What types of transportation do you and your family use during an average week, and how has this shaped your view of transportation policy for schools?

My family and I use a combination of car and train. I use public transportation when I do not have back to back meetings or time constraint commitments. Living in the most southwest area of District 8, I have to drive and park at the Orange line to take it downtown and then transfer to another line if I have to. Unfortunately, due to time constraints and current infrastructure, driving is often the most effective and efficient way to get around.

I think that our region needs to do more for public transportation and create more efficient modes of transportation. Imagine if we had some form of hybrid light rail that can travel on street and rail at the same time. It would be nice to extend the current L-Train to reach more people.

What are some of the transportation challenges that families and students face in your district?

1. Access to Orange line - It only goes to 59th and Cicero meaning that most of my district is not covered by our train system and Metra is not easily accessible to our community

2. Consistency and Reliability - In getting commuters to and from place to place. Trains and buses do not run as consistently as they have in the past.

3. All the main street corridors that run north, south, east and west like Cicero, Pulaski, Western, Harlem, Archer, 55th and 63rd Street are highly congested along with I55.

4. Students at school do not have reliable yellow bus service to get to school.

School pick up/drop off can be chaotic and at times unsafe. What are ways you think this could be improved?

We need a core group of parent and community volunteers to help manage the pick up/drop off at schools. Old St. Mary had a core group of parent volunteers everyday to help keep order and create safe passage for students, residents, and commuters alike. Volunteers would manage and control traffic, open doors for children to safely exit vehicles, and just generally be an uplifting force for the community.

Studies show that childhood independence is critical for individual development. How can Chicago Public Schools better empower families to allow their children to be able to navigate independently – and most importantly, safely – to and from school?

I think CPS needs to work with, not only families but, the community residents, neighborhood groups, nonprofits, businesses, IDOT, city, and elected officials to work through all the related challenges. These issues cannot be solved by one entity alone as each stakeholder has stake at wanting to create a safe community where children can safely cross the streets by having visible signs, bump outs, no right or left turns during certain time of the day to marked pedestrian walkways, to having the ability to walk on sidewalks by keeping them clear of debris, and having free and clear alley pass ways. While on main arteries have extra safety signs, crossing guards during school hours in the AM and PM. These conditions and collaboration should create an environment where safety is the most likely outcome, and stakeholders are empowering families and students to navigate their communities independently and confidently.

Most CPS students are offered driver's education when the time comes, but few are given the opportunity to learn about alternatives. What kind of educational opportunities around transportation do you think students should have?

I think that partnerships with public agencies like CTA/RTD/Metra would help as well as with ride sharing companies like Uber and Lyft. Biking can be challenging on the southwest side of Chicago, but it would be great for our students to take a tour of the various bike lanes across the City of Chicago.

Increasingly, a lack of busing has become a serious burden for many families’ day-to-day lives as services continue to be cut. What are some short-term and long-term solutions that you think would address this?

This is an area that you do not have to reinvent the wheel in. The CPS Parents for Busing group has done extensive research in this area and has some great recommendations that I support. Some of these recommendations can even be reworked to support the broader need in transportation.

Here they are:

1. Stipends: Earlier this year, CPS ended its policy of providing $500 per month to families who qualified for CPS transportation but could not get a seat on a bus. We ask that CPS reinstitute this policy. Given that 85% of the students without transportation come from low-income families, many cannot afford to pay for private transportation, nor should they be expected to do so. Many families also do not have the job flexibility that enables them to drive their children to and from school. This money would be a much-needed lifeline for thousands of Chicago students. Paying $500 per month is less than half of CPS is currently paying per student per month to bus students.

2. Pay, Benefits, and Legislation for Bus Drivers: Currently, CPS employs approximately 715 drivers, which is 600 fewer than CPS currently estimates is needed to route all students. Hiring additional bus drivers will allow CPS to better serve low-income students while also ensuring that diverse learners continue to receive the transportation assistance they need and are legally entitled to. Given the large gap in bus drivers, CPS could reduce the target number of drivers and, using the savings, could properly compensate current and prospective drivers with bonuses. Though CPS has increased bus driver pay, it still offers only $22-$27 per hour. Compared to neighboring cities, this pay rate is not as competitive as it could be. For example, Bensenville offers $27 per hour, Skokie offers $25-$30 per hour, and Niles offers health insurance plus a 401k to all drivers. Raising bus driver salaries and offering benefits would assist in the recruitment and retention of bus drivers for CPS. Additionally, we ask that CPS work in collaboration with parent advocates to influence state legislators and the Illinois Secretary of State to pass laws and regulations that facilitate driver recruitment. Below are four examples of such action that could increase the number of drivers available to CPS:

1. Implement the Federal “Under-the-Hood Waiver” to increase the number of eligible drivers by allowing prospective bus drivers to skip the onerous requirement of physically lifting the hood of the bus and identifying parts of the engine;

2. Pass HB3476 to enable HopSkipDrive to come to Illinois;

3. Offer more Commercial Drivers License (CDL) certification dates/times; and

4. Offer CDL certification exams in Spanish.

3. Prioritizing Low Income Students: Students from low-income families should be routed first. This routing can be done on an individual basis or by starting with the schools with the highest percentage of low-income families. Stipends (financial relief) can be given to students without a seat until one becomes available for them. Stipends provide immediate support until a bus seat becomes available.

4. Paratransit Companies: Allow paratransit companies (vans) to begin transporting Priority Group A and B students from buses currently transporting less than seven students so that large school buses can be reassigned for larger populations needing transport to magnet and selective enrollment schools.

For many years now, Chicago Public Schools has failed to meet federally mandated requirements for accessible transportation for students with disabilities. How do you envision ensuring that students with disabilities’ transportation needs are met?

It would be a real shame if CPS failed our students with disabilities before our students even made it to school. This is why the Board needs to come together and draft a plan that addresses the immediate need and sets our students up for success in the long run. As mentioned above, there are great ideas from groups most affected by this, so we should listen, learn, and collaborate to begin solving for this.

I would begin by looking at what other districts are doing to meet their needs for accessible transportation for students with disabilities. Additionally, I would work to implement policy recommendations from CPS Parents for Buses. The Board also needs to make sure that CPS is investing and allocating the proper resources needed to provide accessible transportation. It’s important for us to ensure that we draw down all allowable federal, state, and local dollars that are available for serving students with disabilities. Lastly, I would ensure that CPS partners with local nonprofits, government entities, for-profit businesses, and healthcare systems that serve students and offer similar transportation services for students with disabilities.