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

Right now, a huge challenge is ridership on the CTA. While the nationwide transit operator shortage is a big factor in many of these issues, we should remove financial barriers for potential professional bus operators. For example, free training and assistance could be offered to obtain CDL permits. The suburban PACE organization is doing exactly this through community colleges, and Chicago could potentially do the same.The CTA has reduced the cost of passes to make access to employment, education, medical care, and other critical resources more affordable for our residents. That’s a good start.

However, if people are afraid to ride, it does no good. Crime is an obvious deterrent to bringing passengers back to transit, and we need to find a way to combat it more effectively. The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority is now spending $3.6 million on social service specialists to team up with police officers and to work in high-volume stations. We know that our police force is understaffed now, exacerbating the problem. Christopher B. Leinberger, an emeritus professor of business at George Washington University who studies urban spaces and transit, said the most effective way to reduce violence on public transit systems was to get more people back to riding them. “Having lots of folks from all different incomes riding mass transit is the best way to suppress crime,” he said. “Obviously the police have a major role to play, but it really comes down to having people, lots of eyes, on different people.” Ultimately, this means that the best way to reduce crime is to find ways to entice people to ride the CTA again. This may be through financial incentives and through partnerships with businesses and organizations who offer discounts to those who use transit.

Another big issue is the lack of protected bike lanes. More and more people are getting injured or killed every year. Chicago should definitely add more protected bike lanes, and there are several appropriate streets in the 45th Ward. However, without question, Milwaukee Avenue should be the first priority. Milwaukee Avenue is the most dangerous route in Chicago for bicyclists, with multiple people killed in the last few years. Paint is not infrastructure. We should also have stiff penalties when autos create dangerous situations for bikes and pedestrians, e.g. parking or obstructing crosswalks and bike lanes.

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?

We almost exclusively walk and use transit to get around our neighborhood and our city. This is a model of my preferred method of travel. We walk to restaurants, entertainment, the grocery store, the hardware store, and the drug store.

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

We live very near the Jefferson Park Transit Center, the largest mass transit center outside the Loop, so we are very fortunate. The transit center includes an EL Line, a Metra Line, and 12 bus lines. We also have most of our regular amenities and needs within walking distance.

However, the people that live west of us often struggle to get around, particularly late night, since there are no 24 hour bus routes, there are no active bike lanes, and it may be too far to walk. This needs to be remedied for those who struggle to get around during off hours.

While most of my adult life I have been an advocate of using as much mass transit as possible, the pandemic led me to believe that we need rethink how we create a space on trains that is more appealing and feels safer, when people are concerned about getting ill. Additionally, we will need some immediate measures to address some of the crime issues on the CTA, as it feels unsafe for many residents.

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?

Implementing a universal citywide snow removal service may prove to be financially challenging, but we should think about programming that helps those most in need (the elderly and those with disabilities.)

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?

More than anything, I would like to see the interstate highways completely disappear (this has been successful in some other cities), but knowing that this is not practical, especially in the short run, we'll need other solutions. We'll need to figure out ways to ensure all neighborhoods are economically and racially diverse through housing initiatives and work incentives programs.

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

We need to reduce our dependence on motor vehicles as much as possible. We are in a climate crisis mode, so we need to figure out more practical ways to get people out of their cars - through more equitable TOD, more P-street zoning, and more protected bike lanes.

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 would like to see no widening to the existing roadway, and the existing historic Art Deco bridges restored. The existing green medians and mature trees should be protected and maintained. The designs will not reduce congestion; they will merely result in induced demand. It will not make pedestrians or cyclists safer, and it will impede access to the lakefront. The plans should not be pursued.

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?

IDOT has often obstructed plans to make our streets safer for bikers and pedestrians. In particular, there have been issues that have only recently been remedied down Irving Park Road (IL 19) in the 47th Ward, which also runs through the 45th Ward. We need more pedestrian islands, curb extensions and RRFBs along Irving Park Road, particularly north of Independence Park.

I will work with local residents and colleagues to ensure that we have the safest environment possible for bikes and pedestrians along our state routes.

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?

Some solutions may include shifting some of the parking meters from main thoroughfares to side streets or renegotiating a reduction in the required number of metered parking spaces by changing the formula used to calculate the system’s value. More dramatically, the contract could be abandoned.

At the very least, the city should have a bureau of parking management.

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?

The most effective (and equitable) ways to reduce speed are through traffic calming measures, such as curb extensions, roundabouts, and raised pedestrian walkways.

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 an advocate of this.

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

This is needed without question.

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

We absolutely need more of them, as they create safe spaces for pedestrians, build a sense of community, and reduce usage of motor vehicles and therefore reduce pollution, which is better for our environment. If people feel they can walk safely to places, they will be less apt to drive. Additionally, it is good for the health and wellness of our citizens.

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

CTA has taken the first step, which will help the situation - by adjusting schedules to align with the workforce. However, more needs to be done to increase the workforce.

While the nationwide transit operator shortage is a big factor in many of these issues, we should remove financial barriers for potential professional bus operators. For example, free training and assistance could be offered to obtain CDL permits. The suburban PACE organization is doing exactly this through community colleges, and Chicago could potentially do the same.

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?

This is a huge issue that will take a dedicated team of experts and analysis to solve. In the short term, we need to think about finding sources of federal, state, and local revenue to plug the holes, including untapped federal funding that still may be available through COVID relief.

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

This should be happening, particularly in underserved neighborhoods that do not have access to Metra or EL lines.

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

Yes