Chicago’s bicycling community lost a champion last month. George Christensen, a former bike courier who rode thousands of miles each year and traversed entire continents by bike, eloquently chronicling his adventures along the way, was tragically killed while riding in South Carolina. He was 73. On Monday, April 22, Christensen was on his latest epic bike trip, traveling up the Atlantic coast from Orlando, Florida and visiting Carnegie libraries – another one of his many passions – along the way. He was riding westbound on Highway 34, a few miles southe ..read more

On Wednesday, May 15, all are invited to join a worldwide annual bicycle ride to honor the people killed while biking on public roadways. The event calls attention to the right of people to bike on the road and the urgent need for infrastructure that will make biking in Chicago safer and more welcoming for people of all ages and abilities. “These tragic deaths are preventable, especially on our neighborhood streets,” said Chicago Ride of Silence organizer Elizabeth Adamczyk. “This ride offers us a chance to mourn those who have been killed while biking, visit their ghost bike memorials, and sh ..read more

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Elizabeth Adamczyk Chicago Organizer rideofsilence.chicago@gmail.com rideofsilencechicago.org (773) 370-2038 Ted Villaire Active Transportation Alliance (312) 563-1118 ted@activetrans.org   On May 15, Chicago Ride of Silence will mourn the lives lost while biking during the past year The annual ride will offer a moment of silent reflection at the sites where drivers killed people biking Chicago, Ill., May 10, 2024 — On Wednesday, May 15, all are invited to join a worldwide annual bicycle ride to honor the people killed while biking on public roadways. The event calls ..read more

Speaking at a press conference in the Great Hall of Chicago’s Union Station, Illinois State Senator Ram Villivalam and State Representative Eva-Dina Delgado unveiled a transformational package of legislation aimed at dramatically remaking how public transit is managed and funded in the state. Chief among the proposed reforms is combining the existing four regional transit agencies (the Regional Transit Authority, the Chicago Transit Authority, Pace, and Metra) into a new consolidated Metropolitan Mobility Authority. A companion appropriations bill would set aside a minimum of $1.5 billion each ..read more

Last year, 115 lives were tragically cut short in Chicago due to fatal car crashes. Excessive speed was a critical factor in nearly half of those incidents. With higher speeds, the likelihood of severe injuries or fatalities skyrockets. Because of the role speed plays in car crashes, lowering the speed limit even a small amount can have an outsized effect on road safety. We are at a pivotal moment as local lawmakers consider reducing Chicago’s default urban speed limit — a proven strategy that has made streets safer in cities around the nation. On May 1, the Chicago City Council’s Committee on ..read more

The Active Transportation Alliance recently hosted an unforgettable evening that not only celebrated the strides we’ve made towards a more sustainable and accessible city but also set the stage for the transformative work ahead. The Movers and Shakers Ball — a gala event that brought together the city’s most passionate advocates for walking, biking, and public transit — was a resounding success, thanks to the incredible support of our attendees and donors.   A CELEBRATION OF VISIONARY LEADERSHIP AND COMMITMENT The highlight of the event was presenting awards to three distinguished recipie ..read more

Want to see motorists traveling at safer speeds? How about allowing people biking to treat stop signs as yield signs (often called the Idaho stop)? If so, we need you to take action right away. Please consider showing your support for a couple of important bills that are going before the Illinois House Vehicles & Safety Committee on Wednesday by filing “witness slips.” Witness slip allows you to simply go on the record in support of one or both of these bills. You must file the witness slips before 10 a.m. on Wed., April 3. Here are the bills under consideration and instructions on a filin ..read more

State Senator Mike Simmons understands that improving transportation systems is about more than just getting from point A to point B; it’s about transforming our communities into better places to live and work. By championing biking, walking, and public transit, Sen. Simmons knows we can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve public health, and save lives. It’s this commitment to enhancing our communities through healthy, equitable transportation that earned him the Visionary Leadership Award from the Active Transportation Alliance. The award will be presented to him at the Mov ..read more

As our region’s transit system faces unprecedented funding and service challenges, a powerful movement is underway, driven by the collective voices of those who know we deserve better service from our trains and buses. Our recent gathering at the Transit is Essential Town Hall, held at the Mt. Carmel Baptist Church in the Douglas neighborhood, showed the transformative power of people connecting and sharing their stories. It was a moment when about 90 individuals from diverse walks of life—students, commuters, parents, and seniors—came together to hear about one another’s personal experiences ..read more

The Weber Spur Trail on Chicago’s Northwest Side has been subject to a series of starts and stops over the last decade, resulting in slow, sporadic progress for the rails-to-trails project. But the trail may finally be making some progress as the North Branch Trail Alliance re-engages local communities and stakeholders and works to ensure the project is top of mind with elected officials and government agencies. The Weber Spur is a 2.7-mile trail that starts at Touhy Avenue in Lincolnwood, takes a southwestern route through LaBagh Woods and could connect to Elston Avenue’s bicycle lanes (see d ..read more