Sustainable Transportation Advocacy

• "Illinois legislators pass landmark transit funding and reform bill, averting fiscal cliff. What does it mean for riders?" (RTA)

This piece also runs on the website A City That Works, a newsletter about public policy in the Chicago region.

• Here are RTA, CTA, Metra, and Pace statements on the transit bill passing, including RTA becoming the Northern Illinois Transit Authority

By Austin Busch

• Illinois Policy is back on their... ridiculousness, demanding upgrades to transit that are already in bill, while rejecting new revenue sources to fund them

By Ellen Steinke

• After semi driver fatally struck boy, 13, on bike near Manhattan Metra station, mayor posted, "Our children deserve safe streets, protected crossings" (NBC)

In May 2024, Juan Sebastian Arias started his current position as executive director of Elevated Chicago, an organization that helps encourage equitable transit-oriented development. Here's an interview with him from back then by Streetsblog Chicago's John Greenfield.

On Tuesday, I hopped on my bicycle and high-tailed it from Chicago to Springfield, Illinois, the state capital, in an effort to sample my first-ever horseshoe sandwich. In case you're not familiar with that delicacy, it's an open-faced sandwich composed of thick-sliced toast, a protein (often hamburger patties, but there are several other options), cheese sauce, and french fries. It's an indigenous dish of Flower City and, as far as I know, it's no longer available in the Windy City.