Illinois candidates share their positions on sustainable transportation

 The Active Transportation Alliance and the League of Illinois Bicyclists Survey asks candidates about transportation safety,  funding

 

To help voters get ready for the November election, candidates seeking Illinois public office were asked for their views on bicycle and pedestrian safety, transit funding and personal transportation habits.

The Active Transportation Alliance and the League of Illinois Bicyclists carried out the survey. To see the complete results, visit www.activetrans.org/candidatesurveyresults.

“Bicyclists, pedestrians and transit users are playing a major role in political conversations at the local and national levels,” said Ron Burke, executive director of the Active Transportation Alliance. “We have a voice. We urge our leaders to hear Illinois’ residents call for safer and more convenient transportation options.”

A total of 273 candidates seeking Illinois public office were surveyed. Of the 137 incumbents, 25 responded. Of the 136 non-incumbents, 45 responded. Some of the highlights from respondents include:

COMMUTING

• Two-thirds of candidates in the City of Chicago use transit to get to work.
• Nearly half of suburban Chicago candidates drive to work.

ERRANDS

• Almost 90 percent of Chicago candidates use transit to run errands.

• More than half of suburban candidates walk for their errands.

SCHOOL

• All candidates drive their children to school.

POLICIES

• Seventy-one percent of respondents said they would support the distribution of transportation funding based on safety.
• Sixty-seven percent of respondents said they would support an expansion of the mobile phone ban.
• More than 80 percent of respondents would support the allocation of money for road projects based on population, crash rates, traffic counts or potential for congestion-reduction.
• More than 80 percent of respondents would support lower speed limits in areas where schools, senior citizens, parks or residential streets are present.

A copy of the original survey is also available for residents to forward on to candidates who haven’t yet responded.

The Active Transportation Alliance is a non-profit, member-based advocacy organization that works to make bicycling, walking and public transit so safe, convenient and fun that we will achieve a significant shift from environmentally harmful, sedentary travel to clean, active travel. The organization builds a movement around active transportation, encourages physical activity, increases safety and builds a world-class transportation network. Formerly the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation, the Active Transportation Alliance is North America’s largest transportation advocacy organization, supported by more than 6,000 members, 1,000 volunteers and 35 full-time staff. For more information on the Active Transportation Alliance, visit www.activetrans.org or call 312.427.3325.