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RTA’s plan for the future needs more details

Jan 12, 2023 | by David Powe

The Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) recently released its draft strategic plan, Transit is the Answer, for public comment. The RTA coordinates the Chicago region’s transit system (CTA, Pace, and Metra), oversees its financing, and coordinates regional planning for public transportation in Northeastern Illinois. Active Transportation Alliance joined forces with a handful of local nonprofits to send a letter to the RTA on ways to improve the 80-plus page draft plan. Co-signatories were Access Living, Elevated Chicago, Environmental Law and Policy Center, Equiticity, High Speed Rail Alliance, Illinois Environmental Council, Metropolitan Planning Council. Each of the organizations that signed the letter were involved in the process leading to the publication of this draft plan. While we offered support for the principles...

Tags: Advocacy, CTA, metra, Pace, RTA, transit

Speak up for a greener, safer, more equitable Grant Park

Jan 6, 2023 | by David Powe

Last year, the Chicago Park District began developing its 2023 Grant Park Framework Plan. The plan seeks to define Grant Park’s role as a neighborhood park, a key destination, and as a public space, and it will outline next steps in the park’s development. The park district is hosting a series of public meetings to share updates on the design process and allow the public to ask questions. There are three in-person opportunities to learn more about the project and provide feedback. The open-houses (which will each offer the same format) will be 5-7 p.m. as follows: Tues., Jan. 24 at the Chicago Cultural Center, Preston Bradley Hall Thurs., Feb. 2 at the Art Institute of Chicago, Ryan Learning Center,...

Tags: Bicycling, Downtown, transit, Walking

Commuters Take Action presses CTA to improve unreliable service

Dec 8, 2022 | by Maya Norris

Commuters Take Action has only been around since April 2022. But in that short period of time, the resident-led advocacy organization has made a name for itself, representing a movement of frustrated commuters fed up with the slow and unreliable service of the Chicago Transit Authority’s buses and trains. Micah Fiedler, Olivia Gahan and Fabio Göttlicher co-founded Commuters Take Action after experiencing long waits and service gaps during their own commutes on the CTA’s buses and trains. Active Transportation Alliance recently recognized the vital work that the trio is doing by honoring them with an Advocate of the Year award at our recent annual member meeting. We specifically wanted to recognize their effort to cast spotlight on the problem of...

Tags: Advocacy, Bus, transit, Transit Equity

Let’s move ahead with the Red Line Extension Transit TIF

Nov 7, 2022 | by Active Trans

For decades, people on the far South Side have heard promises about the extension of the Red Line. Now, finally, we're thrilled to see the plan moving forward. There is broad community support for the project. Extending CTA's L system to the far South Side will improve residents’ access to education, employment, healthcare, and other crucial services. The Red Line Extension will also attract construction jobs and future development along the proposed corridor. We at the Active Transportation Alliance are enthusiastic supporters of this project. We also support the proposed funding mechanisms, including the Transit TIF (tax increment financing). Ensuring inclusive growth across the entire city means investing in the fundamental building blocks of healthy communities in each neighborhood. ...

Tags: Chicago South Side, transit, Transit Equity

City council hearing puts CTA problems front and center

Sep 20, 2022 | by W. Robert Schultz III

Active Trans recently joined with allies to mobilize around a city council hearing that shined a light on CTA’s recent service shortcomings and reliability problems. Before the hearing, a press conference was held by aldermen, transit worker unions, and several organizations, including the Active Transportation Alliance. The same day our allies at Commuters Take Action rallied outside the CTA board meeting. All these efforts together resulted in greater visibility for the serious issues currently afflicting our transit system. WHERE'S THE CTA PRESIDENT? When the Chicago City Council Committee on Transportation and the Public Way convened its long-awaited hearing on current CTA issues, many participants were dismayed that its president, Dorval Carter Jr., failed to appear. In the parlance of post-pandemic...

Tags: Advocacy, Bus, transit

More transit oriented development coming to South and West Sides

Aug 9, 2022 | by Active Trans

In recent weeks, Chicago City Council passed an ordinance that will promote more affordable housing near transit within the city’s South and West Side neighborhoods and improve safety for pedestrians and other road users. Among benefits will be new approaches toward development near transit, including reducing parking minimums, increasing density/height limits (including bus lines), and increasing affordable and accessible housing options. In 2021, 83 people were killed by car crashes within a half mile of rail stations, nearly half of all traffic deaths in the city — with deaths disproportionately occurring on the South and West Sides. The new ordinance, which is called the Connected Communities Ordinance, will make streets safer for Chicagoans who walk, roll, and ride near rail...

Tags: Chicago, transit, Transit Equity

Illinois must seize opportunity to move beyond car-centric transportation system

Jun 8, 2022 | by Kyle Whitehead

Thanks to an unprecedented level of federal and state transportation funding, Illinois’ next governor and general assembly will have the ability to transform streets and trails in communities across the state. If they are willing to confront the failing status quo, the next governor and general assembly will have the opportunity to re-orient the state’s transportation system around safety, sustainability, and racial equity. Active Transportation Alliance's 2022 Illinois Sustainable Transportation Platform provides a roadmap for state leaders to dramatically improve mobility over the next five years. The platform features specific action items on three core goals: Elevate sustainability and racial equity in transportation decision making. Strengthen funding and regulations to support public transit. Make state roads safer for walking and...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, biking, Elections, legislation, transit, Transit Equity, Walking

Action alert! Tell Chicago to make climate action plan stronger on transportation

Mar 28, 2022 | by Kyle Whitehead

Chicago is working on a climate action plan featuring ambitious goals to reduce driving and get more people walking, biking, and riding public transit. But the current draft lacks firm commitments to redesign city streets and invest in the hard infrastructure needed to support this shift to non-car alternatives. Without these commitments, Chicagoans will not be able track progress on the plan and hold city officials accountable. Now we need your help to improve the plan. Review the draft plan on the city’s website and submit a comment by Monday, April 4. The sections most relevant to walking, biking, and transit fall under Pillar 3: Enable Personal Mobility and Improve Air Quality: Strategy 1 to grow CTA ridership Strategy 4...

Tags: Advocacy, biking, transit, Transit Equity, Walking

Illinois is missing a big part of the long-term solution to high gas prices

Mar 23, 2022 | by Kyle Whitehead

With gas prices surging, Mayor Lightfoot and Governor Pritzker need to step up and make it safer and easier for people to walk, bike, and ride public transit. The media is saturated with stories of outrage about the cost of gasoline and official proposals to lower prices. This way of looking at the issue inevitably ignores how the intentional development of our car-centric, sprawling region contributed to this problem – and how alternative forms of transportation can be part of the solution. It’s on all of us as transportation equity and sustainability advocates to demand a better approach. WHAT’S HAPPENING The average price of gas in metro Chicago is heading toward $5 per gallon and is expected to continue to...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, biking, Chicago, legislation, transit, Transit Equity, Walking

Congressional leaders urge state to consider climate and equity impacts

Mar 16, 2022 | by Kyle Whitehead

A group of eight Chicago area Congressional leaders sent a strong message to Governor Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) about how to spend newly available federal funds: factor climate change and racial equity into all of your funding decisions. Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García led the effort behind the letter delivered to Gov. Pritzker and IDOT. It was co-signed by Reps. Sean Casten, Danny Davis, Marie Newman, Mike Quigley, Bobby Rush, Jan Schakowsky, and Brad Schneider. Active Trans and seven other regional advocacy groups provided support to the letter. All of these leaders worked hard to develop and pass last year's $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure law. Now they want to make sure their legislation has the intended impact...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, biking, Bus, Chicago, Equity, public transit, transit, Transit Equity

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