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Apply to bring Bike Week 2019 to your community!

Mar 21, 2019 | by Julia Gerasimenko

Active Trans is pleased to announce a mini-grant opportunity to support community-based events during Chicago Bike Week, which will be held June 21 – 28, 2019. This funding opportunity will award four grants of $250 each. Applicants are encouraged to be creative and there are no limitations on the types of events that may be supported. It could be a series of community bike rides, an educational workshops, a bike repair demonstration, or any number of other events. Competitive applications will focus on promoting biking and integrating local Active Trans advocacy priorities, including but not limited to Bikeways for All, Vision Zero, Chicago River Trail, and Lake Calumet Area Parks & Open Spaces. Applicants are also encouraged to identify and...

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

Chicago’s bike share system should remain public

Mar 15, 2019 | by Kyle Whitehead

Update [3/26/19]: We recently sent a letter to Chicago City Council enthusiastically supporting the proposed amendment of the City of Chicago’s existing contract for the operation of Divvy, Chicago’s highly successful bike share program. The proposed deal achieves the goal of expanding Divvy citywide, while keeping the system in public hands. Please join us in voicing support for Divvy expansion by contacting your alderman! ---------------- Divvy is two-wheeled public transit. All Chicagoans deserve access to an expanded, well-run bike sharing system that is integrated with other forms of public transit. Active Trans doesn't have any preference when it comes to the system's vendors, but there are important differences between the two proposals from Lyft and Uber that were released this week....

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

Take action for safer biking and walking on state roads

Mar 13, 2019 | by Kyle Whitehead

A resolution calling for the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) to better protect people biking and walking on state roads passed out of committee in Springfield. Now we need your help to make sure it passes the Illinois General Assembly and is sent to the governor's desk. Take action now for safer biking and walking on state roads. Senate Joint Resolution 24 (SJR24) calls for IDOT to update its policies and design guidelines to reflect the needs of everyone using the road. It resolves to make it easier for low-income communities to fund critical pedestrian safety improvements, and urges the state to implement outstanding action items from the Illinois 2012 bicycle plan, among other recommendations. In Illinois, serious and fatal traffic...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, biking, Equity, legislation, Walking

Advocates fight for bike/walk education in schools

Mar 4, 2019 | by Maggie Melin

Would you like to see your local schools teach walking and biking safety to kids? With your help, we can make that happen. Last year, thanks to the efforts of Active Trans and our partners, a law was passed requiring that K-8 public schools teach walking and biking safety to students. Now we’re working with advocates in communities across the Chicago region to help implement the Illinois Bike Walk Education in Schools Act and encourage districts to comply with the new requirement. Talk to school leaders To accomplish this, we're calling on residents in the suburbs to meet with their school district leaders to build awareness and help ensure walking and biking education is incorporated into curriculum of their schools....

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, Walking

REI to be honored for its longtime support

Feb 25, 2019 | by Maya Norris

We will be honoring REI by giving the company a Business Leadership Award at our 2019 Active Transportation Alliance Awards Reception on March 7. Please join us as we recognize REI as well Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Logan Square Neighborhood Association. Specialty outdoor retailer REI does more than just sell clothing and gear for the outdoor enthusiast. The nation’s largest consumer co-op is committed to connecting people with nature and outdoor recreation, encouraging them to live active, healthy lifestyles that include bicycling and walking. And locally, REI has been a longtime supporter of Active Trans, providing funding and other resources to help create and promote more sustainable transportation infrastructure in the region. "Active Trans’ mission resonates with REI and...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, Walking

Mayoral candidates support upgrading Metra Electric

Feb 21, 2019 | by Julia Gerasimenko

Chicago’s leading candidates for mayor recognize the untapped potential of the Metra Electric Line and understand why the next administration must upgrade it. For years Active Trans has worked with community-based partners in the Coalition for a Modern Metra Electric to fight for more service, better coordination and safer stations along the line. Now mayoral candidates are getting on board in response to a candidate questionnaire from Active Transportation NOW, a 501(c)4 affiliate of Active Trans. Coalition goals for the Metra Electric include: Trains every 10 to 15 minutes An equitable fare structure with easy, low-cost transfer to CTA and Pace Clean, safe, bright, accessible stations We were thrilled to see that all eight candidates who responded to the candidate questionnaire (Daley,...

Tags: Advocacy, Chicago South Side, transit

Most mayoral candidates support a Bike Walk Fund

Feb 20, 2019 | by Julia Gerasimenko

Currently there is no money in the Chicago Department of Transportation’s (CDOT) annual capital budget set aside specifically for biking and walking projects. But change could be around the corner with most of Chicago’s mayoral candidates supporting a new, dedicated Bike Walk Fund in the city’s budget. The $20 million fund would give priority to the city’s highest-crash corridors on the South and West Sides. Take action now to a support a Chicago Bike Walk Fund. Today, funding for street safety projects like better-lit crosswalks and curb-protected bike lanes comes from a patchwork of local, state and federal sources, including aldermanic menu money. These inconsistent and inadequate funding sources mean that many essential projects get left by the wayside. According...

Tags: Advocacy, biking, Chicago South Side, Chicago West & Southwest Side, Walking

Mayoral candidates support 100 new miles of bikeways

Feb 19, 2019 | by Julia Gerasimenko

Chicago’s leading candidates for mayor pledge to build at least 100 miles of new on-street bikeways over the next four years, including at least 50 miles of protected bike lanes. All eight candidates who responded to the Active Transportation NOW candidate questionnaire (Daley, Enyia, Fioretti, Ford, Kozlar, Lightfoot, Preckwinkle and Vallas) support building at least 100 miles of new on-street bikeways over the next four years, including at least 50 miles of protected bike lanes. More access to bikeways needed Currently, outside of downtown, only about one-third of Chicagoans live within one-quarter mile of a high-quality, low-stress bikeway. Low-stress bikeways could be a protected bike lane, neighborhood greenway or an urban trail. These types of facilities are proven to encourage more people to...

Tags: Advocacy, biking

South Branch vision advances Chicago River Trail

Feb 15, 2019 | by Steve Simmons

Although trails have grown rapidly along the Chicago River, the largest remaining gap in a continuous river trail network is the five-mile stretch from Ping Tom Park in Chinatown southwest to Western Avenue. Adding a trail along the South Branch (pictured) would be a major step toward a 27-mile Chicago River Trail. A complete trail would promote biking and walking and support healthy communities, cleaner environments and a vibrant local economy. Developing a connected network of walking and biking trails along this stretch of the river is not without complications, however. Many members of nearby communities have raised important concerns about environmental conditions and impacts on local neighborhoods. Given these opportunities and challenges, a robust community-led dialogue is necessary. In...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, Chicago South Side, Walking

Report shows Chicago riders leaving transit for Uber, Lyft

Feb 14, 2019 | by Julia Gerasimenko

A new study released this week by TransitCenter shows that Chicago is one of two cities, along with New York, where transit riders say they are shifting a significant share of their transit trips to Uber and Lyft. The report shows that Chicago needs to do more to improve bus service to win back riders given that bus ridership accounts for nearly all the recent transit ridership loss in our city. Take action now to tell your alderman and Chicago’s mayor you want to see a plan for at least 50 miles of new transit priority streets! Buses move many more people than cars while taking up a fraction of the street space, and yet Chicago and other cities continue to...

Tags: Advocacy, transit

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