Kam Buckner
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Illinois Policy doubles down on lecturing transit-friendly lawmakers about “no revenue without reform,” when that was literally their slogan
On the other hand, IPI's LyLena Estabine wrote a very solid piece on the transit bill's "People Over Parking" measure.
November 18, 2025
Kam was replaced by Ram, but High Speed Rail Alliance’s “Averting the Fiscal Cliff” talk was still thought-provoking
Last Friday's transit talk, "Averting the Cliff: The Road to Regional & High-Speed Rail" was supposed to feature State Rep. Kam Buckner, co-leader of the House's Public Transit Working Group, but he couldn't make it. So the question of who would take his place was a bit of a cliffhanger: Who would fill Buckner's Nikes?
October 15, 2025
Enter the Capitol (2 chambers): Has perfection been the enemy of the good in passing transit bill? Buckner says no, citing Wu-Tang Clan.
Check out Wednesday's interview with House Speaker Welch about transit funding here.
August 7, 2025
Rep. Buckner on the transit fiscal cliff: “We need the right mix of revenue and reform to make the system work the way it’s supposed to.”
Right now, the elephant in the room for Chicagoland public transportation planners and advocates is the looming regional transit fiscal cliff as federal COVID-19 funding subsidies run out. According to the Regional Transportation Authority, which oversees the CTA, Metra, and Pace, the three systems will face a $770 million total shortfall – almost 20 percent of the operating budget – in 2026. The RTA says that if the issue is not addressed by this spring, the result would be higher fares and reduced service, leading to less ridership, aka the dreaded "transit death spiral".
January 31, 2025
At 2nd People’s Lobby Transit Town Hall, politicians and riders discussed how to create a world-class system
Attendees talked about how to make buses and trains more reliable, improve conditions for CTA workers, and address the region's looming transit fiscal cliff.
June 4, 2024
Kam Buckner: South Shore and MED runs stop at the same stations, so why don’t we let South Shore trains pick up MED riders?
Hopefully Buckner and other cool heads at the railroads and local transportation agencies will prevail to find a solution.
December 19, 2023
State legislation introduced by Kam Buckner and supported by North Lakefront reps urges CDOT and IDOT to “transform DLSD”
The bill calls for "a lakefront thoroughfare where green urban mobility is emphasized."
October 30, 2023
Bicycle-friendly politicians showed up in force for Bike Lane Uprising’s packed 6th anniversary fundraiser
Lawmakers Kelly Cassidy, Andre Vasquez, and Kam Buckner, plus BLU founder Christina Whitehouse, thanked the advocates present for their efforts to make cycling safer.
September 29, 2023
Buckner passes 2023 Transit Omnibus Bill to improve safety, equity, and quality of service, and extend farebox recovery relief
Gov. Pritzker recently signed State Rep. Buckner’s latest bill, HB1342-Transit Riding Privileges/Fare or the 2023 Transit Omnibus Bill
August 9, 2023
Kam Buckner sponsors state bill for electric bike rebates, emphasizing equity
Thanks to Buckner and his allies, there's a lot of legislation currently in play that could make Illinois a better state for bicyclists.
March 14, 2023
