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Crash highlights need for flyover detour

Sep 10, 2018 | by Kyle Whitehead

Another bicycle crash on Lower Lake Shore Drive has drawn attention to several persistent safety issues for people biking and walking on this congested stretch of the Lakefront Trail. Aaron Duncan, an IT engineer at WBEZ, was commuting home on his bicycle and traveling south on the path over the Chicago River when he saw heavy oncoming foot and bike traffic. While the Navy Pier Flyover is being built, people biking and walking on the trail are currently detoured to a shared sidewalk with no protective barrier next to high-speed vehicle traffic on the bridge. Duncan had slowed down amidst the traffic when a rented quadcycle hit one of the steel beams that supports the bridge and protrudes from the...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, Lakefront Trail, Walking

New campaign aims to link regional trails

Sep 7, 2018 | by Active Trans

Despite a growing awareness of the long list of benefits that trails can provide to communities, many trails in Chicagoland continue to be poorly maintained and difficult to access with too many dangerous crossings at busy streets. A new plan from the Active Transportation Alliance highlights ways residents and officials can work together to overcome these obstacles and build a regional trail network that works for everyone in Northeast Illinois. To showcase this new vision for improving trails throughout the region, we recently held our first annual Trail Connect Chicagoland Summer Summit (see photo). The event turned out dozens of local trail advocates and some of the region’s most proactive elected officials who wanted to learn about the plan and share...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, North Suburbs, Walking, West Suburbs

Governor signs biking and walking safety ed. bill

Sep 7, 2018 | by Kyle Whitehead

Every day in Illinois, five kids on average are hit by a driver of a motor vehicle within one block of a school, and more are hit beyond the school zones. A bill that helps address this tragic daily occurrence while encouraging more walking and biking was recently signed into law by Governor Rauner. The Bike Walk Education in Schools Act (HB4799) requires K-8 schools to provide biking and walking safety education. Illinois’ School Code requires automobile safety education, but currently there isn’t a requirement for providing instruction on how to bike and walk safely. This bill is an important step forward in making Illinois a better place for kids to bike and walk. Over the past thirty years, childhood...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, biking, Education, Walking

Progress during Emanuel years, but much more work to do

Sep 7, 2018 | by Ron Burke

Under Mayor Emanuel’s leadership, Chicago strengthened its commitment to building safer streets that make it easier to get around without a car. The mayor was a national leader in building better bike infrastructure through a growing network of protected bike lanes, off-street trails and neighborhood greenways. He set an example that other cities followed and soon mayors were competing to be more bike-friendly. The mayor secured millions of dollars in federal funding to rebuild Chicago’s decades-old public transit system, leading to more reliable service on the city’s busiest rail lines. He expanded implementation of the city’s policy to prioritize pedestrian safety when building and rebuilding streets, adding more countdown timers, refuge islands and enhanced crosswalks. Despite recent progress, it is...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, biking, Walking

Governor signs Dutch Reach bike safety bill into law

Aug 16, 2018 | by Kyle Whitehead

A bill that adds the Dutch Reach method to Illinois’ Rules of the Road manual and adds bike safety questions to the state driver’s license exam has been signed into law. The Dutch Reach method encourages drivers and passengers to use their far hand and reach across their body to open car doors after parallel parking, forcing people to look back for approaching cyclists and other traffic before exiting the car. Research shows it makes drivers and passengers more aware of approaching cyclists, helping prevent crashes and save lives. The bill (House Bill 5143), led by State Rep. Theresa Mah (2nd District, Chinatown), was co-sponsored by a bipartisan group of 20 legislators and passed both houses with strong, bipartisan majorities....

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling

Support a moratorium on expressway expansion

Aug 13, 2018 | by Ron Burke

A new analysis shows the Chicago region has grown more car dependent since 1980, and that a different approach is needed to create healthier, more sustainable and more equitable communities. The Active Transportation Alliance's 2018 Regional Mode Share Report demonstrates the region's inability to build its way out of traffic congestion. A larger percentage of Chicagoland residents are driving to work today compared to 1980, and the total amount of driving in the region has grown approximately four times faster than the population. While the region’s population grew by 18 percent since 1980, the traffic increased by 66 percent in the same period. View the full report for a breakdown of the data by tranportation mode, county and demographic information. You...

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

A new vision for walking and biking on Logan

Aug 9, 2018 | by Steve Simmons

Protected bike lanes, freshly painted crosswalks and longer signals for people walking -- these are just a few of the priorities Logan Square residents have championed during our project to improve walking and biking on Logan Blvd. For the past eight months, the Active Transportation Alliance has led a variety of activities to identify the most significant obstacles to walking and biking on Logan from Rockwell St. to Lathrop Homes. This is a notoriously dangerous stretch for people who walk and bike on the Northwest Side. Western Ave. and the Kennedy Expressway overpass are both major barriers for people traveling east-west between Logan Square and the retail district surrounding Elston Ave. People traveling on bike and foot through this area must contend...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, Chicago North Side, Walking

Majority of local crashes happen on arterial streets

Aug 6, 2018 | by Kyle Whitehead

If leaders in the Chicago region want to reduce crashes and save lives, new data shows more resources should go towards redesigning arterial streets. According to the Active Transportation Alliance’s 2018 Chicago Regional Crash Report, 53 percent of all crashes in the region occur on arterial roads, which make up 36 percent of the lane miles in our region. These roads often divide communities and serve as barriers for people biking and walking to jobs, parks, healthcare centers and other popular destinations. Active Trans compiles and analyzes public data annually on trends on bicycle and pedestrian crashes, injuries and fatalities. Every year the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) reviews crash data reported from local municipalities to ensure accuracy before publicly...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, biking, Walking

Cook County funds bike/walk/transit priorities

Aug 1, 2018 | by Kyle Whitehead

Cook County’s latest round of grant funding includes several exciting projects for people who walk, bike and ride transit in the city and suburbs. Last week the Cook County Department of Transportation and Highways announced its 2018 Invest in Cook Grant program. The program is designed to advance priorities from the county’s recent long range transportation plan, which has a strong multi-modal focus while emphasizing the many health, community and economic benefits of active transportation modes. The county is contributing $7 million to fund the 34 approved projects, which leverage an additional $26.8 million in federal, state and local funds. The advocacy of Active Trans and our partners and supporters across the county are closely linked to several winners. The...

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

Regulated e-bikes could strengthen cycling movement

Jul 30, 2018 | by Kyle Whitehead

A state law passed in 2017 establishes a regulatory structure for electric assist bicycles (e-bikes) in Illinois and helps riders understand the new technology. The bill amended the Illinois vehicle code to create three classes of e-bikes based upon the bike’s equipment and top speed. Class 1 – pedal-assist electric bicycles in which the motor provides support only while the rider is pedaling. Travel at speeds up to 20 MPH. Class 2 – throttle-assist electric bicycles in which the motor can provide support without the rider pedaling. Travel at speeds up to 20 MPH. Class 3 – pedal-assist electric bicycles in which the motor provides support only while the rider is pedals. Travel at speeds up to 28 MPH. Previously,...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling

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