Cyclists call for more funding in the city’s budget

Bike Advocates Called for More Cycling Funding in the City Budget

By Xinyi (Ethel) Jiang
Medill Reports

On the last Friday in January, morning bike commuters gathered at Daley Plaza to petition for more cycling funding in the city’s budget.

Elizabeth M. Adamczyk, a daily bike commuter and advocate for bicycling in Chicago, wants to see a separate bike network spreading through the city.

The non-profit Active Transportation Alliance raised their collective voices through a petition. It calls for a line item in the city budget that offers consistent funding for biking infrastructure in Chicago.

The City of Chicago has built more than 100 miles of new bike lanes since Mayor Rahm Emanuel came to office in 2011. Some politicians, like 31st ward Alderman Milly Santiago, say the city has gone too far.

Bikers have ten months to persuade city leaders before a new budget is passed in November.

Photo at top: Elizabeth M. Adamczyk, a daily bike commuter and advocate for bicycling in Chicago, attended the winter Bike to Work Day rally. Jan. 26, 2018. (Xinyi Jiang/MEDILL)