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

I believe now one of the greatest transportation challenges is access to it, in the 9th Ward, there is very limited access to public transportation and even to some rideshare apps with trouble locating streets and for fear of the neighborhoods. I would certainly plan to oversee equitable access on the redline extension into 130th Street and advocate for another CTA Bus line though the ward as well, not only on Michigan Ave

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 We do. Yes it does. none.

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

I recall a time when I was waiting for a bus in the cold weather at the airport and the weather was very cold that day and thankfully there was a heated overpass that I could stand under that made all the difference while waiting. I then though to myself about the bus stops in my neighborhood that do not have any coverings over them, let alone heated ones. I thought to myself every public transportation stop should have some form of covering on it for sake of weather and will actively work to cover all stops in the 9th Ward.

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 would support it 100%, it is imperative for streets and sidewalks to be cleaned in a timely matter, but many homes are owned by those who cannot do it themselves and may not be able to afford the service being done for them, again, I would support this initiative 100%

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?

I do, however now the damage has been done, physically, and our only way of restoration now is through community development and bringing unity back to the community city-wide and I support that completely.

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

Transportation plays a role in all of that anyway, not just in Chicago, anywhere vehicular gas is being emitted, it is contributing to the destruction of our environmental health, which is why we should support moving into a more electrical era in all of our endeavors from electric stoves in our homes to electric cars on our streets.

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 have not yet seen the plans of rebuilding DLSD and therefore do not want to speak ignorantly.

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?

I am not personally aware of the barriers IDOT has presented, it seems like the bike lanes have become a very intricate part of the cities infrastructure, which is good and I support, other than that, I do not know of any other barriers that are currently presented. However, it is my practice to ensure that the voice of the people of which I represent are heard at the city council level, therefore, I plan to work with any branch of government that is willing to come to the table to negotiate on behalf of my constituents.

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?

I do not believe large portions of Chicago streets should be privatized, one of the reasons I hate driving downtown is the fact of no parking, and the high meter prices for short times, I certainly want to address this in any way that I can, I will fight for deals not to be made and affixed to such contracts as a 99-year term, when many of the legislators and citizens will not even be around when that deal is over, and anything can change day-by-day and Chicago should not be locked into such agreements for that amount of time. I will fight to be sure that we do not make more deals like that and fight for loopholes to benefit the people who bear the brunt of this legislation.

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 to implement more speed bumps on residential streets and more speed cameras, only in high traffic areas where drivers prove to speed regularly. Those are cameras that can be activated only during times where the most speeding occurs, much like the Camera on the parkway along 127th street in the ward, that is on from 6am - 11pm. We also should work with insurance companies to increase more incentives for safe driving that allows drivers' premiums and insurance payments to be reduced after certain times of safe driving or other incentives left up to the discretion of the insurance companies. I'm willing to implement anything the majority of the constituents want to see.

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 think that the city should regulate commercial vehicles for sure, but I do not think it is necessary to regulate the size, weight or safety features of personal vehicles. I know that most things are done in the best interest of people overall, so I would support anything that the constituents support.

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

Absolutely, we should have that fund, pedestrians and those who travel by bike are just as important as those who drive, therefore, there should be regulations in place to provide safety and infrastructure for those commuters as well.

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

I don't think pedestrian-only streets are necessary if we create safe and direct avenues for pedestrians to commute on all streets anyway, we should be creating ways for all commuters to exist synergistically.

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

In the 9th Ward, there is only one busline really, the 34 south michigan bus, which is often followed by the same bus not far behind it, they are timely, that I know of, and serves the route on schedule. However, I would certainly advocate for policy that could fine CTA for not serving effectively and efficiently as they should.

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?

I believe we need to reprioritize our resource allocation, I would advocate for Chicago's budget to address what we need first and that which can wait can be pushed to next year's budget. I think Chicago has a priority problem, we have money, we just do not prioritize that money correctly to address needed-issues first.

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

I think that it would be effective and would help with commuting, however, I'd want to look into how it would also affect the efficiency of commuters by car, like would creating those BRT lines take a lane away from drivers, creating more traffic in an already traffic-filled city? are there more drivers or commuters by bus in Chicago? questions like these would need to be answered before I could be staunch on one side or the other of this issue, everything stems back to the majority of the people of which I serve.

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

Yes