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Active Trans: New Bike Safety Ordinance Good for Cyclists
Yesterday Mayor Rahm Emanuel introduced the 2013 Bicycle Safety Ordinance to City Council, including plans to double the fines for motorists who door bicyclists from $500 to $1,000, as well as to raise fines for cyclists who break traffic laws from $25 to a range of $50-$200, depending on the infraction. Emanuel also announced that all 7,000 Chicago taxicabs will be required to display "Look! Before Opening Your Door" stickers to help prevent injuries to people on bikes and other road users. The ordinance was sent to the Pedestrian and Traffic Safety Committee for consideration.
May 9, 2013
Picturing Safer Streets: The Better Blocks Initiative
[This piece also appears in Checkerboard City, John's weekly transportation column in Newcity magazine, which hits the streets on Wednesday evenings.]
March 25, 2013
Bike Swap’s Biggest Crowd Yet Turns Out at New Venue
Saturday's bike swap, located in the largest venue since its humble beginnings in the party room of Jak's Tap in 2010, brought in more visitors than ever -- about 1,700, according to the Active Transportation Alliance. Organizers credit several changes, including social media marketing, discounts for University of Illinois at Chicago students and staff, and new attractions. The event's proceeds benefit Active Trans, The Chainlink, and Bike Winter.
March 12, 2013
See You at the Chicago Bike Swap Tomorrow
For a crash course in the local bicycle scene, you can’t do better than a visit to the Chicago Bike Swap, taking place this Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in a huge gym at the UIC Physical Education Building, 901 West Roosevelt. Admission is $10, $5 for Active Transportation Alliance members and UIC students, and free for kids 12 and under. The event has taken place for several years in the cozier confines of the Pulaski Park Fieldhouse in Noble Square, which packed hundreds of attendees into several smaller rooms.
March 8, 2013
PlayStreets Creates Safe Public Space for Car-Free Recreation
Two of the biggest problems facing local youth, and Chicagoans in general, are street crime and the obesity epidemic, partly due to a lack of safe outdoor spaces for physical activity. PlayStreets, an initiative launched last year by the Chicago Department of Public Health, addresses both of those initiative by closing off city streets to traffic in low-income communities of color for three-hour intervals to create safe places to play.
February 22, 2013
Branching Out: The North Branch Trail to Extend Further South, East
Local cyclists have long dreamed of a complete network of bicycle paths along the various branches of the Chicago River. This fall we’ll be moving three miles closer to that goal when the Cook County Forest Preserve District begins construction on a southern extension of the North Branch Trail. Meanwhile, the trail is also being expanded about a mile east from its northern terminus to connect with the Green Bay and Robert McClory trails.
January 23, 2013