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The stress and uncertainty surrounding transportation

Sep 2, 2020 | by Active Trans

At Active Trans, there’s been a lot to learn as we navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. Every day we’re fine-tuning our work so that we can better address the challenges people face while walking, biking, and using public transit during the pandemic. We’ve known that COVID-19 has altered walking, biking, and public transit, but we’ve been struggling to understand how different parts of the region and individual communities have been affected. In order to get a better grasp of the widespread impact of this crisis, we decided to conduct a listening tour of the region. As part of the tour, Active Trans met via Zoom with more than 100 individuals and organizations that are invested in our work. We spoke with...

Tags: Bicycling, Chicago North Side, Chicago South Side, Chicago West & Southwest Side, Chicago West Side, covid-19, North Suburbs, South Suburbs, transit, Walking, West Suburbs

Mobility and essential travel during COVID-19

Aug 21, 2020 | by Alex Perez

When COVID-19 cases and deaths were rising in Chicago in March and April, the pandemic hit communities of color on the South and West Sides of Chicago at disproportionate rates. People in communities of color were already facing disparities in income, employment, health, traffic safety, and economic disinvestment before the COVID-19 outbreak. When the pandemic hit, Black people started dying at 2-3 times the rate of the city's White residents. In order to gain a better understanding of the full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Black and Brown communities in Chicago, we wanted to look at transportation patterns among communities that were hit hardest. We also wanted to look at where essential workers live and how travel behavior changed...

Tags: Chicago North Side, Chicago South Side, Chicago West & Southwest Side, transit, Walking

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

Transportation issues on the city’s Southwest Side during COVID-19

Jul 28, 2020 | by Lynda Lopez

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 and two elected officials on the city’s Southwest Side. Though not all-encompassing, here’s a glimpse of what residents on the Southwest Side are experiencing. MOBILITY FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES As our mobility in the city adapts to the changing circumstances of the pandemic, people with disabilities have experienced...

Tags: biking, covid-19, Southwest Side, transit, Walking

Chicago prepares second e-scooter pilot

Jul 27, 2020 | by Kyle Whitehead

The scooters are coming. Again. Officials say four companies responded to the city’s request for applications for a second e-scooter sharing pilot this summer. Chicago selected Bird, Lime, and Spin to participate in this year's program, which launches August 12. 2020 PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS The terms reflect many of the recommendations from Active Trans’ E-Scooter Policy Report, which was released following the 2019 pilot. The companies can operate a combined 10,000 scooters in a geographic area that includes most of the city. Scooters are not allowed downtown or on the Lakefront or 606 trails, as Active Trans and our partners recommended. At least half of the scooters must be docked in low-income areas on the South and West Sides. We spoke with community leaders in these “priority zones” after the initial pilot and...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, biking, Chicago, chicago north, chicago north west, chicago south, Chicago South Side, Chicago West & Southwest Side, Chicago West Side, covid-19, E-scooters, Equity, transit, Walking

Transportation issues on the city’s West Side during COVID-19

Jul 23, 2020 | by Lynda Lopez

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 and an elected official on the city’s West Side. Though not all-encompassing, here’s a glimpse of what residents on the West Side are experiencing. TRANSIT As changes are made to public transit to accommodate the needs of public health, one of the top concerns we heard on the...

Tags: Bicycling, Chicago West Side, transit, Walking

Additional walking and biking guidance during COVID-19

Jul 17, 2020 | by Maggie Melin Czerwinski

Earlier this spring when the COVID-19 pandemic began, the Active Transportation Alliance worked with Cook County Department of Public Health (CCDPH) to develop a shareable infographic offering advice on how to stay safe while walking and biking. Now that our state has reached Phase 4 of the Restore Illinois Plan, which allows for physically-distanced and masked gatherings of up to 100 people in outdoor spaces, many have asked if walking and biking in small groups is considered safe. We consulted with subject matter experts from CCDPH for advice. In general, if you go on a walk or bike ride by yourself or with anyone from within or outside of your household, always take the proper precautions. Public health guidelines still recommend keeping 6-feet of physical...

Tags: biking, covid-19, Walking

Illinois lags other states in walking and biking policy

Jul 10, 2020 | by Kyle Whitehead

Illinois is becoming a more walk- and bike-friendly state, but it still has a long way to go to catch up with national leaders, according to a new report from the Safe Routes Partnership. The partnership, a national nonprofit working to advance safe walking and biking to schools and other everyday destinations, recently released its 2020 State Report Cards. Illinois scored a 92 out of 200 points, putting it in the second-lowest tier. The state earned 74 points in 2018. California and Massachusetts are national leaders with more than 150 points. STATE FUNDING The best news comes in the funding category where Illinois scored 10 out of 10 for dedicating state funding to walking and biking. Active Trans worked with legislators, partner organizations, and...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, biking, legislation, Planning, Walking

Mobility challenges in the time of COVID-19 on Chicago’s South Side

Jul 6, 2020 | by Julia Gerasimenko

COVID-19 has impacted transportation and mobility in profound ways. To better understand the transportation needs of the people and communities most impacted by the pandemic, Active Trans embarked on a listening tour of over 100 community leaders and public officials. This is part of a series of blog posts sharing what we learned. To learn more about the specific transportation and mobility challenges that people in Chicago face — particularly in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic — we held 11 conversations with community partners and elected officials on Chicago’s South Side. We spoke with two state elected officials, three aldermen, and several community partners and leaders from Bronzeville, Chatham, the East Side, Englewood, Hegewisch, Hyde Park, Riverdale, South Chicago,...

Tags: Bicycling, Chicago South Side, covid-19, public transit, Walking

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