Election! Party! Meeting!

Tomorrow's a big day for Bridgeport Alliance!  Our annual election is at 7pm in the Community Hall at First Trinity (643 W 31st St.).  We'll also be having our monthly meeting--in fact, November's and December's, rolled into one.

But wait, there's even more!  After the meeting, there's a party!  We'll be celebrating the return of the 31st St. bus.

Hope to see you there!

Here Comes the Bus!

Bridgeport Alliance is proud to announce that its efforts have been met with partial success!  As announced by Alderman Patrick Thompson earlier today, the Chicago Transit Authority has agreed to reinstate the 31 bus line on an experimental basis.  

This victory comes after three years of work by Bridgeport Alliance, which has organized many meetings and events to both raise awareness and push decision makers to reinstate the 31st Street route.  Our 2014 lobbying trip to Congressman Dan Lipinki’s front door—we found him gardening—was particularly spirited.  See our photo petition here and our Bike and Rolls along the route here.  

Recently, building an alliance with North Side activists by forming the CTA31/CTA11 Crosstown Bus Coalition was particularly powerful.  The support of Aldermen Patrick Thompson (11th Ward), Ameya Pawar (47th Ward), and Michele Smith (43rd Ward) has also been pivotal.  

Stay tuned for more information about a celebratory party!

We would like to thank the Crosstown Coalition, the aldermen, and the Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community for being our staunch allies.  Especially, thank you, people of Bridgeport and Chinatown, for your fighting spirit.

Information on the specifics of the pilot route is incomplete, so let’s keep up the activism!  Please check back to our blog for more on this exciting development in the coming days. 

PLEASE RIDE THE 31ST STREET BUS!

For a DNAinfo article, click here.

General Meeting: October 29

This is what democracy looks like: zombie costumes.  For the treat of local activism without any of the tricks, come to BA's general meeting on Thursday at 7pm in the Community Hall at First Trinity (643 W 31st St.).  Nothing's scarier than a world without social justice!

North and South Sides unite for better busing!

The CTA31/CTA11 Crosstown Bus Coalition has made waves!  Riding a rising tide of support, the group—made up of allied activists from the 11th and 47th Wards—packed the house at the Chicago Transit Authority’s October 14th board meeting.  The diverse crowd ranged from Chinatown senior citizens to Aldermen Patrick Thompson and Ameya Pawar. Most were clad in distinctive yellow t-shirts declaring their passion for reclaiming public transportation in Chicago (see picture).

Mr. Deng, leader of the Pine Tree Senior Council, said, “I am so proud to represent the Chinese community to express our need of the #31 bus. I will continue to fight until they give us a satisfied response.”

Alderman Thompson of the 11th Ward spoke about how extensively the 31st Street corridor has change since the 1990s, when the route was cut.  The thriving business district at 31st and Morgan, plus the construction of beautiful new harbor and park facilities at the 31st Street Beach, mean that restoring the route makes good sense. He requested a feasibility study or test route extending from Ashland Avenue to the Museum Campus.

Of course, our political and crosstown allies have only made Bridgeport Alliance’s position stronger.  As Ruby Pinto, president of Bridgeport Alliance, said, “In both the 11th and 47th wards, we deserve better. It's a joy to unite with our friends to the north in such an important effort.”

People Power: Mark Your Calendars

Are you a Chicagoan who cares about public transportation?  Please join Bridgeport Alliance and its allies in the 31/11 Crosstown Bus Coalition, which is fighting for restored bus lines on the North and South Sides.  We're turning out as many folks as we can to the CTA's October board meeting.  Arrive at 9:30am at the CTA Headquarters (567 W Lake St.) on October 14.  If you're in Bridgeport and you need a ride up, message us.

Bonus:  Free t-shirts!

Be there or be walking (instead of riding).  

Bridgeport Alliance General Meeting: July 30

BA's next meeting will be on Thursday, July 30, at 7pm in the Community Hall at First Trinity.  Yep, it's hot and sticky outside, but if injustice doesn't stop, why should we?

Cold drinks shall be had!

Death, Poverty, and Chicago's 1995 Heat Wave

You might be uncomfortable during these dog days of summer, but do you remember the deadly heat wave twenty years ago?  Check out this fascinating interview with sociologist Eric Klinenberg about how over 700 people came to die during one week in Chicago.  Race, class, and gender, as well economic history, all worked together to create the kind of social isolation that kills senior citizens.

Please consider checking in on your elderly neighbors on hot days this summer.