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A local champion for transportation justice

Mar 24, 2021 | by Ted Villaire

Active Trans is thrilled to be recognizing US Representative Jesús García for our 35th Anniversary celebration. Known to most people as “Chuy,” Rep. García is receiving Active Trans’ Public Leadership Award for his tireless efforts fighting for better public transportation, walking, and biking. Having served as a Chicago alderman, a Cook County Board member, and a state senator, he now represents Illinois’ fourth district for the US House of Representatives, where he founded the Future of Transportation Caucus. In the past year, Rep. García successfully led the call to include adequate support for public transportation as part of the federal pandemic relief funding. In recent months, he introduced a measure with other members of Congress that would boost transit funding...

Tags: Bicycling, mobility justice, transit, Transit Equity, Walking

Longtime staffer reflects on Active Trans’ achievements over the last 35 years

Mar 18, 2021 | by Maya Norris

2021 marks a historic milestone for the Active Transportation Alliance. The nonprofit celebrates its 35th anniversary this year in leading the charge to create a sustainable transportation landscape in Chicagoland that emphasizes safety and health. Active Trans has come a long way since it was founded in 1985 as the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation by a small group of advocates looking for ways to make bicycling safe and easier. Over the next 23 years, CBF grew into one of the largest and most prominent bicycle advocacy organizations in the country. In 2008, the organization took an important step forward by expanding its mission to include pedestrian and transit advocacy. As a result, it changed its name to Active Transportation Alliance. Longtime...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, covid-19, transit, Transit Equity, Walking

Join us March 24 for a forum on the future of suburban transit

Mar 18, 2021 | by Julia Gerasimenko

The COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing economic crisis have reshaped the landscape for public transit in our region’s suburban communities. Dramatic declines in ridership and revenues have forced local agencies to make tough choices about suburban transit service, all while thousands of people throughout the region continue rely on transit to navigate their daily lives. At the same time, opportunities for resilience and innovation are on the horizon. Join Active Transportation Alliance and Warehouse Workers for Justice for a lunchtime conversation on Wednesday, March 24 at noon, when we’ll explore the opportunities and challenges facing suburban transit, what local agencies are doing about it, and how we can advance a more equitable and just vision for transit. We will celebrate the...

Tags: transit

Report shows mayor, police drove decisions to shut down transit, raise bridges

Feb 24, 2021 | by Kyle Whitehead

A new report from Chicago’s Inspector General (IG) finds police and emergency management personnel had outsize influence on decisions to shut down transit and raise bridges during last summer’s protests following George Floyd’s murder. These decisions had major transportation impacts on thousands of city residents, particularly our most vulnerable neighbors such as people with disabilities and low-income essential workers. Yet the report finds the city’s transit leaders who know their systems best often weren’t at the table when these calls were made. REPORT FINDINGS On decisions to shut down transit: “CTA personnel expressed doubts as to whether CPD command staff knew the CTA system well enough to know what service changes would achieve the desired crowd control objectives.” (p. 43) On downtown stop closures: “The decision to bypass downtown CTA stops was made by the Mayor’s Office at the...

Tags: Advocacy, Chicago, Chicago Central, Downtown, Equity, public transit, transit, Transit Equity

Join us at the Chicago Food Justice Summit

Feb 24, 2021 | by Active Trans

As part of the 16th Annual Chicago Food Justice Summit, Active Transportation Alliance is excited to help lead a discussion about how food access is linked to transportation issues. The virtual event, which is focusing on the theme of "radical re-imagination," is sponsored by the Chicago Food Policy Action Council (CFPAC). The CFPAC is an organization that works to improve food access for Chicago residents and ensure that the food is culturally appropriate, healthy, affordable, and is grown through environmentally sustainable practices. The summit serves as an opportunity to connect food workers, farmers, vendors, and local leaders in order to discuss food policy and other critical issues involving climate change, labor, food access, and urban farming. Registration is free and open to the public. Spanish translation will be...

Tags: Advocacy, Chicago, Equity, public transit, transit, Transit Equity

Belmont Cragin youth urge CTA board to upgrade bus service

Feb 16, 2021 | by Active Trans

Two community youth leaders pressed the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) board at the February meeting on service and cleanliness issues, earning commitments from CTA leadership that they would work to address their concerns. Minerva Garcia and Yalinette Rivera are youth organizers from the Belmont Cragin Youth Leadership Council, a part of the Northwest Side Housing Center. Both Minerva and Yalinette testified at CTA’s February board meeting. Minerva is a junior at Northside College Prep and Yalinette is a junior at Lincoln Park High School. They both face long commutes on transit to reach their schools from their homes in Belmont Cragin. Belmont Cragin is a working-class community with a majority Latinx population that includes many immigrants and one of the highest ratios of youth compared to...

Tags: Advocacy, Back on the Bus, Bus, Bus report cards, Chicago, chicago north west, covid-19, public transit, transit, Transit Equity

Chicago celebrates Transit Equity Day with Reps. Garcia and Kelly

Feb 11, 2021 | by Active Trans

Hundreds of advocates and community leaders joined Congressman Chuy Garcia and Congresswoman Robin Kelly in Chicago’s first celebration of National Transit Equity Day on February 4. Transit Equity Day serves as a national day of action that commemorates the birthday of Rosa Parks while reminding us that public transit is a civil right. It was started four years ago by a network of transit rider unions, community organizations, environmental advocates, and labor unions. Chicago’s celebration focused on the challenges Black and Brown communities face with inadequate public transit and how federal funding can help address this problem. Active Trans, Chicago Jobs with Justice, and Metropolitan Planning Council co-hosted the virtual event. REP. ROBIN KELLY In her speaking segment, Rep. Kelly discussed how decades of structural racism...

Tags: Advocacy, Back on the Bus, Bus, Chicago, covid-19, legislation, public transit, transit, Transit Equity

Veteran advocate brings equity, affordability to the region’s transportation system

Feb 8, 2021 | by Maya Norris

Jacky Grimshaw has made an indelible mark on the transportation scene in metropolitan Chicago. The longtime sustainable transportation advocate has spent the last 30 years working to improve walking, bicycling, and public transit conditions in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs. She’s been a prominent, influential force that has helped to shape and advance an equitable, affordable, and sustainable transportation system in the region. Her impressive achievements in the sector have earned her Active Transportation Alliance’s Visionary Leadership Award, which Active Trans will present to her at its 35th Anniversary E-Bash in March (please consider joining Active Trans for this free event on March 24). Grimshaw began her career as a sustainable transportation advocate when she joined the Center for Neighborhood...

Tags: Advocacy, Chicago, Events, transit

Progress on transit equity starts with changing funding formulas

Jan 25, 2021 | by Kyle Whitehead

Update (11/5/21): Unfortunately, the RTA has since abandoned this data-driven approach that considers racial equity and returned to a more standard formula process for allocating federal funds. This decision has sparked ire and consternation among the transit agencies, highlighting our region's inability to plan and coordinate transit service effectively. -- To achieve greater equity in the Chicago region, we must fundamentally rethink how we’re spending our limited transportation dollars. This is why the Regional Transportation Authority’s (RTA) — the region’s public transit oversight agency — recent decision to focus federal COVID relief funds in the highest need service areas is so important. The agency chose not to simply pass the money through to Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), Metra, and Pace...

Tags: Advocacy, Back on the Bus, Bus, covid-19, Equity, public transit, transit, Transit Equity

Learn the ins and outs of improving transportation in your suburb

Jan 22, 2021 | by Maggie Melin Czerwinski

Join us in February for a week-long mobilization event aimed at creating better walking, biking, and transit in Chicagoland’s suburban communities. Suburban Action Week, taking place February 15 – 20, will feature a series of short online talks and workshops with advocates, county staff, and community leaders from the region. Whether you are new to advocacy, a seasoned leader, or anywhere in between, if you are interested in seeing improved transportation options in your community, we encourage you to register and attend the free virtual event. Throughout Suburban Action Week, you can participate in a variety of sessions: County updates. Hear about recent and upcoming walking, biking, trail, and transit projects happening in your county directly from county departments of...

Tags: biking, North Suburbs, South Suburbs, transit, Walking, West Suburbs

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