Active Transportation Alliance

Active Trans has hit the ground running by getting input from almost 2,000 local straphangers about their biggest beefs with current CTA bus operations, and the group will be using this feedback to push for positive change.

Local leaders say many planned improvements would be almost impossible to pay for without help from the feds, so we're going to have to fight this anti-urban budget with everything we've got.

Last month the Active Transportation Alliance held their annual awards ceremony, recognizing three key supporters of local sustainable transportation efforts: Christopher Burke Engineering, MB Financial Bank and Slow Roll Chicago.

It's encouraging to hear that all the candidates are generally in favor of improving walking, biking, and transit, but some had more to say about the subject than others.

The issue is complicated by the fact that Chicago's underserved neighborhoods seem to be disproportionately impacted by serious and fatal crashes.

This is a good time to thank Burke for his years of advocacy for biking, walking, and transit, since it’s not clear whether he will survive the group’s upcoming fundraising stunt.

Bike advocates are generally thrilled with Big Marsh, but have repeatedly expressed concerns about how dangerous it can be to ride to the park.

Note: Streetsblog Chicago's Steven Vance and John Greenfield have different opinions about the lockbox amendment. Read John's take here.

There was some good news for Chicago straphangers last week. TransitCenter, a New York-based foundation dedicated to improving urban mobility, awarded 16 grants, totaling more than $17 million, to civic organizations, universities, and municipalities, and the Active Transportation Alliance was one of the winners. The Active Trans proposal, called Speeding Up Chicago’s Buses, involves working with the CTA and the Chicago Department of Transportation to eliminate some of the roadblocks to faster transit and higher ridership.