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Chicago is falling behind on sustainable transportation

Feb 13, 2020 | by Maggie Melin Czerwinski

According to our new report, Chicago is falling behind in the number of people choosing to commute on foot, on bike, or on public transit. This was just one of the findings of our regularly published Regional Mode Share Report, which compiles and analyzes mode share and travel data for the Chicagoland region. Here are a few highlights from our 2020 report: Compared to our peer cities, Chicago is falling behind In 2018, only 35.7 percent of Chicagoans walked, biked, or took transit to work, down slightly from previous years. Compared to seven of our peer cities, over the last two years, Chicago dropped two positions to second to last place, just ahead of the City of Los Angeles. For...

Tags: Bicycling, transit, Walking

Metra Electric Coalition picks up speed

Feb 6, 2020 | by Lynda Lopez

The Coalition for a Modern Metra Electric was founded about five years ago with the core question, “What would it take to get more Chicagoans riding Metra?” Comprised of nine initial organizations, the coalition was founded with the vision of the Metra Electric line serving as a high-speed rail line, better connecting South Side communities to hubs like downtown and O’Hare Airport. Next month Active Trans will be honoring this plucky organization for its efforts to improve many people’s lives on Chicago’s South Side. The award will be presented at our annual awards reception held at the tech incubator, 1871. Currently with twenty members (including Active Trans), the coalition’s vision and goals have expanded and now include the Rock Island...

Tags: Advocacy, Chicago South Side, South Suburbs, transit

Become a better advocate in 2020

Feb 5, 2020 | by Lynda Lopez

Not to brag, but Active Trans is involved in some exciting projects around the region. If we have the capacity to help and it looks like we can make a difference, we wade into the waters and do what we can. Whether it's shepherding legislation through the state assembly or asking suburban municipalities to improve their walking infrastructure, we want to help out by sharing our expertise and resources. Often, our work focuses on cultivating other advocates — people who want to make their voices heard on behalf of safer, healthier streets. Recently, we hosted a webinar that was intended to give advocates the low-down on our work during the past year and offer advice on how they can plug...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, transit, Walking

Support bus lanes on South Halsted

Jan 31, 2020 | by Julia Gerasimenko

Transit agencies are considering major upgrades to a busy bus route on Chicago’s Far South Side and in the South Suburbs. As part of the project, they're looking for public input -- but you must act by February 9. Pace and CTA started the South Halsted Bus Corridor Enhancement Project in 2018 with the goal of improving transit along 11 miles of South Halsted Street, between the Pace Harvey Transportation Center and 79th Street. The project also includes segments of 79th and 95th Streets that provide connections to the CTA Red Line's 79th and 95th Street Stations. Pace and CTA are considering three design options that each give priority to buses in varying degrees. Active Trans supports Option #3 because...

Tags: Bus, Chicago South Side, South Suburbs, transit

New Uber, Lyft fees should be step toward congestion pricing

Jan 23, 2020 | by Kyle Whitehead

Starting January 6, the fee on solo Uber and Lyft trips citywide increased from 72 cents to $1.25 and the fee on shared trips decreased from 72 cents to 65 cents. Trips that start or end in a new “downtown congestion zone” are charged an additional surcharge ($1.75 for solo trips and 65 cents for shared trips). A portion of the new revenue goes to the city’s Bus Priority Zones initiative that seeks to make bus service faster and more reliable. These new fees championed by Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot could be a precursor to a broader congestion pricing approach. Active Trans lobbied in favor of the fees because of their potential to reduce driving and spur public transit use...

Tags: Advocacy, Back on the Bus, Bicycling, biking, Chicago, Chicago Central, Downtown, legislation, public transit, transit, Transit Equity, Walking

Input needed on 78 and Lincoln Yards

Jan 6, 2020 | by Julia Gerasimenko

The 78 and Lincoln Yards are two megadevelopments that are being built in Chicago that undoubtedly will have major impacts on the city at large and neighboring communities. Unfortunately, both projects currently lack a good vision for transit, biking, and walking access. Without a coherent plan for good transportation options, these developments inevitably will be a hindrance to building livable, equitable, and healthy communities. The good news is that you now have an opportunity to provide direct input on the details of these developments, including walking, transit, and biking infrastructure. If you live in the vicinity of either development, you can apply to serve on the 78 Community Advisory Council or the Lincoln Yards Advisory Council. The community advisory councils...

Tags: biking, Chicago North Side, Chicago River Trail, Chicago West & Southwest Side, transit, Walking

Top 10 walking, biking, and transit stories of 2019

Dec 16, 2019 | by Kyle Whitehead

There were plenty of attention-grabbing developments among the top active transportation stories of 2019. Some of these developments helped make our streets safer and more inviting for people using active transportation, while others were intended to give more people access to better transportation options. Here they are. If we missed an important story, please let us know. 1. State dedicates funds to walking, biking, and public transit. For the first time ever, Illinois’ long-term capital program includes dedicated funding — $50 million annually — for walking and biking projects. The capital bill also includes sustainable funding for public transit for the first time ever. Active Trans championed both initiatives with a bipartisan group of legislators in the Illinois State House...

A proposal for a more equitable transit system

Nov 18, 2019 | by Lynda Lopez

Yolanda Cruz lives in the Jeffrey Manor neighborhood on the Far South Side. She works part-time as a health aide in Hyde Park and buys a 7-day pass every week to get to work. Yolanda knows the 7-day pass is more expensive in the long run than the monthly pass, but the upfront cost of the monthly pass is just too much for her. “You can’t buy a monthly pass when you have to think about paying your bills,” said Yolanda, pictured left. Yolanda's story, unfortunately, is not unique. Stories like hers are at the core of our new campaign. This week, we are excited to launch our Fair Fares Chicagoland report detailing our research and list of policy recommendations for...

Tags: Advocacy, Back on the Bus, Fair Fares Chi, Fair Fares Chicagoland, transit, Transit Equity

What Uber and Lyft aren’t saying about new Chicago fees

Nov 12, 2019 | by Kyle Whitehead

UPDATE (11/26/19): Mayor Lightfoot's budget passed Chicago's City Council, including new fees on Uber and Lyft. There’s so much misinformation flying around about Mayor Lightfoot’s changes to the Uber and Lyft fee structure that it’s easy to lose sight of what’s proposed. HIGHER FEES ON DOWNTOWN TRIPS The Mayor’s proposal targets downtown trips by adding a fee of $1.75 for solo trips and 65 cents for shared trips that start or end in and around the Loop. Data shows nearly half of all Uber and Lyft trips start or end downtown. Thirty two percent of those trips both start and end in the downtown area. These trips are in the most congested part of the city where much more affordable...

Tags: Advocacy, Back on the Bus, Chicago, Chicago Central, Downtown, Equity, new mobility, public transit, transit

CTA Celebrates its 72nd Anniversary

Oct 21, 2019 | by Crispina Ojeda Simmons

A recent ride on the CTA’s 6000-series rail car provided an opportunity to travel back to 1959 when these cars were brand-new. The feel of these cars is different from the CTA cars currently in use. For starters, the window seat in the front offers a wide view of the buildings, platforms, rail tracks, and signaling system. The plush seats gave the car a touch of old luxury. Advertising and the CTA map in the rail cars dated back to the 1990’s, predating both the Pink and Orange Lines. The Congress Branch (now the Pink Line to 54th and Cermak) and Douglas Branch (now Blue Line to Forest Park) are no longer familiar to riders who have become accustomed to...

Tags: Downtown, transit

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