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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

Will you help make Chicago’s streets safer?

Feb 4, 2020 | by Julia Gerasimenko

Do you want to see better streets for biking in your Chicago neighborhood and throughout the city? Would you like to learn how to be an effective advocate? Well, here's your chance to get directly involved in making a difference. Here's your chance to help create better walking and biking infrastructure in Chicago and help to hold Mayor Lightfoot accountable to her campaign promise to build 100 miles of new bikeways by 2023. Given that construction of new bikeways has slowed in Chicago, we need people like you getting involved. Will you join the effort to reverse this trend? If this sounds appealing, you'll want to join us for the Safer Streets campaign training on Saturday, March 14. During this...

Tags: Advocacy, biking, 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

Celebrating one year of cycling success

Jan 27, 2020 | by Active Trans

Every year, as part of our suburban advocacy program Bike Walk Every Town, the Active Transportation Alliance offers multiple mini-stipends to individuals and groups working to improve walking and biking in the Chicagoland suburbs. This past year, grassroots leaders from Cycle Brookfield in the western suburbs were awarded a stipend to expand their efforts to build greater community support and advance the implementation of its active transportation plan. One of the plan’s goals is creating a safer walking and biking corridor along 31st Street, which would include better access for the Brookfield Zoo. This guest blog post by Cycle Brookfield member Terri Rivera recaps how the club has mobilized the Brookfield community and engaged elected officials during the past year....

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, Walking, West Suburbs

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 new, signature attraction along Chicago River

Nov 25, 2019 | by Steve Simmons

The Chicago River gained an awe-inspiring addition with the recent opening of the Riverview Bridge on the North Branch, now the longest pedestrian and bike bridge in the city. The Riverview Bridge runs for roughly a thousand feet north and south of Addison Street and crosses over the river connecting Clark and California Parks, providing a safe off-street connection with breathtaking urban and natural views. The bridge soars eighteen feet above the Chicago River and is sixteen-feet wide. It ducks under the Addison Bridge, offering people on bike and foot the ultimate low-stress route to bypass heavy traffic unimpeded. It's exciting the city has taken another major step towards a continuous Chicago River Trail. Adding a second major trail in...

Tags: Advocacy, biking, chicago north, Chicago River Trail, Running, Walking

Why Chicago needs a Safe Streets Fund

Nov 20, 2019 | by Julia Gerasimenko

Every life lost is a tragedy. We can't help but be overwhelmed when we think about the 78 lives lost in Chicago so far this year as a result of traumatic traffic crashes. But we mustn't become numb to these terrible events. For the 2019 World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims event, which took place earlier this week, organizers lined up 78 pairs of white shoes in the Thompson Center. The shoes remind us of the people who will not feel the joy of walking down a tree-lined street in their neighborhood on their way home. The shoes represent people who will never again feel the wind on their face while riding their bike to meet up with...

Tags: Advocacy, biking, vision zero, Walking

New section of river trail at Lathrop Homes opens

Oct 17, 2019 | by Steve Simmons

Earlier this week, developers, city leaders, advocates, and residents celebrated the official opening of the riverfront path at Lathrop Homes, one of the first local trails built by a public-private partnership. The trail runs for roughly a half mile north and south of Diversey Avenue on the east side of the Chicago River and features new landscaping, benches, trees, and a boat and kayak launch. Because the City of Chicago's design guidelines require developers to build trails, public-private partnerships will play a key role in completing a continuous Chicago River Trail. The new trail at Lathrop provides safe passage under the Diversey Avenue Bridge, and if you follow it south of Diversey, the trail curves out into the river, offering...

Tags: Advocacy, biking, Chicago North Side, Chicago River Trail, Walking

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