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Crowdsourcing for safer bike lanes

Jun 13, 2018 | by Maya Norris

The new bicycling infrastructure taking root in Chicago has done much for the city’s reputation as a great place for biking. Building on that reputation is getting named by Bicycling magazine as the best US city for bicycling in 2016. But there is a major problem that has been cutting into this status — and it’s not a minor issue: drivers parking in bike lanes. This widespread phenomenon is not only inconvenient, it’s dangerous. Seeing this pervasive problem prompted Christina Whitehouse to create Bike Lane Uprising, a website that allows people to report bike lane obstructions by posting photos and factual details on a map. Launched in August 2017, Bike Lane Uprising seeks to make bicycling safer by streamlining the...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling

Celebrate Lakefront Trail improvements with us

Jun 8, 2018 | by Active Trans

For more than 30 years, Active Trans has been working to make the Lakefront Trail safer and easier to use. In the past year or so, parts of the trail have taken a quantum leap forward in terms of safety and comfort. But as you probably know, work still needs to be done. Join us on June 28 at Theater on the Lake as we celebrate the newly separated trails for people on foot and on bikes. Hear from advocates and city leaders about how the project is going and what’s needed to push it across the finish line. The happy hour event is at the newly renovated Theater on the Lake and will feature drinks from Revolution Brewing, light...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, Lakefront Trail, Walking

UIC public health students advance Weber Spur Trail

Jun 6, 2018 | by Steve Simmons

Because urban trails encourage more people to bike, walk and run, they happen to be one of the best tools we have to improve public health. This desire to help people improve their health is in part what fuels our work to advance a continuous Chicago River Trail. For the past year, we've been working closely with one of our partners, public health students at the University of Illinois-Chicago (pictured), to identify the public health benefits the proposed Weber Spur Trail would bring to the Northwest Side. With help from Active Trans supporters (Alderman Laurino, North River Commission and North Branch Trail Alliance), the students surveyed more than 240 residents, finding that nearly all of them expect public health to improve...

Tags: Advocacy, biking, Chicago North Side, Walking

Biking & walking safety education bill on home stretch

May 31, 2018 | by Active Trans

Every day in Illinois, an average of 5 kids are hit by drivers of motor vehicles within one block of a school, and more are hit beyond the school zones. A bill that would help address this tragic daily occurrence while encouraging more walking and biking has passed the Illinois Senate and now heads to Governor Bruce Rauner for approval. 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. State lawmakers have heard from hundreds of people who support this bill. Kudos to Rep. Sonya Harper and Sen....

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, Education, Walking

June events on the Lakefront Trail

May 31, 2018 | by Active Trans

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 June 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. Construction is beginning on the current Lakefront Trail between Foster and Montrose. Durring this project, people biking and walking both will be diverted to the newly constructed path, which will eventually become the bike path. Click here for the detour map of the North side. A small section of...

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

Take our survey to improve walking & biking on Logan Blvd.

May 29, 2018 | by Steve Simmons

Did you know that 17 of the Chicago River's 27 miles will have trails by the end of 2018? With trails taking shape as quickly as they are, it's urgent we push for improvements that create safe walking and biking options for accessing the river. One area where we're working on better access to the Chicago River Trail is on Logan Blvd. from Rockwell Ave. to Lathrop Homes. If you've ever biked or walked along this stretch, you know how perilous it can be for people walking and biking. This is where we'd love your input. Are you familiar with this part of Logan? Do you live, commute through or shop in this area? What changes would you like to see?...

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

Tribune’s vision for NLSD is from a rearview mirror

Apr 26, 2018 | by Ron Burke

The Chicago Tribune editorial board recently took issue with a letter that Active Trans, civic partners and local chambers of commerce wrote in support of including dedicated bus lanes or light rail – we call it the “Silver Line” – into the redesign of North Lake Shore Drive. The Silver Line would run on the north and south sides of the drive and ease crowding on the Red and Brown Lines, move buses out of rush hour congestion to prioritize/incentivize more efficient transit, upgrade south side transit and accommodate future transit growth. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to prioritize transit along the densely populated lakefront where the need for better transit service is a no-brainer. Moreover, building the Silver Line is...

Tags: Advocacy, Chicago North Side

Bike Walk Education in Schools Act

Apr 23, 2018 | by Active Trans

Illinois crash data shows nearly five children are hit by people driving every day in Illinois while walking or biking within one block of a school. Yet Illinois’ School Code requires automobile safety education, but there isn’t a requirement that education includes instruction on how to bike and walk safely. Active Trans is working with our allies across the state to change that. The Bike Walk Education in Schools Act (HB4799) requires school boards statewide to adopt policies for educating K-8 students about biking and walking safety, and review/update these policies every two years. Schools boards determine how best to implement the requirement in their schools. Over the last thirty years, childhood obesity has tripled in the U.S. and Illinois ranks ninth...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, Walking

Chicago River Trail Coalition advances trail vision

Apr 19, 2018 | by Steve Simmons

Advancing a continuous Chicago River Trail that improves the quality of life for all city residents is not an easy task. The river spans nine aldermanic districts; usage varies from recreational to heavily industrial in stretches; and the quality of access points varies greatly. As trail segments begin to emerge, there's an urgency to develop goals for important related issues like affordable housing, water quality, trail design, and the environment. To jumpstart this process, we recently convened the Chicago River Trail Coalition. The coalition is a diverse group of public and private sector organizations, including elected officials from city and state governments. Active Trans will convene the coalition several times a year to keep the momentum going towards a continuous trail...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, Chicago North Side, Chicago South Side, Planning, Walking

Chicagoans are ready for dockless bike share. Here’s how to get it right.

Apr 19, 2018 | by Ron Burke

If you follow urban cycling, you’ve probably heard the stories by now of dockless bikeshare (DoBi) chaos in parts of Asia, with bikes piling up on sidewalks and thrown in to rivers, and with companies going bankrupt almost overnight. Even in the U.S., the rollout has not gone well in some cities like Dallas where bikes are cluttering streets and sidewalks, with limited ridership. On a recent visit to Seattle, I saw plenty of Lime and Ofo bikes scattered across the city. Most were parked respectfully on the edge of a sidewalk, often in groups of two to four. A few bikes blocked sidewalks while others were in homeless encampments, in the middle of forest preserves, and in other locations that would...

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

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