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

Crime is the No. 1 issue facing Chicago right now, and it has an impact on transportion. The CTA is in crisis due, in large part, to the fact people feel unsafe on it. We have to make our trains safer with an investment in technology and better policing so people return to it. I plan to recruit more than a thousand new officers and remove 250 police form our airports - where they will be replaced with federal officers - to free up sworn officers for the CTA rather than the $100 million private security contract that is a complete waste. I will also invest in a complete technological upgrade to make it more efficient and have a better interface so the public can once again be confident that buses and trains are coming when they say they are so they can get to work, school and appointments on time.

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?

A combination of all. I grew up taking the #29 bus downtown and still do to this day. I'm also an avid biker and I own a car. In the summer I love riding around the community and beyond on my bike, though a lack of any bike lanes in communities like mine (Park Manor in my case, but traditionally disinvested neighborhoods all over the city).

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

I didn't really have my mind changed, but decades of taking public transporation downtown for fun, for college, for law school, and then for years commuting for court and other professional matters has made me a long-time believer that a world class city needs a world class public transit system, as well as a variety of safe, convenient, healthy and environmental ways for people to get around - from our essential workers to people having a night out on the town to tourist.

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'm very much for this. The current policy of requiring property owners to keep sidewalks clear is extremely problematic. First of all, there is no enforcement. Other problems include elderly or physically challenged residents, abandoned and vacant properties, and many others. Even the Chicago Public Schools were failing to keep sidewalks shoveled around it's unused properties the year Mayor Emanuel closed 50 sdhools.

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've worked especially hard on economic empowerment for historically disinvested neighborhoods in my 12 years in City Council. I've gotten legislation passed to increase opportunities for minority contractors and small- and mid-sized businesses in disenfranchised areas. As Mayor I want to start a communities program that ends Chicago's prosperity disparity. I want each of our 77 neighborhoods to have professional services, entertainment districts, restaurants, clean and safe playgrounds and all the services people want to enjoy a good quality of life.

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

A big one. We are far too reliant on cars. I have supported a variety of community efforts to encourage walking, biking and alternative transportation to reduce congestion and emissions.

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'm in favor. The idea of creating bus-only lanes makes public transit faster and more appealing, thus reducing congestion and emissions.

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 plan to have a very collaborative administration and seek lots of help and input from the State. One priority would be to increase our public transit investment in both the CTA and in things like protected bike lanes and redesigned intersections.

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?

Well, I've already started. I was the driving force behind the city's anti-privatization ordinance that ensures we'll never have another parking meter deal. We also need to renegotiate part of the deal and work with the contract holders to find solutions that allow us to make sure the streets are being best used for people, not profits.

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?

Well the best thing to do is to allow safe, convenient alternatives to driving. Fewer cars on the streets make our streets safer. But speed and safe driving infractions should have consequences that would keep offenders from wanting to repeat the behavior.

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 would look favorably on such laws, with exemptions for contractors or specific work vehicles.

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

I would be in favor of this, assuming it is a fair source of funding that is not regressive nor a hardship.

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

Chicago would be significantly enhanced with a more mindful approach to building the city around automobiles. I think many neighborhoods would benefit from areas that are for pedestrians and bikes only. We know from research that local businesses do better when people walk or bike to them instead of driving. The Lakeview Area Master Plan that made the area more accessible for cyclists and pedestrians used research that said people patronizing local shops and restaurants who arrive on foot or by bike stay longer and spend more.

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

Covered in first answer

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?

The budget issue is critical. We need to get help from the state and federal government in the short term, and develop long-term solutions to keep these agencies out of continual crisis. I think a portion large-scale development revenue should be directed to public transit support.

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

In favor.

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

Yes