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

Normally my weeks are a combination of driving and walking. One of my favorite ways to learn my community is by patrolling and walking the streets meeting residents. However, I do rely heavily on my car. My children attend multiple schools and lack of safe transportation forces my wife and I to drive all over the city to their school of choice. Honestly, this journey with my kids impacted my view of transportation policy the most.

I believe all transportation should work to improve the safety & efficiency of ALL transportation systems for residents with a focus on reducing our carbon footprint and transportation costs overall. As a parent, my options for my children are limited. Lack of bike lanes, ghost trains and buses, and heavy traffic all negatively contribute to the daily experience of travelers. I believe elected officials have a responsibility to enact legislation that strengthens our transportation while ensuring longevity in all our systems.

What are some transportation challenges in your district?

Our biggest challenge is safety. The southern end of my district lacks bike lanes, reliable public transportation, and safety measures for travelers. A portion of my district includes some of the downtown area, but as you know, CTA has seen an uptick in violent crimes, making it difficult to market it as an option for residents.

Additionally, many students in my district are traveling more than one mile for school, and the erratic CTA schedule makes it impossible for residents to arrive to their locations in a reliable way. Additionally, some of the streets in our ward are in desperate need of repair, and it causes unnecessary damage to vehicles.

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?

Our transportation systems need to be audited an overhauled in a meaningful way. Illinois needs to make targeted efforts to work with government partners on the federal and local level to close the gaps.

An increase in revenue from ridership will play a role in closing the fiscal cliff, but special care needs to be taken to curb unnecessary spending, optimize routes, and market our transportation systems as reliable options for travelers across the state.

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?

I think that this is a decision that should be made after we have addressed the other inefficiencies surrounding our transit systems. I wholeheartedly support increasing investments in our transportation systems, but I think wasteful spending has created the current deficit and negatively impacted the travel experience for folks across the state. To summarize, I would support an increase to the amount flexed because I do think that investments in public transportation would reduce traffic on highways and lesson the upkeep costs of highways across the state.

If we can successfully overhaul our transportation systems and effectively remarket them to the community, we can reduce the need for intensive highway repairs.

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?

I think the relationship between IDOT and the community is almost nonexistent.Often decisions regarding changes in our transportation systems are not properly communicated to residents, community design meetings are not widely marketed, and residents feel left out of the process.

The result has been a continued decline in trust with not just IDOT, but many of the systems it oversees.Residents are frustrated with the lack of communication surrounding investments and spending and it has caused our residents to become disillusioned with the transportation system as a whole in Illinois.

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?

I would like to believe that state officials have a pulse on the needs and experience of everyday riders. The general assembly has a responsibility to center our communities in the conversation and use the needs of travelers to help set priorities for IDOT to invest in underserved communities.

Additionally, we should be demanding a higher level of accountability when it comes to optimizing our transportation systems and expanding the role they play in the lives of our residents.

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

I appreciate that the new IDOT proposals work to provide more pedestrian and bike centered traffic while also prioritizing space for public busses. I do feel that the renderings don’t provide enough green spaces and cut into an already shrinking coastline.