You don't call.
Yeah,
I do.
Okay.
So far, six.
Thank you, Paul.
Each
get one of those.
Okay. That's what I thought.
Based on what's on the agenda.
Oh, okay. I thought I heard Mr. Laymore.
Greg already has
one.
Oh, God. Sweet.
Talk again, Tad. What do you mean, O.G.?
They told me to call you the next third question.
It's the third time.
They're over in the chain, in the budget,
Andrew. You better think about it.
You think he's going on like the third
time? Yes. Yes, they should do it. But how is this so different?
People are doing this all the time. All the time.
No,
it's not a chair. Just...
Stop saying my-- This is you sitting right here, right?
They don't care
what they're trying to do. They're over there, just
like I was over there. That's because they don't want me over
there.
Where's the
remote at?
Oh, well. Oh, it's really true.
And if you take it for your own soul,
they have to stop.
The people demand this to stop. This
happens all the time.
You can't blame this, let's blame that on the whole show.
You have to blame it on the people. Well, who are the people here?
Some bureaucrat sitting trying to get a contract with Mark.
I don't know how to speak. They don't care.
Okay.
We're going to talk on. They're telling you that.
Oh, s**t.
For president of that budget.
Why are you so loud, Mr. Rayquaza?
Listen, what meeting is going on right now?
That's right.
It is?
Another meeting.
You ain't say nothing.
What do you mean, not here? Everybody for one
all came to vote.
How does this happen? People think it happens every
six months, right? Well,
at least they have this meeting.
Went from one to the other.
Over there. Welcome to the...
What about all these Black folks that got quickly sold?
Yeah, just hold on one second.
Where are the Blacks? They got about 100 Blacks here.
Now,
I've always known...
Why is this still happening? Gone through the
Saturday. Not down here.
Friday, he's not down here.
They have a Joseph down, yeah, they just added him,
but I told him a few minutes ago, it was a business.
Still ahead of that. I told him I wasn't going to
sit here and let you tell me.
Yeah.
They haven't left.
They got checked out.
They just deal with this very thoroughly because they deal
with this on Saturday.
Phil, I'm out of time.
Well, they go grab glass, too, but...
I'm a little late.
No, you're fine.
They don't throw. They even call.
And they got a great relationship.
Where the hell is everybody?
Budget.
Right to the hills with the snow.
Oh, okay.
Oh, in Europe, those people would be crying for that.
I was done with that
mission. I was like, we're doing this.
They go all over the place.
In film, public journal, and they spent a lot of
time taking pictures and everything.
Yes, because the authorities,
the lady thought they took them. They parked in front of...
Speaker.
But some kind of way, they done bullied the
peopleThose things and my company
would know. My cousin got hit with
that.
Ticket.
So if I go there, I've got to find lanes out.
They got big things, and they look like this.
They go like this, and then they got the classical kind of here,
one coming toward you.
Tickets.
Yes, every child.
They try to be like heroes in European countries,
but still broken.
Car over. Three quarters on field, plus tight clothes.
Bags, just put everything on where even that's it.
Holy sugar, when it snow, when it snow, oh, it just
commit.
It just come,
and they say it's not sweating. That's about they paid for it
this week.
Four miles up, they have just been.
About maybe the least is enough. For the shield.
For me, there's a tip.
A little crack in the tip.
They have a whole group,
a little bit of the mother's infections.
The minimum was just coming out, said, "You know, we want
it. We want it because you're losing money out there, so lose the money."
All of the products have half of that goes,
and they throw up 50 more.
But the problem is real estate.
They have a mind of hate.
We're losing revenue. Our stores are losing revenue
because the people cannot get on.
But just half way center of a whole package of all
in the war,
including from zoning down, they don't go to the store.
You know, it's such a problem. The other thing.
So it's here.
Yeah, sure.
That's a problem always.
That's what you need.
Well,
wait. And I'm going to show you this, because you have a graph of people
going here. It's a great documentation. A great film.
He had seven kids, of course, and that's our house.
My daughter just went to. Anybody who gets me 50, 600 is
likely to be black, and everyone-
Ah.
Everyone on the photo feel the same.
That's a bad piece. And everybody.
I think it's personal success.
No, CEO of the bank. CEO of
the bank, Jason. We're going to have to have CEO of the leadership
team here. They've never released it. I'll wait.
So
this, like, we'll have to work it out.
Is this valid?
We did it well
last year.
Oh, I have four beers. No. Four more.
No.
Jessica, do you need a roll from the basement? He died.
Yeah. For real, everybody is making money like every
home. Yeah.
Stephanie, how you
doing?
I'm doing...
Yeah, I know. Something wrong with you. Yeah, what's wrong?
Okay, so-
What's
wrong?
In the ghetto life.
You're funny. You'll be a good agent.
CIA, FBI agent. You still got the age.
You should rethink this. Go ahead and get a double agent.
Anything I can do?
Okay.
For me?
That my little dude.
But you know he
making me smile. That little man.
That's a guy.
I like that. I love the little dude.
You got everything squared with...
Yeah, you got everything squared with your daughter and everything, right?
Yeah.
Okay, so who? No.
Okay.
You
see your people out there? No, some.
Well, I just connected to...
There's Jason.
Which we know Jason is over there.
You saw Brian?
David is over there. Moe is leaving. New Jake. Rodriguez is here.
Ron just back in the game, so they all over there.
Then Michelle was freshman, so I heard. Oh, one.
Irv.
Okay.
The new one is over there.
Yep. One, two, three, four, five, six.
Yeah, we got a quorum. If they just come on.
We come on.
Come on.
Yeah, we got a quorum.
Could I go take a photo?
So I don't know if you want
to
do the appointment first or go
ahead and push out the two vacations.
Just do that. Those will be quick.
Because you would have been in that order on the sleep one.
No, keep going now. They put the big black cane in here.
So we'll still accept the direct first, and so-
When you can pull off
... which is for the appointment.
Oh, okay.
But then we'll just go right
ahead.
Yes.
Okay.
Oh, well.
And then now it would have been that, so we can just go ahead and go out of order.
So we'll just come back to that.
Okay. Here or here? Yeah.
Wow. Thank you a lot. High five.
Right here. Everybody that's over there? Smack down.
Okay. I got you.
A bucket. A different color bucket too.
You know what? It's still hot.
It rain bears, but-
Yeah. What kind of thing you doing?
It's got to be black tonight.
Yeah, like, should I just go ahead and do it? Sure.
Just go ahead and have your choice.
Oh, good one.
So, verify-
You think he got a lot of questions?
Yep.
Think he got a lot of questions.
I got to wait on this.
You know what? I don't mind.
I got to wait. They-
I actually do. He reached out, I reached out, so
everybody's looking.
Over there in another week.
I'm doing it like, um...
So I'm turning it through.
So, you have to wait on them.
No. They ain't doing anything with it. No, they're doing public comment.
I know, that's why. So I can get this done.
I think I could just look.
Yeah, be on.
You know, it's still on road to glory.
Is Jessica coming over here?
She left already.
Because she just walked by, so she wasn't-
Well, you was a good-
Yeah.
And the people, like, you know. I'm not playing.
Who was he,
the short guy?
Committee? They was saying that, yeah.
I'm happy.
Boy, I finally relate. I don't like no, we don't like to
talk.
Ah, crap.
I have another question. For the most high.
Yeah, we could gabble in and have no public comment.
Who made that old man here this way for?
What's going on with this 201A? Something going on in the
castle the same time. There's this Yancey here.
He going to run that this same time.
He's not committed to anything, but that's still running things.
Look at him. If they was men of
quality like Mr. Blake, they would have a
way.
If they was men of high stature like Mr.
Blake. Oh, you crazy about Mr. Blake, but find out.
Find out.
God damn, so 24. Who told you you was somebody just to got to the
phone now?
My kid and my community.
How did he just tell me I'm somebody?
Uh-huh.
Oh, yeah.
Miss Mary. Uh-huh, Miss Bosque Clinton.
If I get over, we have a vegetable team.
We have people that are watching our for white folk.
We had a
laundry. All in the same community.
And we set for it. We had kids.
We had our own little store, our own grocery
store, our own pumps.
We had this. So run over there on Wall Street, they get good chance of
having us open up a business. See y'all if Wall Street don't want to come either.
But people turn these policies.
Oh, so that wall of wind go.
Now, how bad is that? In the wood, they're trying to put
a whole town. Oh, yeah. And she ain't going to Austin.
She doesn't fail to read.
No, she probably got put.
You can tell who.
You can tell her. You can tell her
the
man that spent
thousands of property. Made me
tell her. I
think a little
property. With you.
Y'all think it looks great. Y'all are practicing watching me on Facebook.
You know I've done for that. Before
this thing, my girl, she needs help. She needs help.
Been out there.
I didn't see Fuentes or Gutierrez. You know what I mean? I didn't see Brian either.
Like Daniel, David Moody, Samantha, Rafael,
Scott, Yancey. All them?
Yeah.
One, two, three, four, five, six. I'm good right now.
Oh, damn it.
Look.
Mm-mm.
Good morning, everybody. The Committee on Transportation and Public
Way is now called to order.
We will now have a roll call to establish quorum.
Will the aldermen please make sure their microphones are unmuted?
Please note that your yes or present response will be deemed to be a
yes vote when the quorum roll call is used as a reference vote for later
items. Thank you.
Chairman Mitchell present.
Vice Chair Vasquez.
Present virtually.
Alderman Conway.
Alderman Chairman Irvin.
Alderman Fuentes.
Alderman Gutierrez.
Alderman Harris.
Alderman Hopkins.
Alderman Moore.
Alderman Mosley. Alderman Nugent.
Here.
Alderman Rodriguez.
Here.
Alderman Widespect.
Alderman Yancey.
There are seven members present. We have a quorum.
Alderman Vasquez has requested remote participation under Rule
59 of the Rules of Order and Procedure for City Council.
Can I get a motion to allow remote participation?
Alderman Rodriguez so moves on the motion. All in favor say aye.
Opposed, no. In the opinion of Chair, the ayes have
itAt this time, we will begin our public
comment period. Out of respect for everybody's time, public comment will be limited
to 30 minutes, and each speaker is limited to three minutes.
Speakers, in accordance with Rule 58 of the City Council
Rules of Order, please refrain from profane
language, obscene conduct, or disruptive
comments, please.
Our first speaker,
Jim Merrill.
Good morning, Chairman, members of the committee. My name is Jim Merrill.
I am the Managing Director of Advocacy at Active Transportation
Alliance. We're a regional advocacy group that supports walking,
biking, and public transit.
As the committee considers new leadership for the Chicago Department of
Transportation, we wanted to take this opportunity to
highlight some possibilities for making our city better for people
walking, biking, and using transit.
Over the last five years, Chicago has recorded a 30% drop in fatal
crashes on our roadways. However, serious injuries and fatalities
are still too common, particularly among the most vulnerable users of the
roadway, people walking and biking.
CDOT has a strong toolbox of complete streets improvements, like pedestrian refuge
islands, curb extensions, bus bulbs, and protected bike lanes, that are
proven to make streets safer for everyone using them.
We encourage you to continue to deploy these life-saving measures across the city,
prioritizing accessibility and design, and using the same data-driven
approach that has yielded so much success.
CDOT also has an important role to play in managing our transit system.
In partnership with CTA, CDOT is currently evaluating five
corridors around the city for bus priority infrastructure,
roadway improvements that speed up buses and make them faster and more reliable
for the hundreds of thousands of Chicagoans that use them every day.
With thousands of miles of roadways that still prioritize car traffic over other
modes of travel, these five corridors represent an important opportunity to
ensure Chicagoans who can't or don't want to drive have a high-quality
and accessible alternative to driving.
As advocates for better walking, biking, and transit in Chicago, we stand ready to
work with the City Council and new CDOT leadership to ensure we have a safe,
accessible, and more sustainable transportation network for all. Thank you.
Before I call my next, I want to acknowledge
Alderman Hopkins for purposes of quorum, and non-member,
Alderman O'Shea.
Our next speaker,
Miguel de Escoto.
Did I do right?
All right.
Good morning, Aldermen.
Good morning.
To paraphrase a
quote on character, real character and integrity is doing the right thing
knowing that nobody's going to know whether you did it or not.
One more thought.
Now, for the record, just want you to know this is not from a Tarantino film
or a Marvel movie. It's an actual quote from a real person.
William Cheeks, to me, embodies that quote.
I have known him for over 40 years, and from the very
beginning, he has exhibited those traits.
When I met him in the early '80s as a fellow inspector
at O'Hare on a 300-acre dirt project,
which later became South Cargo Apron.
Came out,
had been working on the railroad, other projects, didn't know the whole dirt
thing.
20 young inspectors, 20 to 25 years
old, 20 Chevy Cavaliers, 300 acres to drive around in.
What could possibly go wrong? It was a good time.
But things that I learned as I met William, he saw me, he knew that I
was new to field inspection out there, and
he took me on and he said, "Look, this is what you got to know.
You need to know the specs and the work better than anybody in the trailer,
and you just have to study it every single day."
He taught me a lot of the ins and outs of the job,
what to look for and everything like that. He didn't have to do that, but he did.
We grew together, worked together.
When I had an opportunity to work on the Orange Line at a different company some
years later, he was one of the people I immediately knew needed to work
in building the Orange Line. I asked him to come work with us.
He did, because I knew that he was always going to work in a
way to make sure he knew more than anybody on that project, how to get it
done, and how to finish it.
We stayed in touch for many years. I had an opportunity at CDOT.
Budget gave me one pick,
one choice, one position. I chose William.
Took me a year to get him in, but we got through the budget process, we got him
into CDOT. And to get him to come from
private sector, where things were going well, to public, was a big move,
but we did it, and I'm very, very proud of him.
And to the point,
once I left CDOT, he continued, and he did the POC,
Project Coordination Office. Did a lot of things to upgrade CDOT.
Again, making things better both at CDOT, and then later Water.
So, really, in conclusion,
I just want to say that the reason that I support William
for this is because of the fact that his entire career and
our entire
friendship, professional and personal, I know that he has
always done the right thing, whether people are watching or not.
So definitely a man of integrity and character. That's why I support him.
Thank you.
Thank you, sir. That's probably one of the more heartfelt
testimonies I've heard.
Next speaker is John
YonenIt's
John.
Yes, County John? Yeah. Oh.
Good morning, Chairman and honorable Transportation Committee.
My name is John Yonan, and I'm a retired former CDOT deputy
commissioner and Cook County transportation superintendent.
I've had the unique privilege to have served as Cook County transportation head
when, at the time, Commissioner Brandon Johnson first took office.
It was back then that Commissioner Johnson took such a great interest in
understanding the transportation industry and how transportation truly
brings economic and community development to the neighborhoods.
Commissioner Johnson's 1st District included the west side of Chicago and a
number of western suburbs, but he would often talk about the need for the
investment in the west side of the city of Chicago, and we had numerous
meetings discussing how more investments from Cook County could be
made to the city of Chicago.
Every year under Commissioner Johnson's service as commissioner to the 1st
District, he directed me to find ways to have Cook County Invest in
Cook program, which still exists today, earmark funding for
the city's Menu program. So I got to truly understand the way
now Mayor Johnson sees the importance of transportation projects and
the impacts that they have every day to the residents block by
block.
I believe it's with that unique perspective and understanding that I have of
what Mayor Johnson is looking for for a leader that brings me here today
to strongly support William Cheeks as the new commissioner of the Chicago
Department of Transportation. As I mentioned earlier, I was privileged to have
served 19 years at CDOT, and William and I both served as deputy
commissioners together. William has such an incredible passion for this
city and its transportation assets, and you would know that after spending just a
few minutes with him.
William, having served as the leader deputy commissioner of all CDOT
trades, always made it a point of understanding what each of his
staff work assignments entailed and made it a point to ensure none
of them would say he was just the downtown office boss that didn't
understand the neighborhoods. Not only did he understand the neighborhoods
his staff were improving, but he made a point to ensure his team had the proper
training, tools, and most important, a sense of ownership that they were giving
back to the community through the work with their hands.
That's the passion William will bring as a leader of CDOT, one who will be
there to stand with the great CDOT staff and make them feel valued with the
work that they do, and it's truly making a difference in the
lives of everyday residents. With that passion and care for people and
projects, William, on more than one occasion, reminded me that just because I was
overseeing major projects like the reconstruction of Grand Avenue, Wacker Drive,
details on what the contractor were doing were most important.
And many times, I stood corrected in understanding the value of those
projects. And as great as those projects were, the reality is
the work that goes on in every one of your neighborhoods is what is
most important and what drives William.
So I thank you again for this opportunity to testify and look forward
to his leadership continuing to have an impact here in the city of Chicago.
Thank you.
Thank you, John, and good seeing you, man. Thank you for everything.
I want to acknowledge
Alderman Fuentes and Alderman Ervin for purposes of a quorum.
Our next speaker
is Leanne
Thomas-Foster.
Great, Chuck.
Good afternoon, Transportation Committee. My name is Leanne Thomas-Foster.
I'm a global cities executive with Arcadis, and I am here
also to express my support for the appointment of William Cheeks Jr.
as commissioner for CDOT. I've had the privilege of working with Cheeks since
2020 during a period of extraordinary operational challenge for
the city. At the time, Arcadis was part of the CTR joint
venture contracted to provide program management for the Chicago Department
of Water Management. So I joined CTR, the joint venture
board, to help address a severe Office of Underground Coordination permitting
backlog, one that had reached crisis
levels.
Hundreds, and at times, thousands of utility and development permits were
stalled and repeatedly getting rerouted through multiple Chicago
agencies. The backlog was caused by a perfect storm of
factors, including the implementation of new water management directional
boring requirements. But at the same time, CDOT was in
transition with its new permit
application software. And then critically, the sudden move to
working fully remote during the pandemic.
So the impacts were real. They were serious.
We had project delays, mounting frustration from utilities,
developers, sister agencies, and direct involvement from the mayor's
office itself. And upon the outset, it just didn't appear to be
any clear path to the resolution.
It was during this moment that I first met William Cheeks,
a meeting that I'll never forget.
Despite the pressure and the intensity of the situation,
William brought this calm, focused, and professional energy
to the situation that really stood out.
We spent three hours that day in not assigning blame, not
deflecting responsibility, but aligning to share a goal to
take control of the problem and fix it.
We both understood that it would not be easy.
What followed speaks volumes about his leadership.
William established a standing weekly coordination meeting and personally
committed to it. For eight straight months, he attended every
call. He was fully present, he was engaged, and he was
accountable. And in my 30-year career of working with
and for city agencies, I can say without hesitation, I had rarely
seen someone represent the city with this level of ownership, urgency,
and determination. So together, under his leadership, we
implemented real solutions. We had created public and virtual
training sessions to help engineers understand the permitting
requirements. There was a comprehensive effort to digitize permit
workflows, providing transparency and accountability at every
step. He even set up open meetings with his
engineers to allow for people to come in and resolve technical dispute
issues to move those permits.These actions
didn't just clear permits, but they restored trust, stabilized a critical city
process, and demonstrated what effective collaborative leadership looks like in
practice.
I have absolute confidence in William Cheeks and his ability to lead.
Thank you.
Are you finished?
You good? Okay. Yeah, go ahead.
Still waiting on everybody to come.
No. Why does this
matter today?
Because experience captures exactly how William Cheeks approaches his complex
challenges. Head on, with structure, pragmatism, and
unwavering commitment to results.
He leads working from the details, working across departments, aligning
stakeholders, and staying the course until the job is done.
His commitment to this city, his leadership style, and his insistence on doing
things the right way are not only performative, they are deeply engraved, and I
witnessed it, and I lived it. And for these reasons, I strongly, without
reservation, endorse William Cheeks for appointment as Commissioner of CDOT.
Thank you.
All right.
Thank you.
Next speaker will be John Kaziba.
I'm trying to go bat 1000 here. Did I get it right, John?
Yes, sir.
All right.
Good morning, everyone. Today, I'm here to speak in
support of William Cheeks' appointment as the Commissioner of CDOT.
I've known William for over 20 years, and I've known him to be a man of strength
and character. But I think you all know that, and that's why he's
here.
William has worked in the private industry, came back to city
government, left to private industry, where I worked with him
again, and then came back to city government.
That's a calling, and you all know what that is because you all have that
calling. It's a calling to know that if it's 2:00 in the
morning on a Thursday, or right after you get out of church
on Sunday, you're going to take the call from the mayor.
You're going to take the call from the alderman.
You're going to take the call from the constituent, and you're going to get the job
done, and that's what William does.
When he first told me that he was going to be lucky enough to
have this position, because truly, when you're a commissioner for the City of
Chicago, and you get to work with the mayor and the alderman and the citizens, it
is lucky.
It's a hard job, but it's lucky.
And I asked him, I said, "What's your first priority?" And he looked at me and he
said, "Well, the menu program, of course.
It's got to get done every year." And I said, "Why?" And he said,
"Because it affects every area of the city, it affects almost
every citizen in the city, and it affects all the aldermen and the mayor
the most."
So his priorities are correct. I've also known William as a champion of
diversity, which in this day and age is under attack,
and William worked with me on a large project here in the City of Chicago
for about two years. And his job, along with Miguel's,
was to try to find as many minority and female-owned
companies to get involved with this project because it's huge.
Every stone he found, he turned over.
He got people to come in, go to meetings, try to bid on
projects. And because of him,
we have been successful. We've got a long way to go, but we've been successful
because of William.
You guys are lucky to have William because he also knows a lot
about large projects, as I've stated, but he knows a lot about infrastructure,
and that's what you need in a position like the Commissioner of CDOT.
Between Commissioner Connor in Water and Sewers, and
Commissioner
Cheeks here in CDOT, you've got a winning
team. The mayor should be proud, and you guys should know that
you have two people that you can count on and you can be proud of. Thank you.
Okay. Our next speaker is Mr. Blakemore,
George Blakemore.
Anything?
Too cool.
Okay.
I was listening and watching the
speakers,
and when the lady
extended her time, her three-minute
time limit, I didn't see anyone running up
telling her to sit down. And a matter of fact, I
heard the young lad encourage her to finish
her speech. If that would've been me, "Mr.
Blakemore, your time is up."
So,
by me coming to these meetings, seemed like to me,
this was not the mayor's first choice.
Seemed like to me, he made another choice of some reverend,
and it didn't work.
The ultimate,
he was not qualified to answer
questions.
So CDOT, transportation,
is very important in the City of Chicago and
in Cook County,
and we're having so much problem with our public
transportation. Safety,
arriving on time with the
buses. And so it's very important
to have someone that's qualified to
fulfill this position. However,
the politics have been played here.
This was not the mayor's first choice.
He then had an interim.
So the games that
are being played, everything is connected to
politics. This man got his
job, and it's
politicsSo we need
someone that's not involved in this corrupt system.
And when he said that he will be fair to the
minorities,
I'm specifically interested in Black
people getting these jobs, contracts, and
service. Why are you like that, Mr. Blakemore? I'm Black.
I'm Black,
and I've watched how government
put political hacks in positions
of authority, and the trickle-down
theory, the economic development
does or do not one of these rivers come to the back
of ghettos.
We have abandoned buildings they can lock. Well, Mr.
Blakemore, they talking about transportation.
Man, when I would get up on this 12 Street bus and go all the
way out,
the Black people are gone.
And it's torn off-
Now stop it with me if I extend this.
Young lady, don't you bother me.
Chairman.
I just wanted to say that Michelle Harris is present.
Hey, don't do that.
Mr. Blakemore, continue. Go ahead, finish it up.
I'm not going to lecture to them too long.
I'm just making my point, how gracious they was to this
white lady. They told her, "Continue.
Continue." If it had have been me, that she ran in
there to tell this man-
Mr. Blakemore
... "Stop him."
Come on.
Thank you very much, sir.
Yeah.
You're doing an excellent job. I'm getting ready to be seated.
I made my point.
Okay.
That this man was not the first choice of
Ms.
Harris.
All right.
That concludes the public comment period.
I move to approve the Rule 45 report for the Committee on Transportation and Public
Way meeting held on April 8th, 2026.
Can I get a motion from Alderman Hopkins, recommend approval of this item?
Alderman Hopkins so moves. On the motion, all in favor say aye. Opposed, no.
In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it.
I want to acknowledge Alderman Gutierrez for purposes of quorum, and nom
members, Alderman Cruz, and Alderman Gardner.
Oh, and acknowledge Alderman
Harris.
All right.
Thank you, Chairman.
Welcome. All right, now going out of order.
On page two, item one is a direct introduction for a mayoral
appointment. Can I get a motion from Alderman Irvin to accept
the direct introduction into committee?
Oh,
Alderman Mosley.
Can I get a motion from Alderman Mosley? Alderman Mosley so moves.
On the motion, all in favor say aye. Opposed, no.
In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it.
All right. Page two, item one, appointment of William Cheeks
Jr.
Appointment
2026-0025158.
Appointment of William Cheeks Jr.
as a commissioner for the Chicago Department of Transportation.
Here to speak, we have the man himself, William Cheeks Jr.
Can you please step
up?
All right, Mr. Cheeks, I'm assuming you already have your-- You're ready to get
started. You have an
introduction?
That's... Okay.
Good morning, everyone.
Morning.
Good morning, Chairman Mitchell, and members of the committee.
My name is William Cheeks Jr., and I am honored to appear before you
today as Mayor Brandon Johnson's nominee to serve as Commissioner of the
Chicago Department of Transportation.
As a lifelong Chicagoan raised in Hyde Park, and a Kenwood Academy
graduate, I take this responsibility seriously.
I look forward to working with all of you to continue improving Chicago's
infrastructure, and ensuring that CDOT delivers for the people of this city.
Over the past month, it has been great to be back at CDOT and reconnect with the
people and with the department I proudly called home for more than a decade.
Over the course of my career, I spent more than 12 years at CDOT,
including leading the division of in-house construction,
where we deliver critical bridge repairs, resurfacing
projects, and neighborhood improvements across Chicago.
I later served as Deputy Commissioner, overseeing the Division of Infrastructure
Management, where I helped lead and implement important initiatives like
811 Chicago, which was formerly Digger, and the Project
Coordination Office.
Following my time at CDOT, I served as Managing Deputy Commissioner for
Operations at the Chicago Department of Water Management.
There, I helped lead the rollout of the Lead Service Line Replacement Program, and
oversaw three major bureaus: Operations, Engineering, and
Water Quality. I managed a workforce of more than 1,600
employees, and a budget of approximately $1.5 billion,
supporting the delivery of safe, reliable drinking water
to over five million residents.
I have also led efforts to modernize operations through the use of
technology, strengthen accountability, and improve workplace
safety.
I believe these experiences make me uniquely qualified to serve in this
role. They have given me a deep understanding of how city departments must
work together to deliver results, and how to break down silos,
improve coordination, and move complex projects forward across
agencies.Most recently,
in the private sector, I serve as a project executive at Descoto
Inc., leading community engagement efforts at the Bally's Chicago Casino
redevelopment project. In that role, I focused on creating
opportunities for local businesses to meet with potential general
contractors to develop relationships for possible
partnerships on this project, along with future work.
Working with organizations such as Black Men United, Hire 360,
and Revolution Workshop, I met some extraordinary individuals with
the faith and tenacity to improve their station in life.
It showed me that the next generation of construction workers is out
there if presented with opportunities.
It is my hope that I can continue this effort in my new
capacity. Taken together, my experience in both the
public and private sectors has prepared me to lead this department and
deliver results. Throughout my career, my focus has stayed the
same, delivering safe, equitable, and accountable infrastructure
improvements that strengthen Chicago's neighborhoods.
I look forward to bringing that experience to this role and working with all
of you to keep investing in projects that improve quality of life
and make Chicago a better place to live, work, and visit.
As commissioner, I am committed to the following.
Improve efficiency across the department so we can better deliver projects of
every size, from everyday neighborhood improvements to major long-term
investments that will help shape the future of our city for decades to come.
Make our streets safer and easier to navigate for everyone by
investing in infrastructure that improves safety, mobility,
accessibility, and the overall experience of getting around the city.
Establishing a culture of follow-up and follow-through to strengthen
communication and responsiveness with all
the persons, their staff, and the citizens we serve.
I respectfully ask for your support in confirming my appointment and for your
continued partnerships as we move this work forward.
Thank you again for your time and consideration, and I am happy to answer any
questions you may have.
Thank you.
All right. Thank you for that.
All right.
Alderman Hopkins, first questions or comments.
Yeah. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Congratulations-
Thank you
... Cheeks. Your qualifications are outstanding, and
I sense a strong measure of support for you among my colleagues
here. This is an outstanding appointment and I know you'll do well.
Don't have a question, really, just a comment, and
something I'd like to urge you to consider as you take the helm of this important
agency. Consider moving towards a cultural change, a mindset
change in the department. Right now, something along the lines of the physician's
oath, first do no harm, right? In terms of treatment.
We have caused harm, actually, on the north side of Chicago in particular,
with lack of coordination and multiple
overlapping bridge closures in particular.
This was entirely foreseeable and avoidable.
And it was a reckless decision, in my opinion, to go forward without
a sufficient congestion mitigation plan.
The harm it's causing is real. It's an economic impact.
It's costing real estate sales. It's costing
people to be late for their appointments, be late for their jobs.
I would argue it's even causing an increase in road rage incidents because people
get so frustrated by being stuck in traffic that they begin
driving in an aggressive manner, and that's causing a spillover
effect. With today's tools that we have, AI
models that can predict traffic impacts due to closures and
detours, we need to do a much better job
coordinating multiple overlapping construction projects
and mitigating the congestion that results from these necessary
projects. It's possible to do both.
It's possible to maintain our bridges, to go forward with scheduled projects,
and also minimize the inconvenience to both motorists
and cyclists in particular, and even pedestrians.
So I believe the agency really needs to take this seriously, and to
take this to heart. And in the future,
do a much better job of starting projects
with the idea that, yes, there'll be some inconvenience, and yes, we have to
communicate that to people, but there are things we can do to
minimize the level of inconvenience and disruption that are caused
by these projects. So I hope you'll take these comments to heart.
They come on behalf of a very frustrated population
of residents in my ward and the other north side wards that are
directly impacted by these bridge closure projects, particularly
Cortland, but even going south to Grand and Kinzie and, of course, the
ongoing project that's closed to Halsted Street corridor.
So this really has had a domino effect, and people are living with it on a daily
basis. And we hear a lot of anger and frustration out there, so I just want you to
be aware of it. And as you take the helm of this agency, see if you
can begin to steer the ship in a different direction.
But I fully support this nomination, Mr.
Chairman, and thank you for the opportunity.
Thank you, Alderman. You do have an opportunity to comment if you-
Oh, thank you, Alderman.
I realize the difficulties associated with that project.
You're not the only one who's voiced displeasure.
I have been meeting with my team, and we're going to look at what happened
there, so as not to repeat that in the future.
So I appreciate your comment and look forward to working with you in the future.
All right. Thank you. Alderman Mosley?
Thank you so much, Chair, and welcome, Mr. Cheeks.
I want to talk to you about
a lot of real estate or spaces that you're responsible, particularly in
the 21st Ward, which has 255 total
miles. There's no other ward that has more public right
away than the 21st Ward.When we talk
about the inequities of that, no matter how
large your ward is or small,
every order through MENU gets $1.5
million. What do you see as your role to bring
forth equity to those wards that
will,
if things just continue as they are laid out,
won't see the types of improvements or the improvement in quality of
life as someone that lives in a smaller
ward that still sees that same $1.5
million but is able to go much further and have a
greater impact?
Well,
thank you, Alderman, for that question.
What I envision or what I would like to do is see
how, work with outside agencies so we can
see if there's a way to secure better funding, more funding, that can be
dispersed equitably across the city.
I understand that
there are concerns about equity in the MENU program,
and we're looking to do collector streets, which don't actually come from
the MENU program. And that as a way to kind of balance things out
in the city. So we're looking at different avenues to see if there are more
opportunities to do projects like that.
And when you talk about additional agencies and their assistance, there are
residents that live on WPA streets that,
as long as they have owned their home, sometimes greater than four
decades, have not seen improvements on that.
Missing streets, curbs, except sidewalks, et cetera.
How can you work to reinvigorate and really expedite
that program so that residents in their lifetime can
see a completed street?
So
give me a little time so I can delve into the
program and provide some of those locations that
you're concerned about, and I'll get with my team, and I'll report back to you and
see where we can come to terms or see if there's something I can
expedite.
Another space where we're going to need partnership is particularly those roads
that are under the jurisdictions of other levels of government, whether county
or state. I know 95th Street comes up very frequently for my
ward,
particularly as you are traveling east of Halsted, where
there have been incidents of just potholes or an entire lane
of traffic that is unusable due to the conditions of
the roads. Can you speak to how you would partner with the
state for this instance on how you can expedite repairs
and try to close or bring forth
a resolution in less time than three years?
So
if there are any pothole situations that
you're concerned with, please forward those to my
attention. You can send it to my email or you can send it to one of my deputies,
but send it to me and I'll make sure it gets to the right person.
I met with IDOT
Friday, and there's some subsequent meetings that we have planned
to be able to come together and figure out some other
ways we can get larger areas paved.
So after I have those meetings, I can report back to you.
Appreciate that.
Sidewalks are another big thing, and I know that we are looking
at finally
taking inventory of our sidewalks.
I heard you as someone who's a pioneer of the paving conditions that are
under CDOT's maps.
Very excited to see your vision and implementation of how we
are going to be surveying our sidewalks and bringing them
in a usable state or correcting those
inspections, or length of time of inspections and also
the improvement of mobility for sidewalks.
I'm sorry, I didn't get the question.
Sure.
More so a compliment.
Oh.
Excited to knowing your work for paving candidates
for streets resurfacing. Excited as we begin to
look at our sidewalks and understand what conditions they are and how
we can make improvements. A question that will come from that
is talk to me about your partnership with the Department of
Forestry in instances where a tree root has
upended a sidewalk,
and how you all can partner in a removal and repair.
A removal of the tree and repair of that sidewalk.
So tree removal and sidewalks.
No one wants to cut trees down. And actually when the sidewalks pop because of the
roots, you have to go through forestry.
They have an arborist in it. You really don't want to kill the tree.
So I've made it a point to,
I want to meet with Commissioner Stallard, and we'll come up with a more
comprehensive plan to see how we can address those issues.
Sure. I got two more, then I'll turn it back to you.
Speed cameras and
pedestrian safety has been a
challenge.
The enforcement helps, but sometimes residents don't feel
that due to lack of visibility about the cameras,
that is fair. Additionally, even
though there are more cameras
in
other geographical parts of the
city,
the South Side seems to have a
higher rate of enforcement or more individuals contributing to
speeding.
How will those dollars be utilized to improve the
visibility of those safety zones
and traffic safety improvements throughout those
areas where those cameras exist?
So traffic, thank you for that question.
Cameras are put up after studies are done to mitigate
speeding and other issues that come through
the communities.
The moneyTo be honest, I'll have to get back to you
because I haven't dug into that piece yet.
But I'm willing to work with you and your
ward to come up with
an answer for you,
especially where the funding is going to.
But CDOT's focus has always been safety.
We put speed cameras in areas where there have been,
after we do a study, after there have been
accidents, hazards, and things like that.
So,
I would like to come back to you with a
better answer and a plan.
Understood. And last question from me, Chair.
Bike lanes have been a mixture of
support and opposition throughout my ward in particular.
We are home to majority of Major Taylor Trail-
Mm-hmm
... which we're very proud of.
And bike infrastructure sometimes helps pedestrian
safety and traffic calming measures.
What do you see as the balance of providing
infrastructure, like concrete protected bike lanes,
versus the accustomed behavior patterns
of drivers today and what they expect, particularly in
corridors where you take a lane of traffic from two lanes to one?
So, and thank you for that question.
So the city streets have a certain footprint.
It's only so wide, and it can only accommodate so much.
So you have sidewalks,
you have traffic lanes, but the mode of
transportation
has changed significantly. Because now we have
cars, Divvy, scooters,
and actually, I've seen some skateboarders with the power skateboarders.
So we have to try and figure out how all of that can fit in one
confined space, because theoretically it is confined.
And then I also have to consider pedestrian foot traffic.
So trying to find a balance for all of that is what I and
my team are working towards.
If there are any additional concerns that you'd like to discuss,
I'm willing to meet with you and your staff.
Would love that, and especially with emergency responses for our
first responders as they are en route.
That's been a common question that our office receives, is
if it's a one-lane of traffic,
how does an ambulance or a fire engine or a
police car
get through traffic to respond to the scene?
But that's all, Chair. Thank you.
Thank you, Alderman.
Alderman Fuentes.
Thank you, Chairman. I don't have any questions.
Thank you so much for taking the time to be on the phone with me-
Mm-hmm
... and sort of walk through our conversation and your vision for the department.
I just want to congratulate you on this appointment.
I believe it's an appointment well deserved. And I do have one request.
Don't ever move Bill Higgins as our liaison-
Okay
... in the 26th Ward.
He is a miracle worker.
And since he's become our liaison this past year, everything for the first time is
easy flowing in the 26th. And so that's my only ask today-
Okay
... is that we can keep Bill where he's at in the context of the
26th Ward. And congratulations again.
It's going to be hard work. There's a lot ahead of you.
And we are all partners here, and so always feel free to call, because
we're definitely going to be calling you.
All right. Thank you, Alderman.
Thank you. Thank you, Chairman.
Thank you, Alderman. Alderman Rodriguez.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
First of all, I want to thank some of my friends out there who
made me aware of how great a candidate you are.
John Yonan and the Scoto family,
people that I really respect in the industry, speak so very highly of you.
So you come well-regarded, and to me that matters.
You're in the city of Chicago, where you don't want nobody nobody sends, and you've
been sent by some great people. So kudos on a
history and a track record of delivering.
You don't get these types of endorsements from respected individuals like these
without that kind of track record.
So I feel confident that you will come in not just
walking, but running.
I don't have a question, I just have a comment
regarding the importance of transportation, the importance of the
built environments. And not just
things we think about with transportation, but on the economic vitality of the
city, encouraging
people coming to our city and our neighborhoods to shop,
to be able to keep everyone safe, the number one job of
governments. I think this department
has an intersectional focus on those things.
So when I think about safety
and the physical safety of our residents,
it's no surprise that in my ward, we're one of the top wards as far as implementing
traffic calming measures. We need to
prioritize that as a public safety matter.
Lowering speeds is incredibly important.
Doing that creatively through strategic painting, through
narrowing of
traffic patterns and
car lanes.
I'm just a true believer that this department disproportionately
has a public safety
mechanism and mission to our city.
I think the Active Transportation Alliance testified today
about that need to look creatively at this job, at how
we're keeping people safe. And God, thank the Lord that over the last couple of
years, we are a safer city when
it comes to bicyclists and pedestrians.
But we need to continue to do that to be a world-class city.
So I think you have a job to make that happen.
And then I think about-Some of the best infrastructure.
I look at Lake Street in Oak Park with the raised sidewalks that are
bricked, and the kind of creativity that's gone into
really creating a business district that's attracting a lot of people from
throughout the region that go there.
I think about 26th Street, and the potential for that endeavor, for that
street to be one of those streets where the
built environment actually attracts people to the community.
So, just some of my thoughts on the matter. Mr.
Cheeks, you're well-regarded. You have my support.
I know you're going to do great. Most importantly, and I don't want to tell my
colleagues this, but you gave me your cell phone number, so that's why you got my
vote. So, thank you so much for stepping up.
Public leadership is not easy, and I want to thank you
for stepping up into this role. We look forward to working with you.
Thank you, Alderman.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Alderman. I want to acknowledge non-members,
Alderman Burnett Jr. and Alderman Lospitos.
All right. Last call for comments and questions.
Oh, I'm sorry. Alderman Gutierrez.
Good morning.
Commissioner. Thank you so much. I just wanted to congratulate you, but also thank
you, because you were out of town celebrating your son's
graduation, and you took my call. And that speaks volumes to
the commitment that you have when you were with your family
celebrating, and maybe not needed to be working.
But you took that call, and we really appreciate it when an emergency happens.
And I really want to commend you and your team for sending staffers
overnight to take care of that issue in my ward on Friday.
And that's the type of commitment that I see in you, in your office and your staff,
and I really appreciate it. And I am looking forward to continue working, but just
wanted to reiterate the importance of talking to our
staff and workers, and making sure that every work site is protected,
is safe, and especially when it's around schools and parks where more
families and kids go around.
Two by fours only covering a big, deep hole, it's not enough.
And we need to make sure that we take care of those projects to be safe,
so not an emergency happens or a fatality or something like that.
So I just want to reiterate that, that we need to work towards doing a little bit
extra. Maybe there's some protocols, but it's always safer to
put more rather than less. But also, the importance of also
taking care of removing the barricades and the materials on time as
well, because many times projects are done, and they're there
left behind for weeks, and then they're dumped and broken in the middle of the
street, also creating a safety hazard.
So we need to continue to talk to our in-house department, but also
those contractors
to send supervisors to make sure that from the beginning till the end, the
project is well executed. So that's my only concern and
feedback. But I'm looking forward to continue working with you and your team.
And a shout-out to,
as Jesse did, to Jeremy Mandujano, which is our liaison. That is also great.
Please don't remove him. We've been working great with him.
And looking forward for a great season of construction because many was starting to
get done. Thank you.
Thank you, Alderman. And I'm glad you brought that up, because I share that same
concern. All right.
Let me make sure I get... Alderman Moore, followed by Alderman Waguespack, and then
Irvin.
Thank you, Chairman. Alderman Mosley, I think he didn't want to call me because he
knew I was going to question this
Kenwood relationship thing. And
we got to do something about that, Mosley.
But
besides that, and-
Mosley Morganbo-
When you walked in the door,
as
Alderman
spoke about with some of the people...
Well, you respected yourself, let me just be clear about that.
Thank you.
But for you to walk in a door with
people that we've all respected over the years,
that says a lot.
Reverend Clay Evans always taught me that life is simply
just about relationships. That's all life is.
Whether it's with your family, your wife, your
dog, your cat, life is all about just relationships.
And for you to still have the relationships with what I consider
some of the,
and what they do, the greatest men who have worked for this
city. John Conceval, Miguel
Descoto, John Yona. Everybody here,
people that over the years, well before I even thought about being an alderman,
but whether it was a precinct captain or director of field
operations, people that we called on to get things done,
that got things done. And for you to be a part of that means
so much to me. But the other part is that life teaches me we don't know
everything, right? We don't have all the answers.
But to have the relationships with people that you can pick up the phone with and
call to say, "Hey, I'm coming across this problem."
You got some of the best minds in the city because you have
relationships with that, and that says a lot about who you are
as a person. And for that, I thank you all for showing up with
him. That gives us even more just a level
of, I don't want to use comfort, but more because we're comfortable with him.
But more just excitement to say, "Hey,
we're going to be getting some things done here
in this city," as it relates to Department of Transportation.
The other thing is, I don't forget on 79th
and Green when the pipelines was breaking,
and
with quickness, as you've always been,
to settle those residents' mind and get on top of that when it wasn't even
on the map. It was going to be done, I think maybe a year later.
But you pulled it together. You got the people together, you got it done, and those
residents were satisfied for that, because we had about three
breaks at given times, and-They still talk about
that. And so thank you so much for that.
Now, I've said those things now for some
questions, and I'll start with what a couple of other aldermen said, because we
talk about this at budget season, and we have
to do something about it. When we talk about barricades left, when we talk
about
a project manager checking their work, again, I always go back into
corporate when I was a project manager.
I had to sign off on that stuff. And
the things that we're seeing, somebody is not doing
their job. And that's all I'm asking, is for people to
do their job. You cannot sign off on a project that's
complete and you have
barricades left, you have
work that is not fully complete, that our limited staff have to go
out there and follow up behind and call.
And so, I want you to just work on that part.
That would mean a lot to all of us. If someone is a project
manager and they have to close that thing out, they have to
do their job. And I think, as you've heard a couple of other aldermen
say that there are many other aldermen that feel that way, and it's not the
aldermen, it's the residents of our community
that's being impacted. So if you can just
work on that. The other thing is,
as I look at
the materials,
help me talk about that. Is there anything from a street
standpoint or is it we just dealing with five years and that's
it, and we expect the fixed streets because, especially as we're dealing with
menu money, right?
Mm-hmm.
$1.5 million don't go a long way when you stretched,
in my case, or even in Ronnie Mosley and other alderman's case, from east 67th to
87th,
Lafayette by the Dan Ryan, which was basically 0-100 West, all the way to
3500 West. And so when you're trying to get to these
streets every four years or whatever, let's
talk about material. What's out there so this stuff can hold
up, or these streets can hold up a little longer?
What are we using, and is there anything out there?
Are we dealing with cost constraints for getting materials, or is it just not great
material out there?
So, thank you for the question, Alderman.
So,
typically,
asphalt lasts anywhere from five to seven years.
It depends on the amount of traffic, cars, weight of
trucks.
Is it residential? Is it arterial?
So, what I have asked my staff is that, because
I've heard many of you say that the cost
menu doesn't go as far. So I've tasked my staff with,
is there another material that has been
developed or has
the material been
changed, modified, that it will last longer?
We go by IDOT's
specifications on our material, so that's something that we're
looking into. But I understand your concern and
we're looking into it, just so to see if there's something else that
lasts as long but is more affordable.
Okay.
And-
Question. I think this mic went out.
Am I up?
It is.
So their streets-
And for whatever some aldermen, everybody do how they spend their
menu in different ways, right?
And
some people, hey,
voter turnout high as here, I'm going to make sure them people taken care of.
Some people say, well, the
squeakiest wheel get the
attention.
So when we do remaps every 10 years, which 10 years go
by quick, and
sometimes
areas get changed around that had no street
resurfacing 20 years. And I'm not talking about potholes, I'm talking
about craters.
Hmm.
Craters, right?
Are we, from a CDOT standpoint, looking at those streets
or
is there a level of disrepair with streets that CDOT
look at that say, "We're not going to wait for the alderman to do on menu."
Because there are some streets that got potholes we do a menu, but then there are
streets that got craters that hasn't had any service in 15, 20
years. Are we looking at doing those streets beyond the menu
money, or are we holding that to the alderman to do menu on?
Currently,
so CDOT pave streets based on pavement condition.
When we do the CIP briefing, you see the yellow, green,
red on the conditions of the streets.
So
in area--
That's not something I've looked at beyond menu.
It's something that I'm willing to speak with
the mayor's office and come up with another plan.
But right now,
I've only been here a month, and I'm not sure what was in place prior to me getting
here, but it's something I will investigate and see what my
options are, and then I can report back to you.
Thank you. And I really want to look at that, because in the reality, there are
just
certain streets and everybody know that there, for
whatever reason, be it political or whatever reason, some of these streets
get neglected. And then over years,
they just stay that way. And when you're trying to do those, then you
start neglecting other streets that
probably need to get done. But those big crater ones, streets that we
just got to need to be looking at, and I appreciate you're going to be looking into
it, that when was the last time this-- If we got streets that haven't been done in
20 yearsAnd they don't
even look like a street anymore, or alley.
I think that that's an initiative that
CDOT needs to look at in taking to
address.
My final question, I hope it's my final one.
No, it's-
Me too
... not my final one.
It comes to the stop signs, and I know people
running stop signs like crazy, so I got to speak because I was in a
senior building the other day, but I hadn't heard this before and they brought it
up, so I have to speak on their behalf.
These street signs with the lights around them that you
see in some communities with the solar lights, are we thinking about
putting more of those up and around, and do you think it
would be helpful? People are blowing through stop signs like crazy.
And I think it's more because we need police out there writing tickets,
but your residents will say, and I got to speak for my residents when they say
it, if they see those cameras
with lights, those stop signs with lights around them,
but it's solar,
is that a big cost to adding those more throughout the
city?
What I would suggest, Alderman, is that if you could give me those locations
that you say these incidents are happening, I can
relay them to my project development team, and we can do-
Mm-hmm
... a survey and figure out what other measures may be
beside those, or things we could look at to hopefully slow the traffic down.
Yeah. No, they blowing through stop signs throughout the city. It ain't no area.
It's all throughout the city, and we know that's going on.
But you know the solar light cameras I'm talking about, right?
Yes, I'm aware.
So I'm just saying, is there a major cost to getting those
in more area? That's all I'm asking, because I don't know.
I would have to get back to you through the Chair.
Okay, thank you.
And I think this is my final one.
Maybe.
71st Street.
I'm a deacon, so I get- ... like a preview.
CIP briefing.
71st Street on
Central Park, 71st to 74th. I know we did the groundbreaking
about a year ago last spring, I believe it was,
with Boa and with
Commissioner Carney. And I know something happened, it had to be
redesigned. It's
being done out of,
help me out, somebody.
Building.
Public Buildings Commission. Thank you so much.
Can you find out where we are on that project?
Because we were supposed to got started on it last year, but I heard there was a
redesign from someone else. I need to hear from CDOT what's
going on with that and the time-
You got that, Bill?
And the timeframe that we're looking to get started, because my residents looking
at me cross-eyed when we did that big press conference, and
they don't see any movement yet, so I have to be able to
address that. So thank you so much for
indulging me, Chairman, and thank you
so much for answering the questions, Commissioner, and I
appreciate you.
Look forward to speaking with you.
I mean, working with you, continuing to work with you, because you've always been
there, even if I just had questions about anything.
And I want to thank your
beautiful wife. I said it out in the hallway, I'll say it in public.
I didn't know you had such a good eye.
And thank your beautiful wife for coming down, and your daughter, and
just I know they are proud of you, but they should be
even more proud on taking on this role in the city of
Chicago. Thank you.
Thank you, Alderman.
All right. Thank you. Alderman Irvin.
Thank you, Deacon
Moore. We appreciate... No, really, though, I just wanted to say this.
I appreciate the work that you've done, your previous service, and
we look forward to you doing great work in your current service.
My conversations with you and the like, and what you're thinking about and
your vision for the department, I think is top-notch.
And I'm hopeful, and I'm prayerful that you all will be able to get some of these
things done. I think the point that Alderman Mosley made around the menu and what
we can do to help reform for some of the wards that are much larger than average,
I think we're going to look for your leadership on coming up with a solution for
that, because it does seem a little awkward and unfair
that he gets the same amount of space that somebody in a much
smaller ward gets, and he has a whole lot of lanes, curb
miles to deal with. So again, just thank you for your service, and we look forward
to working with you. And I want you to set up a meeting with my brother here so he
can get all his other questions answered. Thank you.
Thank you, Alderman. Alderman Waguespack.
Thank you, Chairman.
Commissioner, you must be a glutton for punishment- ... coming back.
But I want to thank you for taking on the job.
This really is one of the most important departments in the city.
When you look at as soon as somebody walks out of their home, they're on the
sidewalk, they're on the street, whatever form of mobility they're taking, whether
it's pedestrian or bike or scooter,
vehicle, truck,
and we know all those things have to work together, so it is a very
important task that you're taking on again to come back into this
department, or, well, to work with this department.
And
I won't go into all the requests that I have.
I sent you a couple that actually kind of coincided, I think, with what some of
my colleagues were talking about.
Alderman Hopkins brought up the bridge issue.
That was something that several of us on the north side
worked together on to present a letter to CDOT to say that we
need better coordination when it comes to major bridge closures and
street closures that impact-... both economically and
safety-wise, the entire north side.
And that was something I think just fell through,
wasn't recognized for what the impact was going to be.
So those are things I think as we move forward on these big-ticket
projects, we really have to reconsider
or make sure we consider the impact on the
day-to-day quality of life for people
in our businesses that are out there.
When I look at some of the things that we've been talking about for several years,
and I hope we can get a focus on,
again, it really is pedestrian safety, number one.
But
sometimes I think we get too much of a focus on big-ticket
projects and big-ticket items where we're out there
saying we're going to spend hundreds of millions of dollars, but it's the
maintenance
post-project, or maintenance
with the menu money that really
is a burden for the alderman, with the complaints that we get.
And I think when you put that times 50, it's pretty
incredible the amount of effort that your staff have to put into dealing
with each one of these issues. So we didn't expect you to bear that
burden alone. It's something I think has to be spread
out amongst all the other actors that affect the public way.
The inspector general, I think you know, looked at an audit back in
2019 of how we repair or how we maintain that
infrastructure. I think that's something
really that we have to go back and consider.
Are we meeting the goals of that
audit and what we were tasked with doing?
Do we do enforcement for the
contractors that damage the public way
after construction, whether it's a private contractor for a home or a
business, whether it's one of the utilities, one of the
sister agencies, or water department,
or even
organizations like UP, Metra, the rail companies?
When you look at the damage that all those other entities do to the
public way,
they kind of walk away from a lot of this stuff.
And I think a lot of us are concerned about
what the impact is on our menu, but also on the
overall cost of the city having to put
money back in to do all those repairs.
And what I would like to see is
the enforcement increase,
so that when some agency, when some entity does work in
the public way, they leave it better than they found it.
And frankly, when I look around the city, I
really don't see that happening. It seems almost subpar in terms of what
those companies and agencies are doing
to repair the infrastructure to what it was before they dug into
it. So that's a huge issue from my perspective.
You don't have to address that today, but it's just a comment that I want
to make sure we address.
The other thing is schools.
We have hundreds of schools in the city, and we don't have a comprehensive
approach to how we deal with school safety or safety
around not just
the rectangle, for instance, around one particular school, the streets that are
right there, but the streets that are just offset from it where our
children are walking to school. That was the other part of what I had sent to you.
But
I don't want it to apply just to the school that's near me.
I want it to apply to every school in the city, that we're
making an effort to educate those children through public
service announcements with CPS, and talking
to them about
the things that we can do to improve the safety for our children
all around the encompassing area of each school,
whether it's elementary or high school.
I know all of us take that to task when we're trying to do
bump outs, we're trying to do speed humps, we're doing signage,
and clearance for corners. But I think that's
something that CDOT should take an overall
approach to and be proactive about it, and come to each school.
Instead of us saying, "Hey,
we as an alderman are going to ask for a study
done around the school," I think it's something that should be done by
CDOT with CPS for every school ahead of time, including how
we operate our kiss and goes. That would improve the safety for every
child and teacher and parent that either walks to school or does
a drop-off and pick-up.
And then I think
in terms of green infrastructure, that's also a great place to
start with educating our children about what types of
green infrastructure can we put into play and
teach them about it so the next generation of CDOT staff and
water staff and people like you can hand
off that
experience to them before we move on, so that we're really focused
on sustainable green infrastructure.
Schools, I think are a great place to start, and
I think all of us want to see that as we move forward.
What types of materials we're using, what type of
salt or something product better that doesn't destroy our streets, and
then address all those issues that I know you pretty much already
know about, but
have to hear from us today to reiterate what we think
some of those issues are.
Overall, I think I'm glad you're in the position.
I know you have a huge task ahead of you
answering all the calls for service.But you've got a great staff to lean
on, and I hope that as CDOT moves
forward as an entity within the city, that all those steps to
improving the infrastructure from the moment we walk out of our
door is something that you can,
after your time here,
walk away and be proud of fixing and working on and creating.
So,
thank you for taking on the task, and good luck in the future there.
Thank you.
Thank you, Alderman.
Thank you, Chair.
Thank you, Alderman. I always appreciate your line of
questioning.
Last call for any questions, comments.
Oh, I want to recognize non-member-- Well, I'm sorry.
I made a skip.
Chairman?
Alderman Harris.
Oh, thank you.
Sorry about that.
Okay. I just want to the
acting commissioner right now, I want to say what a wonderful
addition I think he will be. I think this is a great appointment.
I am grateful for somebody that has so much history in the Department of
Transportation, having the ability to come in
and work with people, understand, and kind of just hit the ground
running. I think that you will be a breath of fresh air,
of accountability, and relationship-building.
So,
I am in full support of this appointment, and just want to
say congratulations to you, and I hope that my
colleagues will support this appointment.
Thank you, Alderman. I want to acknowledge non-member
Alderman Phyllis Cardona, and he has a few comments or
questions.
Thank you, Chair.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak on a committee that I'm a
non-member. But
just want to speak to my colleagues here on
issues that were addressed to you in the past.
But I do see great changes already as soon as you
became acting commissioner.
I saw the changes in my public way inspectors
already.
To me, that's
something that I haven't seen for years.
And
I thank you for that. I also want to thank you
for stepping up to this role.
I know it's a difficult role, but I know you're the man that could lead
this department and get things done.
And we all know that we want things done as
in transportation, but in infrastructure as well.
You could do the job at your best ability. You have a great staff.
I'm excited that you're going to be coming into this role.
I know you're a man of integrity and experience, and I know you're going to
have supporting staff that's going to be there to uplift you, but also support
you on the task that comes
in front of you.
But basically, congratulations.
Hopefully, you'll
be
passed out of this committee and come onto city council floor,
and just want to say congratulations.
Thank you, Alderman.
I don't think I need to ask any questions.
You and I have had conversations. We'll continue to talk.
The one thing I want to add, we're expecting a lot from you, and I want you to
understand you have the door open to expect things from us.
We know that for you to make some of the changes you need to make for you to be as
effective from an operational standpoint as necessary, you're going to need our
help. So do not hesitate. Me as the chair, please don't hesitate to come
to me and tell me what you need, and we will try
to put our best foot forward to help you out to make sure you're as successful as
you can be. With that said, can I get a motion from
Alderman Mosley?
Alderman Mosley so moves.
On the motion, all in favor say aye. Those opposed, nay.
In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. All right. Congratulations.
Thank you.
All right.
Committee, I'm going to ask for a brief recess, so some of
you can check in with the joint committee on budget.
Give me five minutes. I'll give you guys five minutes for a recess.
Oh, do I need to-- Yeah. I'm going to vote.
I'm going to vote. I'm going to vote, yeah.
Okay, then I can get them over here.
Pages three and four include 18 ordinances from
miscellaneous items introduced by the local aldermen from Wards
18, 19, 22, 23, 25,
27, 38, 39, 42 through 45.
Can I get a motion to recommend approval of these items?
So moved.
Alderman Rodriguez so moves. On the motion, all in favor say aye.
Aye.
Those opposed, no. In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have
it.
Next item on the agenda, page five, item one.
No, I'm sorry. 2171 North
Rockwell Street, Substitute Ordinance
2025-0019499.
A proposed vacation of a portion of a public alley in the area
bounded by North Rockwell Street, West
Lyndale-Street, North Maplewood Avenue, North Milwaukee
Avenue. This property is located in the First Ward.
Witness?
Yeah.
All right, Nicholas?
Fatigas.
Yep.
Yeah, Nick. Yeah, there you go. All right.
Take it away.
Thank you very much, Chairman. For the record, again, my name is Nick Fatigas.
I'm one of the attorneys with the Law Offices of Sam Banks, and I'm here on behalf
of the property owner at 2171 Rockwell LLC.
The subject property is currently approved with a single-family home and a detached
garage. My client actually purchased the property from the
family that had owned it for nearly 40 years.
During due diligence, it was determined that a segment of an unimproved
alley bisected the rear portion of the lot.
I'm appearing before you today in support of our proposal to vacate the right of
way so that we can consolidate the private property into a single
zoning lot. We have worked with Alderman Lospata's office on
this project, and I believe, hope he's here in support.
But of course, happy to answer any questions you or committee members have.
All right.
Move to pass.
Can you pause that motion? And is there any questions?
And does the home alderman would like to make any comments?
He gave the-
We'll take the thumbs up.
All right, gave the thumbs up. All right.
Alderman Rodrigus moved to pass. On the
motion, all in favor say aye.
Aye.
Those opposed, no. In the opinion of the Chair, the ayes have it.
Thank you.
Oh, I'm sorry. I meant to, need to add this to the record, that compensation due
for this project is 44,500, and as you
noticed, we definitely have support from the local alderman.
All right, moving right along. Page five, item two, dedication of public
way,
public alley, Congress Parkway and Harris Street.
Ordinance 2026-0024644.
A dedication of two 18-foot north-south alleys in the
block bounded by West Congress Parkway, South Lotus
Avenue, West Harris Street, Harrison Street, and South
Lockwood Avenue. This property is located in the 29th Ward.
Here to speak, we
have Scott Borstein,
Attorney Neil and Leroy, and old friend of the
council, Steven Stolz, Director of Real Estate, Chicago Board of Education.
All right, gentlemen, take it away.
Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, members of the committee.
Scott Borstein with the law offices of Neil and Leroy, here on behalf of
Chicago Public Schools. As you mentioned, Steve Stolz is joining us
here on behalf of CPS. This is a straightforward
project. These were two alleys that were built probably in
the '80s or '90s. This is actually before probably any of us were
around.
In connection with the school that was there, they were inadvertently never
dedicated. We're not sure why. Again, our office wasn't involved in
that. But the school now is closed.
CPS is in the process of selling it.
We just want to make sure that it's cleaned up so that
these alleys become public and they're not included in the
transfer of the sale of the property.
You should have a letter of support from Alderman Taliaferro.
Again, this is 5345 West Congress,
former Louis Armstrong School.
Steve's here to answer any questions.
You should have, I think,
some physical
paperwork that shows what's being dedicated.
On CPS's side, it's important for us to vacate these alley segments,
otherwise they will be part of the sale of the former school site, and
that would result in two dead-end alleys mid-block.
So dedicating these segments creates a through alley on both
sides of the school.
For the record, can you state your name?
Oh, Steven Stolz, Director of Real Estate, Chicago Public Schools.
All right. Do we have any questions from committee members?
Okay, just have one question.
A buyer has been identified-
Yes
... and now you have to do the-
Correct
... just for my own personal edification.
If there was not a buyer, would you be here at this time to do the dedication, or
will you always wait till you have somebody on deck?
It was really triggered by the sale, but the proper thing to
do is to dedicate it because it is improved as an alley and in use as an alley with
garages accessing it, so.
Okay. Thank you for the answer. All right, the committee has received and reviewed
a letter of support from Alderman Taliaferro.
There's no compensation due to this project.
Can I get a motion from Alderman Rogersback to move to pass?
So moves. On the motion, all in favor say aye.
Opposed, no. In the opinion of the Chair, the ayes have it. Thank you.
Thanks so much.
Thank you, Chairman, members of the committee.
Page five, item three.
6200 Higgins LLC.
Ordinance 2026-0023406. A
proposed vacation of public alleys in the area
bounded by North Melvina Avenue, West Higgins Avenue, North
Mobile Avenue, and West Foster Avenue.
This property is located in the 45th Ward.
Here to speak again, we have Nicholas Fatigas
Thank you.
Chairman again, Nick Fitikas from the law offices of Sam Banks.
I'm here on behalf of the applicant or the property owner, 6200
Higgins LLC, regarding the property again at 6200 West
Higgins Road in Chicago. Here with me today is Mr.
Lee Winter, a representative of ownership.
The subject property had actually operated with a grocery store and
surface parking lot for many years.
Unfortunately, the prior operator went out of business and
a new operator, Sprouts, is coming in to take over the site.
The plan is to develop the property with a new one-story grocery store
building that'll contain approximately
22,354 square feet of
total floor area. The store will be supported by 97
on-site surface parking spaces. During due diligence, it was
determined that the perimeter of the property along West Higgins was
actually still public right of way.
It had actually functioned as curb and surface parking for the
prior grocery store operator.
I'm appearing before you today in support of the proposal to vacate that right
of way so we can essentially absorb that property into the
privately owned lot. We've worked very closely with Alderman Jim
Gardner on this project. In fact, last year he supported a
zoning change to allow the reestablishment of the grocery store use at the
property. I believe he's already provided a position statement today in support
of the proposed vacation. Based on that, we
respectfully request that the committee approve the vacation, and we're happy to
answer any questions if you or your members have them.
All right. Thank you. I'm sorry, who is the gentleman sitting next to you?
Oh, Mr. Lee Winter, he's here on behalf of the ownership team.
Okay.
Sir, welcome.
Are there any questions from the committee members?
There being no
questions,
the committee has received and reviewed a letter from Alderman Gardner.
The compensation due for this project is $365,000.
On the motion from Alderman Fuentes,
approval of this item. All in favor say aye.
Opposed, no.
In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it.
Thank you.
All right.
All right, I'm
curious, who are the
young people that just walked into committee?
Who you got? Pardon me?
All right.
Welcome, guys. All right. Good to see you.
Looking good.
Hey, guys, don't they look so shiny?
Branding. All right. There being no further business before the committee, can I
get a motion to adjourn by the same roll call vote that was applied to determine
quorum? Alderman Fuentes so moves on the motion. All in favor say aye.
Opposed, no. On the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it.
Let me-
Oh.
Okay. We can do that.
All right.
Who's
your teacher or the counselor? Who's here?
You
blend in well with them.
Okay. Can you give us a little bit of...
Oh, they would. It's a lot of them to say they.
Okay. All right.
Who's the spokesperson?
Tyra?
Oh, Jazara.
Okay. Jazara. Okay.
All right.
That's who was naming?
We're housing.
Okay, coming for housing. Oh, okay. All right. Okay.
Her month of... All right.
Well,
welcome.
All right. Okay. All right. So you came for housing, but this
is Committee on Transportation.
So we're going to give you a little briefing.
The Committee on Transportation, as you heard by the last
item, we
hear and vote on items that directly affect
the public way.
As you heard, that could be alleys, it could be the parkways in
which in front of your homes, the streets, the alleys,
everything. And any matter that has to deal with any changes
in legislation that
progress in the public way
has to come through us,
and we approve it or not approve it.
And guys like the gentleman with the nice suit and tie will make a bunch of money,
all right,
by showing up in committee and helping out pass these items.
So
that's
in brief, but welcome down to City Council, City Hall,
and I'm in the housing committee, so I'll see you guys there.
All right.
The meeting of the Committee on Transportation Public Way is adjourned.