WBBM asked for the Chicago mayoral candidates' responses to five of the top issues facing the city: education, crime, transportation, infrastructure and health.
The 2023 Chicago mayoral election will be held on February 28, 2023. If no candidate receives a majority of votes, a runoff election will be held on April 4, 2023.
Below are the full responses from each candidate to this question:
Infrastructure: If elected, what three steps would you take to improve city infrastructure?
Lori Lightfoot:
"Our city has to heavily invest in modern, sustainable infrastructure to make it safer and easier for Chicagoans to walk, pedal, and drive across our neighborhoods. That’s why we invested in the $3.7 billion Chicago Works plan to improve our city’s infrastructure and create jobs for Chicagoans. Chicago Works’ investments include repaving some 165 miles of streets and alleys, 6,000 ADA-compliant curb cuts, and 1,950 new streetlights. Chicago Works funding has already helped install 45 new miles of bike lanes and bring improvements to another 110 miles. We have been relentless in advocating for more federal funding for additional transit, bike, and pedestrian infrastructure, and we have no intention of stopping now.
I am also a strong proponent of investing in bike infrastructure to reduce traffic congestion and air pollution while promoting physical activity and active transportation. We have added more than 100 miles of new bike lanes, 75 percent of which are on our South and West Sides. I also announced the largest expansion of concrete-protected bike lanes in city history, upgrading all protected bike lanes to concrete barriers by the end of 2023. We also unveiled a citywide vision for a connected network of trails and corridors that will connect to transit, housing, and parks citywide, creating new outdoor assets and catalytic community investment.
Lastly, we just announced an agreement with the Illinois Department of Transportation to streamline the implementation of safety improvements along approximately 400 miles of Chicago roads that are under state jurisdiction to make our streets safer for pedestrians and bicyclists. We are also ensuring a safer pedestrian experience by increasing the number of Accessible Pedestrian Signals across the city and adding pedestrian islands. We invested in the $3.7 billion Chicago Works plan to improve infrastructure and create jobs for Chicagoans. Chicago Works’ investments include repaving some 165 miles of streets and alleys, 6,000 ADA-compliant curb cuts, and 1,950 new streetlights. Chicago Works funding has already helped install 45 new miles of bike lanes and bring improvements to another 110 miles. We have been relentless in advocating for more federal funding for additional transit, bike, and pedestrian infrastructure, and we have no intention of stopping now."
Willie Wilson:
"First, I would conduct an audit to determine our immediate needs regarding infrastructure. I would establish a Task Force of experts in infrastructure to make recommendations on infrastructure improvements. I would ensure that each ward has a pothole repair truck. Too many of our citizens are getting flat tires and causing damage to their vehicles."
Brandon Johnson:
"Replace lead pipes.
Make 10 percent of Chicago streets safe for cycling by reducing speed limits, adding speed bumps and traffic calming bump-outs.
Use community outreach to launch a citywide assessment of public buildings and empty schools to discuss repurpose possibilities. There are many facilities across the city that can serve as SROs and affordable housing units at cost to address the crisis of the 65,000+ unhoused in
Chicago."
Ja'Mal Green:
"1. We must incentivize the building of a floor above single story commercial structures to create more affordable housing.
2. Revitalize the CTA, and make it Safe, Clean, and Fast.
3. Work with state and federal partners to rapidly improve our road network."
Kam Buckner:
"1. Lead Service Lines: I’m committed to removing all lead service lines from our city – and have committed to do so in my environmental platform. My administration will create and implement a comprehensive plan that splits the city up into priority zones and utilizes federal dollars that are already in place to do this without placing a further debt burden on Chicagoans. I would establish a skills training program to give community members the required skills to work in removing these pipe lines.
My commitment to improving the lives of families that suffer from lead service lines in our city is long-standing. As a State Representative, I was a sponsor on HB 3739, which created the Lead Service Line Replacement and Notification Act (requires a lead in drinking water protection fee to be imposed on billing water usage and allows the Illinois Commerce Commission to provide financial relief to residential customers who qualify for income-related assistance, among other provisions).
2. Non-Automobile Infrastructure: Much of this is detailed in the previous section, but I cannot stress enough the importance of improving options for our people to get around. That, of course, includes improving public transit, but also establishing a connected and protected bike grid across the city so folks without cars can get around safely. My commitment to public transit and building real bike infrastructure are detailed in my transportation plan.
3. Green Infrastructure: My environmental plan makes a number of commitments to building better, more environmentally sustainable infrastructure. One provision is a commitment to invest in Green infrastructure through climate bonds. My administration will leverage these bonds to bring capital to Chicago both directly and indirectly through investment in green
buildings, renewable energy, water systems, clean vehicles, transport systems and more. This commitment and more are available in my environmental plan."
Jesus "Chuy" Garcia:
"One can learn lots about our city’s long history of racism, disinvestment, and segregation by looking at our infrastructure.
1. It has now been a decade since the Department of Environment that I voted to create was disbanded. I will bring back the Department.
2. I’ve been a national leader on lead pipe replacement in Congress. I brought home millions for lead pipe replacement in my district just this year and the historic Infrastructure, Investment & Jobs Act contained over $15 billion nationally for lead service line replacement alone. Still, the pace of replacing lead service lines has been far too slow in our communities, and the city isn’t doing nearly enough yet. We need a Mayor who views lead in drinking water as part of an environmental and housing crisis that must be met with urgency instead of excuses. We must move away from the siloed approach we have seen to date.
3. We also know that as storms become more intense and catastrophic weather more frequent, investments in stormwater retention and management must be accelerated. We need to protect homes and businesses from flooding and protect our waterways from sewer overflows. Strategic investment in critical water infrastructure will prioritize equitable access to clean water and sanitation will be a priority as Mayor."
Roderick Sawyer:
"1) I would like to significantly alter and reduce the TIF program. I would work with all necessary partners to end TIFS in affluent areas. (How long will we extend the TIF in Fulton Market?) I would use that money to invest significantly in equitable infrastructure across all 77 Chicago communities, especially in historically disinvested areas. This would be for the rehabilitation and reuse of vacant properties and lots in Black and Brown neighborhoods to not only redevelop those areas, but to return more properties to the tax base, to develop economic opportunity programs and corridors, job training programs, vocational schools for students and adults, and many other things.
2) I would use a tool such as social bonds to immediately begin addressing the lead pipes in Chicago. This administration and the one before it have not acted with any urgency on this matter, and it absolutely is urgent.
3) I would immediately establish a program to work on affordable housing across the city, using existing funds and new government program money - city, state, federal - to revitalize empty lots in areas that have them. This would put affordable housing in neighborhoods where people can actually afford to live, while revitalizing existing communities. Programs that want to build all new structures would benefit developers more than the homeless or low-wage workers who need housing assistance."
Paul Vallas:
"I have set forth an extensive Community Economic Development platform which can be found at www.paulvallas2023.com/economic. This document contains details that connect to the city’s larger infrastructure needs.
As for what we more traditionally regard as infrastructure, our needs are significant due to neglect and archaic practices, but I believe the resources and capacity to meet those needs are in our control.
The continuing work on the City's water line replacement will be examined for a rapid change in methodology from present processes to a method that involves far less disruption to streets, greatly reduces the need to remove trees from our already inadequate urban forest, and is faster and cheaper. These advantages and benefits have been proven locally -- in Evanston -- and in other larger North American cities, like Toronto.
I will also work to elevate and prioritize our urban forest as part of the City's critical infrastructure. A robust, expanded tree canopy will improve the health of our children, mitigate the effects of heat islands in parts of the city like the south and west sides where the removal of trees is directly to blame for average summer temperatures being as much as nine degrees higher in the summer than in other parts of the city, which also results in higher energy use and costs."
Sophia King did not respond to this question.
Read the full list of questions asked of the candidates here.