>> BUSES THAT NEVER SHOW UP AND UNRELIABLE TRAINS.

THIS IS A CTA SHORTFALL.

THESE ARE A FEW OF THE TRANSIT TOPICS ONLINE.

HEAD TO THE BALLOT BOX.

JOINING US TO TALK ABOUT WHAT TRANSIT ID IDEAS WE HOPE TO SEE.

AUDREY WINNING.

AND JOSI MANUEL JUNIOR.

THANKS FOR JOINING US.

JOSI, DOES THIS UNCERTAINTY THAT WE KEEP HEARING ABOUT, ABOUT A RIVAL BUS OR TRAIN ALWAYS BEING LATE.

DOES THAT PLAY INTO SAFETY?

>> IF PEOPLE KNOW EXACTLY WHAT TIME THE TRAIN WILL ARRIVE, AND WHAT TIME TO GET TO THE STATION, IT CAN CAUSE A LOT LESS THINGS TO HAPPEN.

RATHER THAN IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE TO GO OR WHEN TO BE THERE.

THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE HERE IN CHICAGO.

>> THEY HAVE ATTEMPTED TO MAKE TRANSPORT SISTER SAFER.

IS THAT ENOUGH OR SOMETHING THE NEXT MAYOR SHOULD CONTINUE?

>> THAT'S NOT ENOUGH.

WE NEED TO RESHAPE THE CONVERSATION AND TALK ABOUT SAFETY.

IF THERE IS MORE PEOPLE AROUND, ADDITIONALLY CTA SHOULD HIRE AMBASSADORS THEY CAN DE- ESCALATE AND DEAL WITH A LOT OF SITUATIONS.

THAT WILL MAKE PEOPLE SAFER.

>> WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT HOW CTA CONTINUES TO RELY ON OVERTIME.

HOW CAN THE NEXT MAYOR BETTER SUPPORT CTA?

>> THERE IS SUCH AN ACUTE SHORTAGE OF OPERATORS.

IT'S BEEN SEVERE COMPETITION.

PEOPLE HAVE BEEN GRAVITATING.

NOT TO MENTION THE UPDATED LOOK.

THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF PRESSURE ON THEM BECAUSE MANY ARE IN POSITIONS THAT WOULD'VE MADE THEM SUSCEPTIBLE TO CATCHING COVID OR ANY OTHER VIRUS.

IT WILL BE A TOUGH PATH.

THERE HAS TO BE A VERY DIFFERENT LENS LOOKING INSIDE THE WORKFORCE.

THERE HAS TO BE A COLLECTIVE EFFORT.

>> MANY COMPLAIN ABOUT THE BUS OR TRAIN NOT SHOWING UP WHEN IT SHOULD.

>> THEY DEFINITELY NEED TO WORK ON THAT TO MAKE SURE THEY DON'T HAVE BUSES THAT APPEAR TO BE SCHEDULED THAT AREN'T COMING.

I WOULD AGREE WITH STAFFING WHICH WILL BE KEY TO MAKE SURE THEY CAN STAFF ALL THE BUSES ON THE SCHEDULE.

>> >> THERE HAS BEEN SO MANY OTHER IMPACTS.

THE WORK FROM HOME PHENOMENON IS HERE TO STAY WHETHER WE LIKE IT OR NOT.

ALL OF THESE PEOPLE TRANSITIONING THEIR WORK WEEK.

METRO HAS GONE TO A DIFFERENT MODEL WHICH IS WAY OF SAYING WE ARE NO LONGER A COMMUTER RAIL.

THAT MAY BE WHAT ALL TRANSIT AGENCIES OUGHT TO BE DOING.

WHEN YOU HAVE MANY OTHER TRIP TYPES, YOU ARE GIVING WAY TO THE TELECOMMUTE.

WITH OTHER TRIPS LIKE LEISURE OR OTHER TRIP TYPES.

IT BRINGS THEM BACK INTO THE FOLD.

>> OF COURSE PUBLIC TRANSIT, WITH CONSIDERATIONS FOR THE NEXT MAYOR, AT LEAST 439 BICYCLISTS HAVE BEEN HIT BY DRIVERS AND BIKE LANES.

AUDREY, WHAT IDEAS ARE YOU LOOKING FOR WITH THE MAYOR?

>> WE WANT TO SEE MORE PROTECTED BIKE LANES.

SO PEOPLE CAN GO TO VARIOUS POINTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY AND HAVE THE ENTIRE ROUTE.

JUST A CONTINUED EFFORT TO MAKE SURE WE ARE NOT BLOCKING BIKE LANES.

ONE REALLY GOOD THING THAT JUST HAPPENED WAS THE PASSAGE OF THIS ORDINANCE WHICH PILOTS ENFORCING BIKE LANES IN DOWNTOWN.

SO HOPEFULLY THAT WILL BE HAPPENING.

>> JOSI, WHAT DO YOU THINK THE NEXT MAYOR SHOULD DO?

>> THOSE ARE ALL GREAT IDEAS.

THAT WILL DO WELL TO REDUCE THE STRESS THAT CYCLISTS FACE EVERY DAY BATTLING TRAFFIC.

IT WILL ALSO DECREASE THE TIME IT TAKES TO GET FROM POINT A TO POINT B.

>> THE CHICAGO CITY COUNCIL RECENTLY APPROVED THE PILOT PROGRAM REGARDING PARKED CARS IN BUS LANES GETTING A TICKET.

SHOULD THE NEXT MAYOR MAKE THIS PILOT PROGRAM PERMANENT?

>> I THINK IT DEPENDS.

WE HAVE HAD SOME EXPERIENCES WITH ENFORCEMENT CAMERAS IN THE PAST.

THERE HAS BEEN SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW EFFECTIVE THEY HAVE BEEN.

BASED ON THAT A CONDITION CAN BE MADE.

AT THIS POINT THERE SCALING UP.

>> AUDREY WHAT SPECIFICS ARE YOU LOOKING FOR IN A CANDIDATE'S TRANSIT PLAN?

>> WE HAVE THE COMMUNITY ORDINANCE THAT WAS PASSED LAST YEAR ADVISING THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSIT.

THE MAYOR'S OFFICE HAS ACTUALLY CEMENTED FUNDING FOR PILOT PROJECTS ALONG TRANSIT STATIONS AND WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE NEW CANDIDATE SUPPORTING EMERGING BUSINESSES REGARDING TRANSIT.

>> WE ARE ALMOST OUT OF TIME BUT WHAT IS ONE TRANSIT TOPIC YOU HAVE NOT HEARD THE CANDIDATE TALK ABOUT ENOUGH?

>> THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.

ONE THING IS EXPANDING AND REOPENING THE GREEN LINE.

I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY TIMES I'VE HEARD COMMUNITY MEMBERS WANTING THAT TO BE REOPENED AGAIN.