Tag Archives: Advocacy

Ride sparks discussion with 31st Ward alderman

Jul 9, 2018 | by Julia Gerasimenko

Belmont Cragin residents are eager to see better biking infrastructure in their neighborhood. This desire was clearly on display on a recent weekend when 80 people came out to the Bike 4 Belmont Cragin ride organized by the Northwest Side Housing Center (NWSHC) and Active Trans. In addition to offering the ride as a fun local event, the ride was intended to demostrate community support for biking infrastructure and the need for maintaining existing bike lanes on the Northwest Side of Chicago. Some the participants kept the momentum going with a visit to their alderman to discuss ways to make biking safer in the ward.  The route covered quiet neighborhood streets such as Wrightwood Ave., as well as busy arterial streets...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, Chicago North Side, Chicago West Side

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July events on the Lakefront Trail

Jul 9, 2018 | by Julia Gerasimenko

The Active Transportation Alliance compiles a list of events happening each month along the Lakefront Trail. See what's going on in the month of July so you can better plan your walking, biking or running route. This month will be busy! For regular updates about the Lakefront Trail, follow our Lakefront Trail Twitter page and the #chiLFT hashtag. NOTE: For updates on the Lakefront Trail separation construction, visit the Chicago Park District’s page. A small section of the lakefront trail between Chicago Ave. and Ontario St. has been affected by recent storm damage. The pedestrian portion of the trail in this area is open for both foot and bike traffic. Repairs will be made when weather allows in the spring....

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, Chicago Central, Chicago North Side, Chicago South Side, Lakefront Trail, Walking

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Become an Active Trans Ambassador on Aug. 2

Jul 9, 2018 | by Active Trans

Do you share our vision for a region with safe opportunities to bike, walk and take public transit? Are you excited about the work that Active Trans does and have an interest in advancing our mission by educating others? If you answered yes, we need you to help us fight for this vision by becoming an Active Trans Ambassador. Click here to sign up for an evening training in our office, 6-7:30 p.m. on August 2. The Active Trans Ambassador program is a new initiative for volunteer leaders focused on promoting Active Trans' city and suburban advocacy initiatives. Ambassadors represent us at events, highlighting our advocacy campaigns, building grassroots support for legislative priorities, and building our membership base. The Active...

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

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Tell governor to sign Bike Safety and Dutch Reach Act

Jun 28, 2018 | by Kyle Whitehead

A critical bike safety bill has arrived on Governor Rauner's desk and now we need your help to make sure it's signed into law. On Wednesday, June 27, HB 5143 – the Bike Safety and Dutch Reach Act – was sent to Governor Rauner. The bill amends the Illinois Vehicle Code to add information about bike safety to the state's Rules of the Road manual and driver's license exam. The added information includes a description of using the "Dutch reach" method when opening a car door to prevent a "dooring" crash if a cyclist approaching from behind. This past spring the bill passed both chambers with strong bi-partisan majorities. But the final step is still needed. Tell Governor Rauner to sign HB...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling

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Extending the I&M Canal Trail

Jun 27, 2018 | by Matt Gomez

A few southwest suburban communities, including Summit, are exploring an extension to the popular Illinois and Michigan (I&M) Canal Trail for biking and walking.Earlier this month, Active Trans joined Summit Mayor Sergio Rodriguez, local advocates and trail development experts for a tour of a potential site for the trail along the Sanitary and Ship Canal in the Village of Summit (The Sanitary and Ship Canal is a 28-mile-long canal system that connects the Chicago River to the Des Plaines River). Active Trans has been working on the I&M Trail for the past few months as part of our larger Trail Connect Chicagoland campaign, which is our effort to build both community and government support across the region for closing gaps...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, Walking

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TOD near bus routes should come with service upgrades

Jun 25, 2018 | by Kyle Whitehead

Mayor Emanuel’s proposal to incentivize housing development near high-ridership bus routes must prioritize on-site affordable units and come with upgrades to bus service. Last week the mayor announced a plan to expand the city’s transit-oriented development (TOD) policy to include high-ridership, high-frequency bus routes like Western, Ashland, Chicago Avenue and 79th Street. The city will study these areas with CTA and engage aldermen and community residents, with plans to introduce an ordinance in 2019. The Chicago ordinance currently applies to areas around CTA and Metra rail stations; this expansion to bus routes would be the first-of-its-kind in the U.S. Supporting TOD is a great way to lower household transportation costs, boost neighborhood economies and increase access to jobs, schools, and...

Tags: Advocacy

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Electric scooters: promise or peril?

Jun 25, 2018 | by Ron Burke

Active Trans has long been a believer in the power of bike sharing to increase bicycling, sustainability, equity and more. Divvy recently topped 15 million rides since launching in 2013, and new dockless bike-sharing companies offer the potential to improve and expand bike share if cities adopt the right policies. But what about electric scooter sharing?  This new service has already arrived in San Francisco where it has been wonderful or awful, depending on who you ask. Similar to dockless bike sharing, these scooters are self-locking and customers use an app to unlock and ride them. When the ride is over, the scooter can be left anywhere within the designated service area. Also similar to dockless bike sharing is that there...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling

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Businesses benefit when employees bike to work

Jun 21, 2018 | by Barb Cornew

The Bike to Work Challenge is one of Active Trans' longest-running and most beloved events. The two-week-long challenge, which started on June 15 and lasts until June 29, gives workplaces throughout Chicagoland an opportunity to go up against one another in a friendly competition. Workplaces compete by earning points and getting the most employees riding to work during the week (a bike commute can mean a full or partial bike trip). The event, presented this year by Keating Law Offices, is a great way to improve health among employees, enhance organizational camaraderie and promote sustainability. As part of this year’s challenge, Active Trans is excited to recognize members of the inaugural Bike to Work Challenge Advisory Group.  Members of the...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling

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Sign the petition for a Chicago Bike Walk Fund

Jun 18, 2018 | by Active Trans

After a flurry of new construction from 2011 to 2015, the growth of Chicago’s networks of protected bike lanes and pedestrian-friendly streets has unfortunately slowed down. Chicago installed 15.9 miles of new bikeways (including one mile of protected bike lanes) in 2017, down from a peak of 39.5 new miles of bikeways in 2014. Progress on safer streets is clearly lagging despite growing support among Chicagoans and our elected officials for creating streets that protect the most vulnerable users on foot and bike.  This lack of forward momentum is also evident in the city's Vision Zero plan, which has set a goal to eliminate fatalities and serious injuries among people walking, biking and driving. Without dedicated funding for the plan,...

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

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Elon Musk is not Chicago’s transit savior

Jun 15, 2018 | by Kyle Whitehead

Before city leaders go any further in negotiations with Elon Musk’s Boring Company to build and operate express transit service from O’Hare to downtown, they should revisit who the project benefits and if the public-private partnership will slow progress on the region’s more pressing transit needs. Musk’s proposed Chicago Express Loop would transport passengers between O’Hare and Block 37 in downtown Chicago in 12 minutes or less using “autonomous electric skates” traveling at 125-150 miles per hour. The 8-16 passenger skates would travel in new underground tunnels on a yet to be determined alignment. The technology is unproven and experts have raised many questions about its safety, cost, and feasibility. The proposal targets business travelers with tickets costing $20-$25 per...

Tags: Advocacy, Chicago Central, Chicago North Side

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