It's December again, which means temperatures are dropping, holiday tunes are in the air, and the Chicago Department of Transportation is hashing out its budget for the next fiscal year.
CDOT recently held a budget hearing at City Hall, providing an overview of what the agency has been up to in 2024. Several alderpersons were in attendance, including Pedestrian and Traffic Safety Committee Chair Ald. Daniel La Spata (1st), an outspoken walk/bike/transit advocate.
CDOT Commissioner Tom Carney spoke at length about what the organization has done as part of its mission "to keep this system safe, efficient and accessible, to ensure that people can move smoothly throughout the city, regardless of their destination or mode of travel."
According to Carney, by the end of this year, the department will have resurfaced 188 miles of roads, installed 350 blocks of new street lighting, completed more than 2,5000 sidewalk repairs, installed over 7,000 ADA sidewalk ramps, reconstructed over 50 alleys, and completed eight major streetscape projects.
"In 2025, we will break ground on the new State and Lake CTA station that will replace the more than 100-year-old existing structure and modernize this historic transit hub," Carney added. "From everyday neighborhood services to multi-year capital projects, as well as helping our city host major events such as the DNC, NASCAR, and the Chicago Marathon, to name a few, CDOT is working to make Chicago more connected, accessible, and a better place to live and visit. We have accomplished so much in 2024 in close collaboration with the City Council and the support of Mayor Johnson. We look forward to building on the success to deliver the best possible services to the residents of Chicago in 2025."
Towards the end of the meeting, Ald. Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth (48th), also a sustainable transportation booster, asked Carney about funding from Chicago Works, an infrastructure program that can be used to pay for Complete Streets projects. He said there would be another bond vote coming up, and he encouraged City Council members to support that initiative. The alder also asked Carney whether he is worried that the upcoming, car-centric presidential administration will be a roadblock that prevents the funding of sustainable transportation projects.
"It's our job to work with every new administration, whether that's at the state level or federal level," the commissioner responded. "So, we have to find a way, and [we] fully intend to do that. [The Illinois Department of Transportation] is a committed partner on the project, they're committed to the project." Illinois Governor JB Pritzker recently appointed Carney's CDOT chief predecessor Gia Biagi as IDOT Secretary. "So, we have to work with everyone, and we'll find a way."
During the public comment period, Better Streets Chicago staffers Kyle Lucas and Micheál Podgers, as well as Access Living Transportation Policy Analysist Laura Saltzman, lobbied for funding of the #PlowTheSidewalks pilot for municipal winter walkway clearance.
"We are asking for the City to fund a pilot, and its own inter-departmental team to recommended it," Saltzman said. "This would be a fraction of a fraction of the City's budget. This is important on its own to disabled people, but it is more than that as well. It is about showing a commitment, and ultimately, a pretty cheap one, that you believe disabled people are of value—all the time."
She added that it's a crucial issue, despite the City's looming, nearly $1 billion funding gap. "Even when the budget is tough, people deserve to be in the community, and support is not just talk. You cannot build trust just by asking for it, which is why we are asking the many City Council members and the mayor who have tied their support to #PlowThe Sidewalks to fund this pilot."
"[I want] to express my urgent support for the #PlowTheSidewalks pilot program and to request its full funding due to my physical limitations," said South Side disability rights activist Nabi Yisrael in a statement read at the hearing by Podgers. "I'm unfortunately unable to attend this public commentary session in person. However, I want to emphasize the critical importance of this initiative to individuals with mobility impairments. The lack of accessible sidewalks during winter storms presents significant barriers to our participation in community life."
"Safe and timely snow removal is not simply a convenience," Yisrael added. "It is a fundamental necessity for ensuring equal access to employment, healthcare, education and social activities. The #PlowTheSidewalks pilot program offers a vital opportunity to address this critical accessibility gap and improve the quality of life for myself and countless residents with disabilities. I urge you to prioritize its funding and implementation to create a more inclusive and equitable city of Chicago for all."
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