Tag Archives: Planning

CTA plans to remove local bus stops on Ashland, Western

Nov 9, 2015 | by Active Trans

As part of an ongoing effort to speed up bus service on two of most popular bus routes in the city, CTA is preparing to remove some of the least-used stops on the #9 Ashland and #49 Western buses.The agency says 85 percent of all trips in the corridors will be unaffected by stop consolidation, and that the changes will save riders up to 7.5 minutes per trip. (See a map of the stops proposed to bemaintained and discontinued.)If approved by the CTA board, the changes would take effect in late December. Riders are encouraged to provide feedback on the proposal by email at [email protected] or phone at 1-888-YOUR-CTA.Speeding up local service is a worthy goal and the majority of...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, Chicago West & Southwest Side, Planning, Walking

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Kinzie Street protected bike lane will stay!

Sep 2, 2015 | by Active Trans

In a big win for Active Trans members and supporters, Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) officials confirmed the Kinzie Street protected bike lane will remain in place. Earlier this year, 42nd Ward Alderman Brendan Reilly introduced an ordinance that would require CDOT to temporarily remove the lane, which was Chicago's first protected bike lane and one of the most popular bike routes in the country. This much-loved bike route connects the North and West Sides of Chicago to downtown.  Citing concerns about traffic congestion associated with the Wolf Point development, Ald. Reilly proposed installing a new bike lane on Grand Ave. as an alternative to Kinzie. However, that Grand Ave. bike lane never materialized, and it’s clear that people would continue...

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

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Restoring express bus should lead to building BRT on Ashland

Aug 18, 2015 | by Active Trans

On Tuesday CTA announced the restoration of express bus service on Ashland and Western Avenues during peak hours. The CTA ended express bus service on the #9 Ashland and #49 Western routes amid budget cuts in 2010. The #9 Ashland route is the most popular bus route in the system with 10 million boardings annually.Today's announcement is good news for transit riders who are forced to deal with overcrowding and slow, unpredictable trips on two of the most popular bus routes in the system. This decision should be a first step towards CTA building a true bus rapid transit (BRT) corridor on Ashland with dedicated bus lanes, improved stations, and enhanced sidewalks and medians.The CTA’s own analysis from 2013 shows restoring...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, Planning, Walking

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Rapid transit on Ashland is critical to our Transit Future

Aug 5, 2015 | by Active Trans

Everyone who travels around Chicago recognizes Ashland Avenue as one of the most important transportation corridors in the city and can see it’s long overdue for an upgrade.No matter what mode of transportation you’re using, trips are often frustratingly slow and unpredictable, especially during the morning and evening rush.Installing center-running dedicated bus lanes and granting buses traffic signal priority, as the city first proposed in 2013, would speed up many of those trips and offer fast, consistent transit service to more than 10 million riders every year.That’s why the Ashland Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project is one of 10 potential rapid transit expansion projects featured in our Transit Future vision.If you live near Ashland, click here to tell the Cook...

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

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Time for Chicago to step up its Vision Zero efforts

Apr 14, 2015 | by Active Trans

Now that election season is over, it’s time for our leaders to follow through on their commitment to make our streets safer by developing an action plan to achieve Vision Zero in Chicago.Sign our petition calling on Chicago leaders to support a comprehensive Vision Zero strategy.Vision Zero is an international traffic safety movement built on the concept that no loss of life on our streets in acceptable and traffic crashes are not mere “accidents,” but preventable mishaps that can be reduced and ultimately eliminated with systemic changes. In 2012, Chicago adopted a Zero in 10 goal to eliminate traffic fatalities by 2022.This week a new organization launched to help Chicago and cities across the country achieve these important goals. The...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, Planning, transit, Walking, zero vision

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