What do you believe are the greatest transportation challenges facing the City of Chicago right now?

Two big transport challenges are 1- Our current transportation system is not as safe or reliable as it needs to be, and 2: It's clear that our society is changing the way it commutes. There are more pedestrians and cyclists on the road, yet we do not have the appropriate infrastructure to support them.

How I have addressed/plan to address these issues - For 1) I have introduced legislation to require the CTA president to come to public hearings in front of city council every quarter- because of that, we moved the Mayor to put forth an executive order requiring quarterly reporting for CTA and other agencies. It is my firm belief that establishing regular reporting mechanisms will allow us to track progress as CTA seeks to improve staffing, scheduling, and safety issues. For 2) it is clear that we need a complete city bike grid with protected lane infrastructure and new guidelines for infrastructure on residential streets that make it safer for our children, seniors, and other pedestrians to cross. All of our solutions will require investment and political will - I believe we are in a moment where we can move things forward together.

Do you or members of your family regularly use sidewalks, bike, take transit, drive, or a combination of any/all to get around? Does this correspond with your preferred/ideal modes of getting around? If not, what barriers do you and your family face in using your preferred mode of transportation?

Yes, our family is multi-modal as it pertains to transportation. Ideally, we would have a superior transit system akin to NYC, where you can get on the subway and get to any destination, as well as a safe and protected citywide bike network so that we are less reliant on cars to get to places.

Can you share a personal experience that changed your opinion about a transportation related policy matter?

I never learned to ride a bike as a kid. My family was too poor and the neighborhoods I grew up in were too dangerous for my parents to feel comfortable letting me outside to do so. I vividly recall my father telling me he would get me a bike and it never occurring. As a result, I spent my youth not knowing how, and then getting to an age where I was too embarrassed to learn. That changed after I was elected, when we were able to partner with CDOT and schedule and adult learning session in the ward. Thanks to the city program, I was able to learn to ride a bike at age 42. I was able to feel the freedom and joy of riding a bike, and quickly became more attuned as to how challenging it is to get across neighborhoods on bike. It completely transformed where my focus went, and led to my leading on a bike lane tow ordinance, the Smart Streets automated camera pilot, and creating more bike network in the ward. Now I am committed to making sure we get this right so that we and our kids can all enjoy our city by bike.

Chicago is a snowy city, and even one stretch of uncleared sidewalk can make it impassable – particularly for folks with disabilities, the elderly, and parents with young children. What is your position on implementing a universal city-wide sidewalk snow/ice removal service?

I am in full support. Here in the 40th, our office developed a Shovel Squad network, where I and volunteers clear the snow for our seniors and disabled neighbors whenever the snowfall is larger than two inches. I am a firm believer that we can get to a place where we are ensuring that our sidewalks are clear, and am committed to doing the work to get us there.

It is now widely recognized and understood that interstate highways were used to physically divide urban communities from one another – often along racial and class lines. How do you propose we overcome these divisions to restore the urban fabric of Chicago and reconnect our segregated neighborhoods?

The way to overcome it is by creating a stronger and more expansive public transportation system. As a world-class city, we should not be a place where transportation deserts exist, and unfortunately, it is where we find ourselves.

We must invest in building the new infrastructure and hiring the conductors, maintenance staff, and other workers to support these expansions. It can be positioned as a job program, where we can provide opportunities for those seeking good union jobs, while reversing the effects of generations of segregation in our city.

What role do you believe transportation plays in Chicago’s collective greenhouse gas emissions, climate responsibility, and overall environmental health?

I believe that we cannot get to a world that is greener, with less emissions, unless we have a strong, effective, and reliable public transportation system. We can transition to electric vehicles, but that alone won’t get us there. By making it convenient to get from point a to point b on our public transportation system, we greatly reduce the reliance on personal vehicles, which is what we need to be come a city and world that is committed to decarbonization as a way of life, and something we consider not only when we think of building standards.

What is your position on the Illinois Department of Transportation’s current proposals for rebuilding North DuSable Lake Shore Drive? Do you believe the proposed designs will reduce congestion, improve transit access and make pedestrians and cyclists safer? How do you think the current proposals will impact access to the lakefront?

I believe that we need more bold creativity in designing DuSable Drive. We need bus only lanes, a train line potentially, and even seeing where we can create bike network there. I remember going to Bike the Drive, and feeling what an amazing experience that is. We don't often have the opportunity to change such large and crucial infrastructure, and I believe we should do more. That being said, there are versions of the proposals that improve on what we currently have.

What barriers do you believe the Illinois Department of Transportation presents to Chicago pursuing better safe streets design standards and transit investments? How do you plan to work with City Council, the Governor, and State legislators to overcome these barriers?

We have recently seen improvements in the agreements between CDOT and IDOT, I was in meetings with IDOT to help move it forward after seeing challenges on Peterson, and it strikes me that the communication and process between different jurisdictions is so disjointed. CDOT, IDOT, and the county should be able to work hand in hand to get things done, rather than each body being a filter of sorts that slows progress down. In my experience, literally getting everyone in the same room, whether physically or virtually, is what is necessary to improve the dynamic here.

The 99-year parking meter deal enacted by former Mayor Richard M. Daley has been a barrier to enacting safe street designs by privatizing large portions of Chicago’s streets. What is your plan to address this?

If we can improve our mode of transportation, we can shift the way Chicagoans commute so that they are using public, bike, and even rideshare more, which then makes the need and value of parking spots go down. We can explore legal challenges to the parking meter deal, but it does appear as though the agreement is pretty iron-clad, so making it where there are diminishing returns for that deal is the way to go, as we explore our legal options.

Studies show us that speed and distracted driving kill. What do you think are the most effective ways to reduce driver speed and increase safe driving behavior?

We have been working with the administration to reduce the city speed limit to 25 across Chicago, and I also fought the repeal of the speed cameras. We were successful in that endeavor, and there is more work to do. Even I have failed in the past, as I had conducted an interview while driving, so I acknowledge that changing behaviors can be its own challenge, but with positive reinforcement as well as accountability, we can make the changes necessary to save lives.

What is your position on the City passing ordinances that attempt to regulate the size, weight, and/or safety features of personal and private vehicles?

I am for whatever we can do at the city level, knowing that some of this may be the jurisdiction of state, county, or federal law.

What is your position on establishing a dedicated funding stream for safe and universal pedestrian and bike infrastructure in Chicago?

I am all for it.

What is your position on creating select pedestrian-only streets?

I think we have an opportunity to do so on Clark St between Catalpa and Foster, as well as other areas, but we need to do the necessary work to 1) measure the impact on traffic and 2) to make impacted neighbors understand the benefits of doing so. It is definitely possible, and I want to make sure we do it responsibly so that it doesn't undermine future pedestrianization efforts.

What policy solutions would you implement to ensure CTA buses operate on schedule, frequently, and quickly?

We need to make the workers their know that they are invested in and appreciated. They need to be justly

compensated for their work, and to know that their role is crucial to our city's success. That will help bring more energy to hiring new people to also step into those roles. We also need to have a quicker path for those who want to become train conductors. If we build up our capacity, we can get more trains and buses running, which makes our platforms safer. We also need to let folks know where the vehicles are, rather than provide schedules and expectations CTA can't meet. We also need the regular public reporting and accountability necessary to constantly improve.

Considering the role the CTA, Metra, and Pace play in providing public transportation within the city, what are your plans to address the impending fiscal cliff – a deficit of over $700 million – that the agencies will be facing in 2025?

We have to make sure that every level of government, from Federal to municipal, understands its skin in the game, and the need to work together to secure the funding necessary to do so. There are also plenty of Federal grants out there for infrastructure, and I don't believe we have the accountability in place at the city level to know what we are applying for and what we may be missing out on, as we will need all possible resources to make it happen.

What is your position on establishing a network of Bus Rapid Transit lines in Chicago?

I am all for it and currently working on establishing a Western Ave BRT along with some of our colleagues.

Will you commit to securing the funding necessary to implement CTA's plan to become 100% accessible according to ADA standards? (yes/no)

Yes