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

I rely on a mix of driving and public transit each week, primarily the CTA bus system and the Green Line. Using both modes gives me a clear, real-world view of how people experience transportation in Cook County. Driving shows me the challenges of congestion, poor road conditions, and the lack of reliable alternatives in many neighborhoods. Taking the CTA, especially buses and the Green Line, highlights the need for cleaner stations, more frequent service, better security, and modern infrastructure.

These experiences shape my transportation policy priorities: investing in safer and more dependable transit, improving station maintenance, expanding service to undeserved areas, and creating a transportation network where people aren’t forced to choose between two imperfect options. A strong county should have transportation that is accessible, affordable, and functional for everyone, whether they drive, ride, or do both like I do.

What are some transportation challenges in Cook County?

Cook County faces several serious transportation challenges that residents feel every day. Many neighborhoods, especially on the West and South Sides, struggle with infrequent or unreliable CTA bus service, forcing long wait times and difficult commutes. Rail stations, including several along the Green and Blue Lines, suffer from poor maintenance, broken elevators, safety concerns, and outdated infrastructure that make transit less accessible for seniors, people with disabilities, and families.

Road conditions are another major issue. Across the county, residents deal with potholes, inadequate lighting, flooding on key corridors, and slow repair timelines, especially on heavily used commuter routes. In many parts of the district, walking and biking infrastructure is minimal or unsafe, making it harder for people who don’t have access to a car.

Transit deserts remain a major equity problem. Some communities have no Metra stops, undeserved Pace routes, or long distances between CTA stations, leaving entire neighborhoods without consistent access to jobs, healthcare, and education.

These challenges show the need for a countywide transportation strategy that improves safety, reliability, and accessibility while ensuring every community, not just a select few, benefits from strong public transit and infrastructure investment.

Cook County residents often find their local roadways fall under multiple different jurisdictions and standards. How do you view the County’s role in ensuring consistent, safe, and accessible transportation for constituents?

Cook County has a responsibility to be the coordinating force that brings consistency to a fragmented system. Our roads, bridges, and transit corridors often fall under a mix of county, municipal, state, and even federal jurisdictions but residents don’t care who owns the road; they care whether it is safe, well-maintained, and accessible.

I believe the County must take a stronger leadership role by setting countywide safety and maintenance standards, improving coordination with IDOT, CTA, Metra, Pace, and local municipalities, and ensuring that every community receives the same level of attention regardless of ZIP code or political connections. This means using data to prioritize repairs, holding partner agencies accountable, and reducing duplication or gaps caused by unclear jurisdiction.

The County should also streamline communication so residents know who is responsible for what, instead of being bounced between agencies when seeking help. Ultimately, the County’s job is to ensure that roads are repaired quickly, transit is accessible, and infrastructure investments are equitable, not dependent on who has the loudest voice, but on where the need is greatest.

A unified, county-wide approach to transportation is essential for safety, mobility, and economic opportunity.

What can Cook County do to stabilize and expand access to bikeshare programs that span municipalities?

Cook County can play a major role in making bike share a reliable, countywide mobility option rather than a patchwork of systems that stop at municipal borders. The County’s role should focus on coordination, funding stability, and equitable expansion.

First, the County can help stabilize bike share by providing regional planning and intergovernmental agreements that ensure municipalities and vendors like Divvy can operate seamlessly across borders. Riders shouldn’t lose access just because they cross from Chicago into a neighboring suburb.

Second, Cook County can support bike share with targeted infrastructure funding, protected bike lanes, lighting, safe intersections, and station pads, especially in areas where municipalities can’t afford that investment alone. Improving the built environment makes bike share safer and more appealing.

Third, the County can promote equitable access by helping expand bike share stations into transit deserts, lower-income neighborhoods, and suburban communities that currently lack affordable transportation options. This includes supporting e-bikes and adaptive bikes so more people can participate.

Finally, the County can help negotiate fairer, transparent operating agreements to keep costs predictable for cities and riders, and ensure the system is financially sustainable long-term.

By coordinating municipalities, investing in safe infrastructure, and ensuring the system works for every community, Cook County can make bike share a stable, accessible, and truly regional form of transportation.

What role can the County play in bringing funding sources and revenue streams to county transportation projects?

County commissioners play a critical role in securing and directing the funding needed to improve Cook County’s transportation network. Their job isn’t just voting on budgets, it’s actively pursuing new resources and making sure the County captures every available dollar.

Commissioners can help by identifying and applying for state and federal grants, including USDOT programs, infrastructure funds, safety grants, and transit modernization funds. Many of these programs go unused or underutilized because smaller municipalities lack the staff capacity to apply; commissioners can bridge that gap by coordinating regional applications.

They can also work with local municipalities, transit agencies, and planning organizations like CMAP to build multi-community partnerships. These collaborations often score higher for competitive grants and help attract private-sector investment for bike lanes, station upgrades, and road improvements.

Commissioners have an important role in financial oversight, ensuring that existing revenue streams, such as motor fuel tax dollars and capital funds, are spent transparently, efficiently, and based on clear priorities rather than politics.

Finally, commissioners can explore new, responsible revenue sources, such as public-private partnerships, congestion relief investments, or targeted infrastructure bonds, provided they deliver long-term value and don’t overburden taxpayers.

Cook County has a history of innovating access to public services, including public transit – such as the Fair Transit South Cook pilot. As President, what are ways you envision the County innovating on transportation?

Cook County should continue leading on transportation innovation by focusing on solutions that make transit more affordable, reliable, and connected for every resident, not just those in a few well-served corridors.

First, we can expand on the success of Fair Transit by exploring reduced-fare or fare-integration programs between CTA, Metra, and Pace. Riders shouldn’t pay a penalty when they cross a municipal boundary or switch between systems. A unified, county-supported fare structure would create a smoother and more affordable commute.

Second, the County can invest in data-driven transit planning, using real-time ridership trends, crowding information, and on-time performance data to coordinate schedules and improve service frequencies in areas with growing demand or long wait times.

Third, Cook County can lead on modern, accessible infrastructure upgrades, from installing protected bike lanes and e-bike charging at transit hubs, to expanding ADA-compliant improvements like functional elevators, well-lit platforms, and secure station designs.

Fourth, the County can support transit-oriented development (TOD) in suburban and undeserved neighborhoods, encouraging mixed-use development around Metra, CTA, and Pace corridors. This strengthens ridership, reduces car dependency, and brings economic activity closer to where people live.

Finally, the County can explore emerging technologies such as micro-transit shuttles, zero-emission vehicle fleets, and smart-signal corridors that reduce congestion and improve safety.

By focusing on affordability, accessibility, and modern infrastructure, while coordinating agencies across municipal lines, Cook County can continue pushing transportation into the future in a way that benefits every neighborhood, not just the most connected ones.