Do you have a few hours to spare here and there for a cool web project? Carfree Chicago needs a few volunteers to help complete a new interactive Train Stop Guide application to be launched this spring. The guide will include a searchable map of all train stations in the region, helping users to easily find stations surrounded by walkable neighborhoods and allowing users to rate and share comments about each station.

I need a few web-savvy volunteers to dedicate a few hours to entering Metra stations into the database. The data entry is through the website and involves entering station addresses and verifying map accuracy. You can do the data entry in your own time on your own computer. Sign up for just a couple hours, or do more if you have the time. If you're up for the task and want to help make this happen, please contact Lee Crandell at lee@carfreechicago.com!

Yes, there are ski slopes close enough to Chicago for a day trip. And no, you don't need a car to get there! Windy City Ski is a new bus service offering round-trip transportation for weekend day trips to ski slops in Wisconsin. Check out the Chicago Tribune's coverage of this carfree day trip option: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/ct-trav-0207-ski-bus-20100205...

I noticed the other day that CDOT had adjusted traffic lights at a couple intersections on my street to give pedestrians a few seconds head start to begin crossing before cars get a green light. This is called a Leading Pedestrian Interval, or LPI (check out this Streetsblog video about LPIs). This is one of those many progressive things I've read about other cities doing and wished I'd see at home. So I'm happy to see this tool being used in Chicago as the city learns that pedestrians should be the priority on our streets.

Unseasonably warm days like today are the perfect time for an outdoorsy daytrip. And Openlands has a great suggestion on their website with public transit directions to their recently opened Openlands Lakeshore Preserve.

Get directions here: http://openlands.org/index.php/Special-Projects/Projects/openlands-lakes...

Check Metra's UP-North schedule here: http://metrarail.com

Learn more about the preserve here: http://openlands.org/index.php/News/Press-Releases/new-preserve-opens-ad...

Studio Murmur is a product design firm based in Chicago. We currently seek to engage individuals, organizations and city /state transportation officials in launching a bike parking initiative to design the next generation of bicycle racks in Chicago. Similar efforts have been successful in Toronto and New York City and smaller initiatives are underway in other cities. Secure and easy-to-use parking for a wide range of bicycles is a non-trivial problem that is not sufficiently addressed by many current rack designs. If you are someone, or know someone, who can help, please contact us at info@studiomurmur.net Thanks!