Active Transportation Alliance
Top Categories
Making Chicago a safer, more pleasant place to get around is no joke. “Safe Streets: The Comedy Show” creators discuss their goals.
Ever feel like Chicago traffic is out to drive you completely crazy? It can feel as though, no matter how you get around, even the most zen of travelers will be tested on our streets and sidewalks. You may wonder how it got this bad, and is anyone even trying to make anything better? Sometimes, you just have to laugh about it.
February 12, 2026
Advocates gathered to honor Rosa Parks on Transit Equity Day, and rode part of the proposed Western Avenue bus rapid transit route
All photos are by James Porter.
February 6, 2026
Day and Durkin: “Sunset the Red and Purple Modernization TIF. Let’s not throw bad money after good.”
By Richard Day and Conor Durkin
January 23, 2026
We asked CDOT what’s on tap for properly maintaining Chicago’s protected bike lanes after snowstorms.
The department needs to promptly plow bikeways after blizzards, or else face arguments that riders were better off with old-style, paint-only bike lanes.
December 4, 2025
After advocates helped save and upgrade Chicagoland transit, Active Transportation Alliance’s member party was especially joyful this year
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.
December 3, 2025
Photographer Daniel Moreno discusses his new book “Chicago’s Holiday Train”
Since 1992, the CTA Holiday Train has been a Chicago Christmas tradition. Now people don't need to ride it to appreciate its splendor. Daniel Moreno, a photographer from Venezuela who now lives in Chicago, has spent several years capturing the decorated 'L' train.
December 1, 2025
Catching up with legendary Chicago bike advocate Kathy Schubert
Got a fun photo of Kathy Schubert at a bike ride or advocacy event that you'd like to share? Please send it to me a jgreenfield[at]streetsblog[dot]org and I may add it to this post, and/or create a gallery of images that I'll link to here.
November 13, 2025
NITA celebrate? Hailing a historic win: the Northern Illinois Transit Authority and $1.5B in funding to save and upgrade service
New York City dominated the headlines today after electing Zohran Mamdani as mayor. But it wasn't the only big U.S. city that's made history in the past week.
November 5, 2025
Live from Springfield: Environmental advocates urge lawmakers to “fix and fund public transportation” at Climate Action Day at the Capitol
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.
October 15, 2025
Kam was replaced by Ram, but High Speed Rail Alliance’s “Averting the Fiscal Cliff” talk was still thought-provoking
Last Friday's transit talk, "Averting the Cliff: The Road to Regional & High-Speed Rail" was supposed to feature State Rep. Kam Buckner, co-leader of the House's Public Transit Working Group, but he couldn't make it. So the question of who would take his place was a bit of a cliffhanger: Who would fill Buckner's Nikes?
October 15, 2025
