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

We need to increase ridership on the CTA to help restore its financial health. One way to increase ridership is to offer a subsidy to underserved communities, such as the 6th ward. Currently, Metra offers a reduced fare of $2 from 79th Street to Van Buren Street in downtown Chicago. This price is part of a three-year Fair Transit South Cook pilot project sponsored by the Cook County Department of Transportation and Highways. In contrast, reduced and free fares on the CTA are offered to children, students, seniors, disabled people, and individuals in the military. Other riders must pay the full cost of $2.50 per ride.

Fares should be consistent and affordable to all residents going downtown. The CTA should follow the lead of Metra and reduce fares to $2 on a pilot basis.

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?

To be determined

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

To be determined

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?

The city should continue its snow removal program as is. The cost of expanding snow removal efforts to sidewalks would be prohibitive, given the size of Chicago. There are 7,400 miles of sidewalks in Chicago. The Department of Streets and Sanitation would have to increase the number of workers significantly, and at a significant cost, to plow those sidewalks. For this reason, the city requires residents and businesses to remove snow and ice from sidewalks.

I would not change the current responsibility of the Department of Streets and Sanitation to plow 9,400 lane miles of streets in Chicago.

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?

A major source of division between neighborhoods is racial bias in appraisals of property. Racial bias can devalue properties and make it difficult to create mixed-income and cross-racial neighborhoods.

I would support an ordinance that penalizes appraisers for knowingly engaging in discriminatory practices.

An effective way to combat bias and provide opportunities to underserved communities is to increase the diversity of the appraiser workforce. According to the U.S. Census, in the Chicago area, 5 percent of appraisers are African American, 3 percent are Latino, 1 percent are Asian, and 1 percent are “other,” while 90 percent are white. (https://www.chicagoreporter.com/racial-bias-in-home-appraisals/). To help reduce appraisal bias, the City of Chicago should work with community leaders and industry groups to recruit and train appraisers from minority communities.

Also, I will advocate strongly for the development of affordable housing in the ward to create a truly mixed-income community of homeowners and renters. Also, I will work closely with other Alderpersons to build coalitions supporting policies that promote housing for residents from all income backgrounds throughout Chicago.

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

On average, transportation accounted for about 27% of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions in 2020, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency (https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/sources-greenhouse-gas-emissions#transportation). In Chicago, due to the availability of Metra, Pace, and CTA transit services, a smaller percentage of motor vehicles are used to get around. This helps to contain greenhouse gas emission in Chicago.

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 it is important to balance the costs with the benefits of a specific course of action. One proposed option (The Addition) calls for adding a new, dedicated lane of traffic on DuSable/Lake Shore Drive. Building an additional lane would be costly and disruptive to communities living along the Drive and using Lincoln Park. The cost outweighs the benefit. Also, I would be hesitant to convert existing lanes for bus transit only since ridership is still below pre-pandemic levels on CTA buses. This could create a traffic lane that is lightly used.

The best option is to convert one lane into a transit priority lane and charge a variable price for lane usage. By setting the price higher for driving in a transit priority lane, IDOT can provide drivers with an incentive to switch to public transportation.

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?

The four components of a safe street design are:

Make streets easy to use.

Provide adequate, well-defined space for pedestrians and cyclists.

Remove any barriers to visibility between pedestrians, motorists, cyclists, and commercial vehicles, and

Design and build well-functioning travel lanes.

As Alderperson of the 6th ward, I will work with colleagues in the City Council, the Mayor’s Office, and transportation advocates to unify the community around a shared transit proposal. With a unified front among stakeholders, Chicago can lobby the Illinois Department of Transportation successfully for safe street standards.

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?

The city must reopen the parking meter deal. As Alderperson, I will push the city to take all legal action needed to revise the lease on terms that benefit Chicago taxpayers.

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?

In my professional career, I have seen the value of adopting state-of-the-art technology to promote safety and security. Since people continue to speed and present a danger to themselves and other drivers, it may be necessary to introduce speed locks, which stop cars from exceeding the speed limit. The technology exists and is commonly used in Europe. Why not here?

As Alderperson, I will push for a study and analysis of best speed lock practices and how they can be applied in Illinois. Based on the results, I will push for the state legislature to consider a bill to require motor vehicles to have speed locks. In addition, I will support an awareness campaign to remind drivers of speed limits and the importance of concentrating while driving. The awareness campaign can include, but not be limited to highway billboards, in-car computer messaging systems, and public service announcements.

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?

The city has an obligation to serve and protect the residents of Chicago. As a home-rule city, Chicago can pass safety regulations and ordinances that benefit the people. As Alderperson, I will fight for commonsense safety features that can be reasonably defended in court on grounds of protecting the public.

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

Yes, I support the installation of a network of concrete-protected bike lanes. The current system of bike lanes, which is painted in between moving traffic and parking lanes, is dangerous for cyclists. The city has pledged to replace paint with pre-cast concrete curbs. As Alderperson, I will hold the administration accountable for completing the project.

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

Chicago has experimented with large-scale pedestrian zones before. From 1979 to 1996, a nine-block section of State Street downtown was zoned for foot and bus traffic only. No cars and trucks were permitted. The goal was to restore State Street as a destination for shopping and dining. However, the conversion did not live up to the promise. After 17 years of trying, the city reversed course and allowed cars to return to State Street, which has once again become “that Great Street,” a destination for shoppers and tourists alike.

Based on this experience, I would consider supporting small pedestrian-only areas in Chicago’s neighborhoods, if there is support for the concept in the community.

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

The CTA needs to employ two strategies to improve bus operations and notifications.

To resolve the issue of “ghost buses.” the CTA needs to provide clear real-time transit data on the Ventra app, the Transit app, Google Maps, and Apple Maps.

To increase the number of buses in service, the CTA must fill open bus driver positions more quickly to replace staff members who resigned or retired during the pandemic.

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?

As Alderperson, I support the adoption of funding increases that do not impede other valuable economic goals. I will work with the business community, transit riders, and community leaders to identify the best package of funding sources from the list provided by the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA). In December 2022, they issued a five-year regional transit strategic plan that identified multiple sources of funding for transit agencies, including the CTA Among the sources identified, were:

Increases to the RTA Sales Tax, state Motor Fuel Tax, Vehicle Registration Fee, and Tollway tolls

Implementation of Congestion Pricing and Vehicle Miles Tax

Expand RTA sales tax on services, most of which are currently exempt from taxation.

Increase State Public Transportation Fund match

Increase in State reimbursement to RTA and Service Boards to offset revenue losses from free and reduced fares provided to the elderly, people with disabilities, and students.

Eliminate the 1.5% surcharge on RTA sales tax receipts retained by the Illinois Department of Revenue.

For more information, see https://www.rtachicago.org /uploads/files/general/Region/StrategicPlan/ Transit_is_the_Answer_Full_Document_Draft_for_Public Comment_December2022.pdf

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

Bus Rapid Transit systems can move people efficiently and reduce congestion. As Alderperson, I will support efforts to create bus transit priority lanes on major expressways.

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

Yes