What types of transportation do you use during an average week, and how has this shaped your view of transportation policy?

In an average week I will use a mix of walking, cycling, public transportation, and my own personal vehicle. I was born in Chicago and have lived on the northwest side now for 30 years. For the first ten of those years, before my children were born, I did not have a car. My bike was my primary mode of transportation. I would commute daily from Logan Square or Bucktown, down Milwaukee Avenue to downtown. This was in the early days when there were not as many cyclists and we were just trying to get drivers used to the idea of sharing the road with cyclists, a fight that continues to this day. My teenage children now use Milwaukee Avenue to occasionally ride to school.

Creating the necessary infrastructure to offer Chicagoans a mix of transit options is very important to me. I have had close friends get doored on their bikes and require facial reconstructive surgery. I also lost my mother in a car accident. Safe, clean, and reliable transit is should be accessible to everyone in this city regardless of their zip code.

What are some transportation challenges in your district?

The 20th District depends on reliable and affordable public transit. Metra lines serve communities on the west side of the district. (I live one block away from the Healy Station.) The Blue Line is the backbone of our community and the Brown line terminates and serves the residents of Albany Park. Then lay over that all the essential bus lines in the district, from Montrose down to Armitage, from Cicero to Western Avenue, and so many in between. Hundreds of thousand of residents depend on reliable public transportation to get to work, to get to school, and to live their lives.

The current state of CTA is unacceptable and changes in leadership must be made. I also support the effort to combine the CTA, Metra, and Pace into one regional entity. This will help find efficiencies and create a more reliable regional public transit system. The State and Federal government then need to step up to plate and fund the improvements that need to be made to this essential system so many of our residents rely upon.

How can the State of Illinois address the impending combined $700 million fiscal cliff facing the CTA, Metra, and Pace in a way that ensures sustained and adequate funding for the future?

The first step is the combine the CTA, Metra, and Pace into one unified entity to find efficiencies. We then need to increase reliability on the CTA to pre-pandemic levels to increase ridership and revenues. Ultimately, the state's fiscal problems need to be solved by fighting for a graduated state income tax and expanded state budgets.

A federal rule allows for states to flex up to 50% of federal highway funds towards transit instead. New Jersey currently flexes 15%, and California flexes 12% compared to Illinois at just under 3%. Would you make any changes to this amount, and if so why?

While Illinois does need extensive infrastructure improvement I believe we could increase that percentage over time to 10%. We could offset some of those flexed funds by slight increases in the fares on the Illinois Tollway.

The Illinois Department of Transportation (“IDOT”) plays a significant role in transportation throughout the state and in Chicago. What is your opinion on their relationship with the Chicago Department of Transportation, local communities, and the impact that has?

The roads of Illinois are a great resource and should be managed as such. Our geographic location in the center of this nation, our airports, and our rail lines make us the center for intermodal transport. Investments in our roads are investments in our future, and IDOT needs to be dependable caretaker of these resources.

How do you view the Illinois General Assembly’s role in setting IDOT’s priorities for public transit, passenger rail, and strengthening accessibility in transportation?

The State Senate and General Assembly need to work with the Governor's office to create state budgets that invest more in public transit and passenger rail.

What is your position on IDOT’s current proposals for rebuilding North Du Sable Lake Shore Drive?

The State and Federal government need to provide the necessary funds to rebuild and reimagine Du Sable LSD from Grand up to Hollywood. Most of the pedestrian bridges and tunnels were built over 50 years ago and are deteriorating. We need to have a plan to rebuild the Drive so that it is better integrated with the lakefront and lakefront parks. I support the plan to remove one of the four lane of traffic to create a protected public transit lane.