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Bicycling and pedestrian planning gets
boost
By Aimee Toren
As of late February, the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation
gained a new Bicycle and Pedestrian Planner — Katie Tully.
Katie looks forward to implementing projects and improving bicycle
infrastructure around Chicagoland and contributing to the construction
of bike lanes, trails and bicycle parking.
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Currently, she is assisting the village of Oak Park in developing
a bike plan and helping complete the Millennium Park Bicycle Station
access plan. She recently joined Women
in Planning and Development and the Association
of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals.
Katie has a bachelor’s degree in Latin American studies and
political science from the University
of Wisconsin-Madison. But after volunteering with the Wisconsin
Bicycle Federation in Madison, she decided to take her studies in
a different direction. Driven by her desire to create transportation
options, she is working towards her Master’s degree in urban
planning at the University
of Illinois at Chicago.
“To me, transportation options create opportunities for other
benefits such as public health and cleaner air. By having great
pedestrian and bicycling facilities, as well as rapid and efficient
public transit, people get to make a choice about how they want
to commute.”
Biking and walking have been Katie’s primary means of transportation
since 2001.
“I started biking for environmental and health reasons, then
realized [it’s] a lot faster and a totally different way of
seeing the city. So it had really great other outcomes.” Katie
also enjoys “the health aspects of getting exercise without
it feeling like a workout.”
Katie, who grew up in Chicago, believes the city has great bike
facilities — from bike lanes to bike parking; however, she
thinks there needs to be an overall change in transportation culture.
In her role as bicycle and pedestrian planner, she seeks to encourage
change and engage people in active transportation. “Without
sidewalks, it is hard to tell someone they should walk to their
neighbor's house instead of drive. But if we can help them implement
a connected sidewalk plan, they can at least make the decision for
themselves.”
Aimee Toren is a Bike Traffic contributor.
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