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Chicago should pair trails vision with plan for safe, connected bikeways on streets

Apr 5, 2022 | by Active Trans

Last week Mayor Lori Lightfoot released a citywide vision of trails and open space projects that she said would promote the health and well-being of all Chicago residents and visitors. The new map provides a compelling vision that opens the door to funding many high-impact projects that community leaders have fought for over many years. But by itself it will not make a meaningful difference in advancing the city’s climate, equity, and safety goals. Chicago still needs a safe, connected on-street bikeways network. TRAILS VISION NEEDS MORE DETAIL Walking and biking trails are hugely popular and can help improve community health and sustainability. When informed by strong community input, they can increase access to open space and help fill gaps...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, biking, Chicago, Equity, Trails

Active Trans works to connect trails in Chicagoland

Nov 11, 2020 | by Jim Merrell

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Chicago area residents have come to depend on trails not only as recreational assets, but also as transportation corridors that provide low-stress walking and biking connections within and between communities. The Chicago area provides opportunities to enjoy more than 1,100 miles of trails that crisscross the region. But too often people walking or biking on our regional trails encounter dead ends, dangerous crossings, diversions onto stressful streets, and other gaps in the network. Through our Trail Connect Chicagoland campaign, Active Trans works with advocates and public officials across the region to advance trail projects that move us closer to a seamless network. Multi-use trail projects take time to develop and implement, but thanks to the determination...

Tags: Chicago Central, chicago north, Chicago River Trail, Chicago West & Southwest Side, North Suburbs, river trail, South Suburbs, Trails, West Suburbs

Mobility in the time of COVID-19 in the north and west suburbs

Aug 20, 2020 | by Maggie Melin Czerwinski

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed a lot of what we perceive and know about mobility and transportation. In recent months, Active Trans met with more than 100 stakeholders who are invested in our work. We spoke with community partners, elected officials, department of transportation and transit agency officials, and residents across the city and suburbs. As part of this process, we held a series of small-group conversations and solo conversations with stakeholders, municipal staff, and elected officials in the north and west suburbs. Though not all encompassing, here is a glimpse of what residents are experiencing. During the course of 14 conversations, we spoke with community members, municipal staff, and elected officials representing Des Plaines, Elgin, Highland Park, Skokie, Waukegan, DuPage...

Tags: biking, covid-19, North Suburbs, Trails, transit, Walking, West Suburbs

Mobility in the time of COVID-19 in the south suburbs

Aug 18, 2020 | by Maggie Melin Czerwinski

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed a lot of what we perceive and know about mobility and transportation. In recent months, Active Trans met with more than 100 stakeholders who are invested in our work. We spoke with community partners, elected officials, department of transportation and transit agency officials, municipal staff, and residents across the city and suburbs. As part of this process, we held a series of small-group conversations and solo conversations with stakeholders in southern Cook County and Will County. Though not all encompassing, here is a glimpse of what residents in the south and southwest suburbs are experiencing. During the course of 14 conversations, we spoke with community members, municipal staff, and elected officials representing Blue Island, Calumet City,...

Tags: Bicycling, South Suburbs, Trails, transit, Walking

Let’s re-envision Route 53 extension

Jan 31, 2020 | by Maggie Melin Czerwinski

After nearly six decades of debate over the highly controversial Route 53 highway expansion project, victory was finally declared for walking, biking, and transit in Lake County last summer. Recognizing the $3 billion project would not relieve congestion problems, in July of 2019, the Lake County Board unanimously voted to remove support for the Route 53 highway extension from its strategic plan. A day later, the Illinois Tollway announced that it would cease work on a multi-million dollar environmental impact study of the extension. This was a monumental step forward, putting an end to a needless, environmentally destructive highway project. Success was in large part due to the persistent work of many advocates in Lake County, including the Illinois Sierra Club,...

Tags: Bicycling, North Suburbs, Trails, Walking

I&M Canal Trail completion gains momentum

Nov 18, 2019 | by Matt Gomez

Would you like the opportunity to bike on a seamless trail from Chicago to Starved Rock and Matthiessen State Parks? The I&M Canal Trail and the Centennial Trail run from the southwest suburbs of Chicago to the downstate parks. However, as riders of those trails know, major gaps exist in the trails that restrict users from staying on the same trail to make that journey. Instead, during those gaps, riders need to find their own alternative routes to safely make the trip. Due to the nature of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal and the heavy industrial users along the canal in the near southwest suburbs, a large gap exists in the I&M Canal Trail from the Chicago Portage National...

Tags: IandMTrail, Trails

Enhancing Lake Calumet area connections

Jun 25, 2019 | by Matt Gomez

Getting around in the communities surrounding Lake Calumet on Chicago's Far South Side is an enormous challenge without a car. A lack of public transit options, few bicycle trails, and inadequate pedestrian infrastructure make traveling without a car between communities like Riverdale, Roseland, and Pullman frustrating and often risky. Obstacles like heavy industry, highways, rail tracks, and waterways cut off most of these neighborhoods from neighboring communities. The good news is that solid ideas have been developed for improving the walking, biking, and transit connections between these places. Improving these connections would not only boost transportation and recreation options for residents, but also would advance economic development by attracting tourism and connecting people to new commercial centers. Earlier this month,...

Tags: Advocacy, Trails

Ron Burke to step down as head of Active Trans

Jun 17, 2019 | by Kyle Whitehead

After nearly nine years with the Active Transportation Alliance, Ron Burke will step down from his role as the organization’s executive director next month. During Burke’s tenure, Active Trans contributed to many victories, from the growth of Chicago’s advanced bike lane network and launch of Divvy bikeshare, to the creation of separate biking and walking trails on the lakefront, introduction of dedicated bus lanes, and expansion of suburban trails. Active Trans also had wins in Springfield during Burke’s tenure, including legislation requiring K-8 public schools to teach biking and walking education and the recent passage of a state capital bill that includes $50 million annually for walking and bicycling projects. "Under Ron’s leadership, Active Trans has become a more visible...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, biking, Education, Lakefront Trail, legislation, Planning, Trails, transit, Walking

State bike/walk fund advances transportation equity

Jun 10, 2019 | by Kyle Whitehead

The new state money for walking and bicycling comes with reforms that make it easier for low-income communities to secure funding. Needless to say, we were thrilled to see our efforts pay off in creating better transportation equity in the state. For the first time ever, Illinois’ long-term capital program includes dedicated funding for walking and biking projects — $50 million annually. It also includes sustainable funding for public transit for the first time ever. The new biking and walking funding will be distributed via the state’s popular Illinois Transportation Enhancements grant Program (ITEP), but with some important changes that make it more accessible for low-income communities. Local matching funding shall be required according to a sliding scale based on...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, legislation, Trails, Walking

Mayor Lightfoot can reduce Chicago’s car dependency

May 20, 2019 | by Kyle Whitehead

To tackle traffic congestion and make transportation more affordable, healthy, and equitable, Chicago must make it easier to get around without a car. During the campaign, Mayor Lightfoot and many council members supported strategies to move Chicago in this direction, including increasing transportation options in the city’s transit deserts and reducing serious traffic crashes that are concentrated on the city’s South and West Sides. They recognized that urban transportation is changing, and cities must adapt to remain competitive in attracting new businesses and residents. Now it’s time to get to work and move Chicago past decades of car dependency and into a new mobility future. During the campaign, Active Transportation NOW — a 501(c)4 affiliate of Active Trans — and...

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