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

As a lifelong Chicagoan and near-daily transit rider, I rely on the bus and L throughout the week to get to work, run errands, and get around the city with my family.

For me, transportation isn’t an abstract policy area; it’s a civil right. It affects how families plan their days, how seniors stay connected, and how workers get to their jobs. My lived experience on CTA keeps me focused on practical, rider-centered solutions: whether buses arrive on time, whether stations are accessible for strollers or seniors, and whether safe crosswalks exist so pedestrians can get home safely.

What are some transportation challenges in your district?

In District 12, we face several challenging but addressable issues:

- On busy arterials like Clark, Sheffield, Fullerton, and Halsted — or along north-side “L” corridors — riders often experience overcrowded buses or trains, delays, and unpredictable headways, especially late at night or on weekends, making it hard for working folks, service workers, or families with kids to rely on transit.

- The pedestrian environment on many streets remains hazardous. Crosswalks are unsafe or poorly lit in certain areas, and wide streets often encourage speeding. That makes walking or biking (key modes for lots of my neighbors) risky. Accessibility is inconsistent. Older infrastructure — such as bus stops, sidewalks, and station entrances — often isn’t stroller- or wheelchair-friendly. For seniors, parents with children, and people with mobility challenges, that’s a real barrier to everyday life.

Bike and micro-mobility infrastructure is patchy and fragmented. Painted bike lanes that vanish at key intersections, inadequate protected lanes, and limited safe east–west bike routes make cycling a second-class mode, if at all.

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

IDOT has a major influence on how streets function in our neighborhoods, and its priorities don’t always align with what local residents want. Too often, decisions are guided by car throughput rather than safety, accessibility, or transit reliability.

I believe the state must work more closely with CDOT, the county, and community organizations to ensure projects meet local needs. State-controlled streets in Chicago should reflect the way people actually move through city neighborhoods: on foot, by bus, by train, or by bike.

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 Illinois General Assembly has the power—and responsibility—to reshape transportation priorities statewide. That means writing laws that embed equity, accessibility, and climate accountability into how we fund and build infrastructure.

For example:

- Requiring that all projects on state-controlled roads meet accessibility standards (ADA, stroller- and elder-friendly) before receiving funding.

- Mandating climate-impact and equity scoring for all transportation investments — so bus lanes, protected bike paths, and transit upgrades are prioritized over new highway expansions.

- Ensuring that transit agencies (not just highway engineers) have a seat at every planning table that uses public funds.

For districts like ours in Chicago, that ensures residents finally get infrastructure that reflects how we live: dense, transit-reliant, walkable, and built with people in mind — not cars.

States like Colorado, Minnesota, Virginia have passed legislation that has shifted their transportation infrastructure spending towards projects that prioritize safety, transit and cycling, and greenhouse gas mitigation. What’s your position on Illinois’ current transportation infrastructure spending, and if you could change anything, what would it be?

If given the opportunity to work on restructuring state transportation spending, I’d push for:

- A firm moratorium on any new highway expansion projects, except in cases of public safety or strictly defined need.

- Guaranteed recurring state funding for bus-rapid transit (BRT), frequent all-hours bus service, and CTA/Metra upgrades, especially on high-ridership North Side corridors.

- A large-scale buildout of protected, citywide bike infrastructure, so cyclists and scooter users have safe, reliable, connected routes.

- A statewide Vision Zero-style mandate to guide all street design, traffic-calming, and pedestrian/bike-safety work.

This fall, the Illinois General Assembly passed a historic investment in transit operations – as well as significant governance reforms in the establishment of the Northern Illinois Transit Authority. How do you view the Assembly’s role in ensuring both the short- and long-term success of this legislation?

Investing in transit operations is essential, but follow-through is what will determine success. The Assembly needs to maintain stable funding, require transparent reporting on service improvements, and hold agencies accountable for meeting performance goals.

We also need to make sure reforms strengthen the rider experience, not just internal governance. Riders should feel the improvements in shorter waits, more reliable service, and better accessibility.

As your State Rep, I would:

- Demand full transparency: periodic public reports on where funds go, which routes are added or upgraded, and exactly how service improves.

- Champion equity in implementation so North Side, urban districts like District 12 don’t get left behind in favor of suburban or rural areas.

- Push for ongoing funding protections so transit operations aren’t cut when budgets tighten because for many neighbors here, “no bus” equals “no access.”

What is your position on investing to expand passenger rail service in Illinois, including the development of high-speed rail?

I strongly support expanding passenger rail, including pursuing high-speed rail corridors. Rail is a climate-smart economic engine that connects regions, reduces highway congestion, and increases mobility for residents who don’t, or can’t, drive.

Chicago should be the rail hub of the Midwest. Expanding service to Rockford, Quad Cities, Peoria, and other communities, and advancing genuine high-speed connections to St. Louis and beyond, is not only feasible but essential for the state’s long-term economic competitiveness. Illinois needs to embrace rail in the same way leading states have embraced transit and multimodal transportation.

Federal funding for Illinois transportation projects – such as the Red Line Extension and Red-Purple Modernization projects – has come under threat from the Trump administration. How can legislators shore up funding for critical infrastructure projects under a hostile federal climate?

First, Illinois needs to build strong, predictable state-level funding streams for major transit capital projects so we’re not entirely dependent on the whims of Washington. This includes dedicated revenue for transit capital, strategic bonding authority, and leveraging state credit to secure long-term project financing.

Second, we must proactively advance projects through environmental review and design so they’re “shovel-ready,” making them harder to kill and more competitive when federal match opportunities do arise.

Finally, Illinois should form regional coalitions with other states facing similar threats to push back against punitive federal actions and advocate collectively for stable national transit funding.

As a working Chicagoan, I know how critical these projects are, not just for mobility, but for racial equity, jobs, and environmental justice.