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

The greatest transportation challenge the city faces at the moment is that people feel that the CTA does not provide reliable, safe service. Buses and trains now run infrequently which leads to people not using the transit system. The CTA needs to identify any and all obstacles in the hiring process for bus drivers and train engineers and work to resolve these issues. The CTA should also provide a text message service so that people can report smokers to a ticketing agency or people who are homeless to Chicago's Family and Support Services.

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?

My son and I tend to use the CTA year round and walk in our neighborhood year round. I prefer walking to businesses and parks that are close by so I don't have to deal with the hassle of finding parking for my car. The barriers I find in 38th ward is that there aren't that many businesses or restaurants nearby my house within a 15 minute walking distance.

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

I don't have a specific personal experience that changed my opinion about transportation. In general, I feel that my life experience has shaped my opinoin on transportation policy. When I was a kid, whenever my family went downtown we would take the blue line. Later when I was in high school I would take the CTA to school. Because of these experiences I believe that it's important to have an effective transit system so that we can keep our streets safe, congestion low, and limit environmental impact.

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 am in favor of plowing the sidewalks to clear them of snow and ice.

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 not have a proposal other than increasing pedestrian access with pedestrian bridges or underpasses at the moment. I think there would have to be a lot of education on the benefits of removing the Kennedy, Eisenhower, and Dan Ryan before the general public is amenable to that idea.

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

I believe that transportation plays a big role in our environmental health. Reducing traffic would improve the health of everyone as it will cut down on tailpipe emissions and the creation of microparticles from tires and brakes. For those reasons it's of utmost importance that Chicago has an effective public transportation system.

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 not too familiar with IDOT's proposals other than the few proposals listed on the project page. I support a design that has dedicated bus only lanes running north and south, a reduction of car lanes and additional underpasses for lakeshore access for residents.

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 believe that IDOT has a different goal in road design compared to CDOT which causes misalignment on design standards and transit investments. Recently however there has been an announcement that IDOT and CDOT will streamline the implementation of safety improvements. I'm willing to work with my fellow members of city council so we can identify what changes are needed on IDOT controlled streets in the city so that we can demonstrate the benefits to state legislatures of safe streets and transit investments.

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 don't have a good answer on this at the moment. I know that the city gets penalized if parking meters are not in an operational status. I would probably consider looking at the cost benefit of breaking the contract and see how the city could minimize any fallout from that decision.

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 way to reduce driver speeds on major avenues is to design roads that don't encourage speeding. Traffic calming strategies such as narrower lanes, reduced lanes and even adding trees to the road help encourage slower speeds.

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'm in favor of adding a registration fee for newly purchased vehicles over a certain weight or size.

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

I would consider using the fees from oversized vehicles to create a funding stream for pedestrian and bike infrastructure like a bike grid.

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

I am in favor of pedestrian only streets but will defer to community input on which streets/segments are to be pedestrian only.

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

I would work with the CTA to ensure that the hiring of bus drivers is done in an expedient manner. I would also make suggestions to ensure that bus stops are properly spaced so that there are less stops for a bus to make. I would also work to identify and support the creation of bus lanes.

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?

At the moment I have no good answer for this. I would consider a potential registration fee for oversized luxury trucks. I also believe that it is essential to lobby congress to provide additional funding for public transit as they do for roads. Another potential suggestion is consider having train stations built with commercial space so that rents can be a potential revenue source.

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

I'm in favor of creating a network of BRT lines in the city. I would like to see them on streets such as Irving Park, Cicero, North ave, Ashland, 95th, and 55th. I'm sure there are additional streets that would be great candidates for them.

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

Yes