There are six candidates who want to be Chicago’s next mayor. What are their views on transportation?
EI = Environmental Illinois, a statewide environmental advocacy organization. Note that ALL candidates answered YES to all of EI’s questions asking about if they support certain green and sustainable transportation initiatives. I provide links to the answers of the candidates who had additional comments (Del Valle, Emanuel, Walls).
| Candidate | View | Plan |
|---|---|---|
| Carol Mosely Braun | Wants to double transit ridership and bicycling usage. Link. | No plan at this time |
| Gery Chico | Supports diverse, sustainable, and active transportation, including transit. | No plan at this time. |
| Miguel Del Valle | Supports diverse, sustainable, and active transportation, including transit. Complete streets. | View plan details: One
View answers to EI questionnaire. |
| Rahm Emanuel | Supports diverse, sustainable, and active transportation (think walking and biking), including transit, freight, and high-speed rail. Complete streets. | View plan details: One, Two
View answers to EI questionnaire. |
| Patricia Van Pelt Watkins | Unknown at this time | No plan at this time |
| William “Dock” Walls | Unknown at this time | No plan at this time
View answers to EI questionnaire. |
This post will be updated as more becomes known. If you have information, share in the comments below or email me.
Three of the six candidates pose for a photo after the community and environment forum downtown sponsored by Friends of the Parks.
More transportation analysis:
- Kye Martin for Chicago Now: Parking meters
- John Hilkevitch for Chicago Tribune: Next mayor faces many transportation challenges
I should note that contrary to the belief of many Chicagoans (and perpetuated by the implications of at least one candidate), the Chicago Transit Authority is a quasi-governmental agency (or “municipal corporation”) created by the Illinois state legislature. A detailed description from Chicago-L.org:
The governing body of the CTA is the Chicago Transit Board consisting of seven members, of which four are appointed by the mayor of Chicago and three by the governor of Illinois. Each’s appointment must be approved by the other. Each board member serves a seven year term, staggered to minimize abrupt changes in policy. The board chooses a General Manager (changed to “Executive Director” in 1976 and now called “President” since March 1992) to oversee day-to-day operations. The first board took their oath of office September 1, 1945, with the first Executive Director, Walter J. McCarter, taking office in 1947.
The board, at least since Frank Kreusi, has always hired the president that Mayor Richard M. Daley chose, although it is not the mayor’s responsibility.