use. The number of people using Chicago’s bus system fell by 1.8 million rides last year, while the L added over 3.5 million trips. So what’s causing the decline in bus travel? Slow moving busses, long wait times, inadequate station infrastructure and frustrating “bus bunching” all have an effect. These are problems that all bus systems face, but several cities around the world are taking an innovative approach to solving them by implementing bus rapid transit, or BRT. BRT is a low-cost approach to making busses more efficient by creating bus-only lanes on city streets, giving busses signal priority at intersections and offering off-board fare collection. The...

Tags: Advocacy, Planning, Walking

Protect people walking and biking from trucks

Sep 30, 2016 | by Active Trans

Since June, six people have been killed while riding bikes in Chicago. Every single crash involved a commercial vehicle.This troubling trend points to an urgent need to address the disproportionate threat these large vehicles pose to people biking and walking.We are asking the mayor, Chicago City Council and relevant city agencies to immediately put into place proven strategies that can prevent more fatalities due to crashes involving large vehicles. Please stand with us by signing on to our Vision Zero Call to Action.Other U.S. cities have already led the way on commercial vehicle safety, taking concrete steps to address this public safety issue, including:Voluntary and required installation of side-guards on city trucks and private commercial vehiclesStrengthening commercial driver licensing programs...

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

Chicago developing Vision Zero Action Plan

Sep 9, 2016 | by Active Trans

This week, Chicago took another step in affirming its commitment to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries on our streets.Mayor Emanuel announced the city will release a three-year Vision Zero Action Plan in fall 2016 that will reduce crashes for everyone who uses the streets. The plan will set forth the goal of eliminating traffic fatalities and serious injuries by 2026.Vision Zero is an international traffic safety movement guided by the principle that no loss of life on our streets is acceptable. Traffic crashes are not mere “accidents,” but preventable incidents that can be reduced and eliminated with systemic changes.One of the advantages of the Vision Zero approach to traffic safety is that it requires the collaboration of all city agencies...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, Planning, transit, Walking, zero vision

We know how to do this

Aug 19, 2016 | by Active Trans

I ride my bike. When I hear about a person killed while riding their bike, I think of the proverb, “there but for the grace of God go I.” I know a lot of other people have the same reaction. Even among strangers, there is a deep and difficult-to-verbalize connection to these tragedies. In some way, we’re a two wheeled tribe, more diverse than most characterizations by the media.Some people ride their bikes because they love it. Or they love the city. Or they love the earth. Or it’s just the only option they have. But in the face of a terrible crash or fatality, all of us are bound by that same bond: it could have been me. There but for...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, Planning, transit, Walking, zero vision

Meeting planned for families of crash victims

Jun 30, 2016 | by Active Trans

My life was forever changed when my husband, Jay, was killed in 2014, struck from behind while riding his bicycle by a then 89-year-old driver returning home at dusk in a rental car after visiting his wife in a nursing home. A volatile combination of circumstances.On a well-lit major Chicago street the driver did not see the grown man on a large bicycle directly in front of him and, to this day, retains his license to drive.I'm asking crash victims and families to join me to talk about forming a group to advocate for changes to make our streets safe (not just safer) for all bicyclists, pedestrians and drivers.Now would be an ideal time to channel our pain and anger to...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, transit, Walking, zero vision

Early BRT adoption leads to expansion in Eugene, Oregon

Jun 28, 2016 | by Active Trans

BRT is a state-of-the art bus system that provides the reliability and speed of rail, but at the fraction of the cost. Although it started gaining momentum in the United States, the city of Eugene, Oregon, was one of the first cities to adopt BRT.In the mid-90s, the Lane Transit District (LTD) looked into improving bus service in Eugene and became inspired by Curitiba, Brazil’s BRT. LTD worked with the cities of Eugene and Springfield and the Land County Commission to make this dream become a reality.Service began in 2007 with the Green Line, the first EmX line that runs along Franklin Boulevard on a four-mile route between downtown Eugene and Springfield. It began with eight stations at major destinations,...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, Planning, Walking

Proposed BRT in Gary will aid local development

May 26, 2016 | by Active Trans

Rail systems are a fast, often preferable transit option for many people, but building them is time consuming and costly. Bus rapid transit (BRT) offers the experience of rail in the form of four wheels.BRT is a more economical approach for cities to improve the speed and reliability of their bus service. It has also proven to spur development.The city of Gary, Indiana, is one local community that sees future development happening through BRT.BRT is a key part of the city's Livable Broadway plan, which is a collaboration between the Gary Public Transportation Corporation (GPTC), Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) and the cities of Gary, Crown Point and town of Merrillville.The goal of the regional plan is to improve the Broadway corridor by...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, Planning, Walking

No more ghost bikes

May 19, 2016 | by Active Trans

In Chicago and its suburbs, about 15 people are killed and 3,000 injured every year while riding a bike.Last night I joined more than 100 cyclists in Chicago, and thousands more around the world, for the annual Ride of Silence. The ride honors the victims of cycling fatalities as well as their families. In Chicago Ride of Silence volunteers coordinate the placement of the white “Ghost Bikes” to honor the victims. As in years past, the route took us to a number of ghost bikes where we shared a silent moment of respect and reflection with family and friends of the victims.I am truly amazed at the strength families have shown in the midst of this deep sadness, and the positive...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, transit, Walking, zero vision

Grand Rapids invests in first BRT in Michigan

Mar 15, 2016 | by Active Trans

Bus rapid transit (BRT) has gained momentum in the United States, especially in Midwest cities like Cleveland and Chicago. Detroit is looking to be added to the list, but it won’t be the first city in Michigan to adopt BRT. Grand Rapids has held that title since 2014. The Silver Line is a BRT corridor running 9.6 miles north-south through the center of the city on Division Ave. between Michigan St. to 60th St., connecting downtown Grand Rapids to the South Suburbs. Features include 34 sheltered bus stations, off-board payment kiosks, 15-inch raised platforms, transit signal priority, Wi-Fi and designated bus-only lanes where cars are prohibited during rush hour, except to make right-hand turns. The Silver Line -- which is...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, Planning, Walking

San Francisco gets first BRT project off the ground

Feb 10, 2016 | by Active Trans

Like Chicago’s, San Francisco’s bus system for years has struggled to gain riders due to slow, unreliable service. As leaders in both cities have begun to invest in bus improvements, it’s helpful for Chicagoans to look at how San Francisco is attacking the problem. The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Authority (SFMTA) has prioritized frequency and reliability on its most heavily used routes in launching the Muni Rapid Network. One of the Rapid Network improvement projects breaking ground this year -Van Ness Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) – is a great example of the city’s approach Van Ness Ave. is a north-south arterial road that’s a continuation of Highway 101 and is often congested, making it dangerous for everyone walking, biking, and...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, Walking

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