Shop and Save in Chicago!

Good news for I-GO members– five new local businesses have joined our Chi-Town Rewards Program! You can now save some dough simply by flashing your I-GO Smartcard at the following businesses:

Green Home Experts
www.GHExperts.com
708.660.1443
OFFER: 10% off all in-stock items up to $100

Rent Smart Chicago
www.RentSmartChicago.com
773.275.2700
OFFER: $100 off first months rent

ENRG Fitness Chicago
www.enrgfitnesschicago.com
847.767.9567 OFFER: 10% off first month

Ridge Art
www.ridgeart.com
708.848.4062
OFFER: 20% off

Chicago Energy Consultants
www.ChicagoEnergyConsultants.com
773.969.6697
OFFER: 10% off Home Energy Audit

Dancing (and a whole lot more) in the street!

Have some free time this Saturday, August 1st? (August already? Where did the summer go?!) The Active Transportation Alliance, formally the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation, is holding a free, 8-mile “Open Streets” event stretching from Logan Square to Little Village.

The event will run from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and feature a variety of activities, including music, art activities, children’s games, workout classes and much more. Even better: It’s a free event and there’s no registration, so you can join in at any point along the route! For more info, you can also call them at (312) 377-5727.

Check out this interesting video on the Open Streets initiative:

Mayor Daley nabs #5 spot on Grist’s "15 Green-Leaning Mayors"

Grist recently released their list of “15 Green-Leaning Mayors”, and Chicago’s very own, Richard M. Daley, nabbed the fifth spot. They cite Daley’s green-roof program (the most extensive in the country), sustainable redevelopment & landscaping projects, and his emphasis on renewable energy as his strong points. The article also mentioned Chicago’s bid for the 2016 summer Olympics, stating that it “hinges on the event being the greenest Olympics in history.”

The four mayors that topped Daley are: Michael Bloomberg (New York City), Greg Nickels (Seattle), Gavin Newsom (San Francisco), and Ed Malloy (Fairfield, Indiana). While the list is hardly complete, it does give a good indication of the vast geographical diversity in local climate leadership today.

What do you think? Did Mayor Daley deserve the #5 spot?

I-GO and Chicago Park District join forces on car sharing

I-GO Car Sharing and the Chicago Park District have partnered to bring four I-GO Car Sharing low-emission vehicles to four different park locations in the city. Beginning Friday, May 1, an I-GO car will be available at Horner Park, 2741 W. Montrose Ave. in Albany Park; Independence Park, 3945 N. Springfield Ave. in Old Irving Park; Margate Park, 4921 N. Marine Dr. in Uptown; and Ridge Park, 1817 W. 96th St. in Beverly. The cars herald a new relationship between I-GO and the CPD, with reserved parking spots generously provided by the latter.

“Car sharing makes a lot of sense for municipal agencies because it can reduce their fleet costs while providing a community benefit,” said Sharon Feigon, CEO of I-GO Car Sharing. “We are delighted to partner with the Park District so that Chicagoans can combine use of an I-GO vehicle with a visit to a park facility.”

The I-GO vehicles are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to any residents or Park District employees who become members of I-GO Car Sharing. They include: a silver Honda Fit (Horner Park); a red Toyota Prius hybrid (Independence Park); a silver Honda Civic hybrid (Margate Park); and a silver Toyota Scion xB (Ridge Park). I-GO members can search for these and any other I-GO car on I-GO’s website by address, neighborhood or vehicle type.