CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- A top Chicago Transit Authority official said the agency is making effort to improve service and diversify staffing.
Denise Barreto said as the CTA's Chief equity and engagement officer she is making sure a system will be in place to ensure that more companies run by Black people, Latinos and folks from other disadvantaged communities get contracts, and that all neighborhoods are served.
But she also stresses the engagement part, scheduling meetings with even some of the CTA's most vocal critics.
"I don't care. I want to talk to everybody and anybody that wants to talk about how we can make transit what we need it to be, you know what I mean," Barreto said.
"And so it's been it's been a whirlwind 15 weeks, but it's been very much a blessing and a lot of listening."
She indeed plans to do a lot of listening and then carry those voices with her.
"We see ourselves as advocates. We are advocates and we are community ears and arms and listening and bringing folks in, because we don't want to speak for folks," Barreto explained.
"We want people to speak for themselves...right? We want no decisions made without people that those decisions are affecting."
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