Tag Archives: Advocacy

Advancing a vision for a trail on the South Branch

Apr 17, 2018 | by Steve Simmons

Turning the Chicago River into an attractive destination with healthy transportation options is an important goal of Active Trans' Chicago River Trail campaign. To achieve the vision of a continuous 27-mile trail that all Chicagoans can enjoy, it's essential that we clean up the environment, ensure housing is affordable, and create safe and easy access to the river. One area that presents an opportunity to carry out this vision is the South Branch of the Chicago River. This 3-mile stretch begins at Ping Tom Park and runs south to Western Avenue and includes Bridgeport, Pilsen, McKinley Park and Brighton Park. To get the ball rolling, we've started working on a project, the South Branch Framework, that will help develop a...

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

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Advocates inspire bicycling in Elk Grove Village

Apr 16, 2018 | by Maggie Melin Czerwinski

Seven years ago, Dave Simmons from Elk Grove Village decided to turn his passion for riding bikes into a non-profit with a mission to get more people on their bikes. Through Friends of Cycling in Elk Grove (FCEG), Dave is determined to see more people riding not only for recreation, but also for transportation – to school, to work, to the grocery store, and beyond. Dave attended our Bike Walk Every Town suburban advocacy skills-building program last fall where we educated local supporters about how to fight for policies that help communities become more walk, bike and transit-friendly. This includes adopting a Complete Streets Policy to ensure that all road users are considered in future projects, and developing an active transportation...

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

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Bike safety bills move forward in Springfield

Apr 10, 2018 | by Active Trans

Two bills that would strengthen education and awareness of the growing number of people bicycling in Illinois passed out of committee in Springfield on Tuesday. One bill would add the Dutch Reach method to Illinois’ Rules of the Road manual and add bike safety questions to the state driver’s license exam. 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 the Dutch Reach makes drivers and passengers more aware of approaching cyclists, helping prevent crashes and save lives. “With more people riding bikes in communities across Illinois,...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, biking, Walking

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Coalition calls for dedicated lane for transit on NLSD

Apr 2, 2018 | by Active Trans

Last week 10 civic and business organizations signed a letter to the city and state calling for dedicated transit lanes on North Lake Shore Drive.As outlined in the letter, dedicated lanes would boost bus speed and reliability and get more people riding transit. Bus riders already account for more than 20 percent of users on Lake Shore Drive every day while taking up a fraction of the space that cars do.See the full letter and background information on the project.A project team comprised of the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) and Chicago Park District (CPD) plans to rebuild North Lake Shore Drive from Grand Avenue to Hollywood Avenue. The proposed project involves improvement of seven...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, Planning, Walking

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Free-floating car-sharing program should be welcomed in Chicago

Mar 22, 2018 | by Active Trans

The free-floating car-sharing pilot program passed by Chicago City Council could help residents who don’t own a car get around and encourage more people to live car-free or car-lite lifestyles.Unlike Zipcar and Enterprise CarShare, free-floating carshare companies like car2go don’t require users to pick up and drop off the vehicles in a fixed location for a set period of time. The cars can be parked in any legal spot within a designated zone and reservations aren’t required.The ordinance introduced by 1st Ward Ald. Joe Moreno would set up a nine-month pilot program starting in May 2018. One vendor chosen by the city would be permitted to deploy up to 500 vehicles in designated “home area.”The proposed area includes all of...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, Chicago Central, Chicago North Side, Education, Planning, transit, Walking

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Bike rodeo tips from the expert

Mar 15, 2018 | by Active Trans

Active Trans’ Bike Walk Every Town program is training suburban advocates to lead campaigns to create better communities for walking and biking. One of the topics we focus on in our trainings is how to build support and mobilize community members around advocacy campaigns.Organizing fun and engaging community events is a fantastic way to build awareness for a campaign or project you’d like to see supported by your elected officials. Events like these can offer an opportunity to connect to residents and encourage them to become more active in advocating for better biking and walking. So what type of events can help get your neighbors engaged in your local advocacy? Have you ever been to a bike rodeo?A bike rodeo is...

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

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See where candidates for governor stand

Mar 6, 2018 | by Active Trans

With primary election day two weeks away, the Active Transportation Alliance has released its 2018 Sustainable Transportation Voter Guide so constituents can learn about the views of candidates for governor on transit, walking and biking issues.The voter guide is comprised of responses from gubernatorial candidates to a questionnaire Active Trans sent to all candidates last month.As a non-partisan 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization, Active Trans does not endorse candidates or evaluate their positions. This voter guide is an educational resource to inform the public and candidates for statewide office about current priorities for improving public transit, walking and biking as identified by our members, supporters and staff.Daniel BissBob DaiberTio Hardiman (did not respond)Jeanne Ives (did not respond)Chris Kennedy (did not respond)Robert Marshall...

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

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March events on the Lakefront Trail

Mar 2, 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 March so you can better plan your walking, biking or running route. As we inch towards spring, the trail gets busier. 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. Temporarily, all path users are asked to share the newly separated bike trail between Fullerton Parkway and North Avenue. Reminder, please use caution and slow down in work zones. Sunday, March 4 Chicago Polar Plunge 10 a.m. North Avenue Beach Saturday, March 17...

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

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Active Trans to award legal firm at event

Feb 28, 2018 | by Active Trans

It’s not easy for nonprofits to navigate the complex maze of local, state and federal laws that govern their organizations without the help of attorneys. And those legal services can get pricey for grassroots nonprofits with limited resources. Luckily, that’s something Active Transportation Alliance doesn’t have to worry about. Active Trans benefits from pro bono legal services provided by Kelley Drye & Warren LLP’s Chicago office. The international law firm’s generous legal advice helps Active Trans stay focused on its mission while giving Kelley Drye a fascinating inside look at how the nonprofit works to improve walking, bicycling and public transit in Chicago.As a result of the firm’s outstanding legal assistance to Active Trans for the past four years, we will...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, Education, Walking

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Weber Spur, a crucial connection

Feb 21, 2018 | by Active Trans

Urban trails are one of the best tools we have to encourage more people to walk and bike for everyday transportation, improve public health, strengthen local businesses and create a cleaner environment.That's why we're making the completion of the Weber Spur Trail on Chicago's Northwest Side a top priority for Active Trans' Chicago River Trail campaign.Suburban Lincolnwood recently built a one-mile stretch of the trail; now we're calling on the city of Chicago to follow through on plans to build its 1.7-mile portion.The Weber Spur is a 2.7-mile trail that starts at Touhy Avenue in Lincolnwood, takes a southwestern route through LaBagh Woods and connects to Elston Avenue's bicycle lanes (see map). This trail will create the ultimate low-stress connection...

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

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