Yesterday's #GivingTuesday was very cold and snowy, and the protected bike lanes were generally still full of the white stuff long after the storm. (Don't worry, Streetsblog is still trying to get to the bottom of that issue.) But at least a dozen of us pedaled to one of Chicagoland's most vibrant celebrations of the livable streets movement, the Active Transportation Alliance's annual member party.
The gathering took place at Revolution Brewing's Avondale taproom, 3340 N. Kedzie Ave., which is easy to access from the Blue Line. This year, the mood was particularly cheerful. That's because the event was only about a month after public transportation boosters helped pass a robust transit reform/funding bill in the wee hours of October 31, aka the Halloween Miracle. At least a hundred people happily chatted over donated Dimo's Pizza and libations for the first hour of the advocates' reunion.
"We are so excited to be here today to celebrate you and to celebrate our accomplishments," said ATA Executive Director Amy Rynell at the start of the presentation. "Like saving transit, y'all!" Attendees hooted and hollered. (We'll have more on that subject at the end of this article.)
ATA Associate Director of Events Brittany Gillespie announced a new award for volunteers in honor of Roland Hayes, a volunteer with the alliance for over 40 years, who passed away this summer. "He was a very dedicated, direct, and kind man who really enjoyed being a ride marshal at Bike the Drive." The crowd applauded. "One thing about Roland was, he would let you know if you needed to turn around, if you need to stop to get off the course. He was the man with the megaphone, and he really took pride in that work and we appreciated him."
The Roland Hayes Route Award went to Diamond Allen and Daphnay Sagaille, who help lead the Streets Calling Bike Club, and volunteer for Bike the Drive at its Museum of Science and Industry rest stop.
The Versatile Volunteer Award went to Mike Neary, who every year volunteers "for a different role during the event, ensuring that any last-minute gaps are filled and operations run smoothly."
The Advocate of the Year Award went to Yamilet Aceves, who "as part of a project for her Global Politics class at Back of the Yards College Preparatory High School, chose to address the critical issue of bus services in the Back of the Yards neighborhood."
The Advocate of the Year Award went to Jeremy Cuebas, executive director of Grassroots Empowerment Mission, who worked with the Chicago Department of Transportation on the Belmont Cragin and Hermosa bike network.
And the Advocate of the Year Award went to Valerie Kramer, co-founder of Ride Riverside, a group formed in 2024 to help make cycling safer and more in the southwest suburb, including social rides that draw 100-plus participants.
Next came the election of the alliance's 2026 board of directors. These include Corey Coscioni, Joseph Donegan, Luann Hamilton (a former Chicago Department of Transportation deputy commissioner), Dao Ngo, Mulubwa Munkanta, Jim Rogers, Peggy Reins, Chris Valadez, Edith Makra, and Mike Rosenthal. Read more about them here.
The presentation ended with remarks by Rynell on the efforts that led up to the October transit revolution, which happened to coincide with Active Trans' 40th anniversary. "Big milestones like turning 40 are an amazing opportunity to reflect," she noted. "It's also an opportunity to win big, and we won really big this year!" The audience cheered. "We fixed it and we funded it, to the tune of over $1.5 billion dollars annually."
"But as important and lasting as this win is, just as important for advancing our mission in the years to come is understanding how we did it," Rynell added. "This was a next-level campaign – over three years of intense work."
She gave shout-outs to agencies and organizations that contributed to crafting the legislation, including the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, the Metropolitan Planning Council, and Access Living. She also credited entities that helped campaign for the bill, such as the Illinois Environmental Council, the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition, Better Streets Chicago, Sierra Club Illinois, The People's Lobby, and the Grassroots Empowerment Mission.
(After the presentation, an ATA staffer also credited Streetsblog for beating the drum on this subject by publishing over 80 articles about the transit fiscal cliff issue.)
"This is a once in a lifetime legislative package and you went all in to help us get it done," Rynell concluded. "What we collectively did is the talk of the country right now. I’ll be forever grateful. So cheers to us all for Fixing and Funding Transit." Attendees raised their pint glasses.
Here's a gallery of some more images from the event.
On November 12, SBC launched our 2026 fund drive to raise $50K through ad sales and donations. That will complete next year's budget, at a time when it's tough to find grant money. Big thanks to all the readers who have chipped in so far to help keep this site rolling all next year! Currently, we're at $3,685, with $46,315 to go, ideally by the end of February.
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– John Greenfield, editor
