# CDOT Bike Lane Ribbon Cutting Ceremony 9.23.25

- Date: September 23, 2025
- Type: Video
- Length: 37:35
- Topic: Openings and groundbreakings
- Video: [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=468pMKEEp_g)
- Transcript: Machine transcription, 4,588 words ([text](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/files/transcripts/youtube/468pMKEEp_g.txt))
- Mayor: [Brandon Johnson](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor)

## Description

Mayor Brandon Johnson attends the Chicago Dept. of Transportation bike lane ribbon cutting

## Transcript

[2:19](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/468pMKEEp_g?t=139) Mic check, testing, one, two, three, four, five, testing, one, two, three, microphone check, check, check, mic check, testing, one, two, three, four, five, five, four, three, two, one, microphone check, testing, testing, one, two, three, four, five. We're good, Quincy.

[4:36](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/468pMKEEp_g?t=276) All right, that's a hot mic, hot mic. My name is Daniel Espada. I am so proud to represent the First Ward as Alderman. I am so incredibly proud to chair the Committee on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety, and I am delighted to celebrate with the mayor and all of our guests the first 100 miles of bike lanes in the city of Chicago. It's a wonderful piece of work. When we started doing this work of installing bike infrastructure across the city,

[5:10](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/468pMKEEp_g?t=310) I remember people would travel across to Europe, to Amsterdam, to Spain, to talk about the wonderful world that they had visited. Bike lanes were only for European cities. And now we are genuinely building one of the safest, strongest bike infrastructure cities in the country. And I'm so proud of that. I'm so proud that over the past, just since 2019, cycling is up over 300% in the city of Chicago, and cycling fatalities are down 80%.

[5:42](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/468pMKEEp_g?t=342) That's a testimony to a lot of great work. I want to call out and celebrate and remember in this moment Sam Bell, who was a First Ward resident, a cyclist, a great resident of this city, who died on his bike just down the street from here at Huron in Milwaukee. and we remember him we celebrate him and if he were here i would say we have created

[6:19](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/468pMKEEp_g?t=379) the milwaukee that everyone deserves where sam would be with us here today but we are keeping so many of our more of our neighbors here and i want to celebrate and call out the next hundred miles that we're going to build because i feel like humble park residents should have a safe path to their friends in market park i feel like logan square residents should have a safe path to their neighbors in pilsen and we're going to develop more safe ways to get across the chicago river as well because we just passed over one of them and there's not a whole lot many more but this

[6:54](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/468pMKEEp_g?t=414) is the work and this is the work for chicago we always keep moving forward we never stop we never rest on our laurels we celebrate we champion and then we move on to the next hundred and i have the esteemed honor of bringing up a genuine fighter for this work. Our mayor of the city of Chicago, Mayor Brandon Johnson. Thank you. Thank you so much, Alderman LaSpada, for that introduction. Good morning, everyone. I'm grateful that we are all here to not only appreciate, but to express

[7:30](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/468pMKEEp_g?t=450) our profound gratitude to all of the individuals who helped this milestone become a reality. I'm grateful today that we are not just joined by Alder Daniel Espada, but we also have Alderwoman Ruth Cruz. Thank you for being here. You're going to hear from our Acting CDOT Commissioner Craig Turner. Divi's General Manager Sean Madison is with us today. The Active Transportation Alliance's Advocacy Manager Alex Perez.

[8:04](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/468pMKEEp_g?t=484) And, of course, from the Sam Bell Foundation, the board member Kevin Kline. And I'm also grateful that our Deputy Mayor for Infrastructure, Lori Lipson, is here. That's right, thank you. The two people who work in her division knew enough to clap, right? So it's some form of job security, at least to the end of the day. But thank you all for your leadership and your advocacy. You all might have seen us riding on divvy bikes to today's press conference here on Milwaukee Avenue.

[8:36](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/468pMKEEp_g?t=516) Our ride today was made possible by CDOT, which just recently completed a major resurfacing project on Milwaukee Avenue from Kinsey Street to Chicago Avenue to ensure our roads and protected bike lanes are safe for all road users. With the completion of this project, our city has reached an incredible milestone today in our commitment to building safer streets. Today, we are proud to announce that under my administration, the city of Chicago has installed more than 100 miles of new bikeways.

[9:18](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/468pMKEEp_g?t=558) So I'm not sure if someone's going to write a new song. All right. That went over your heads. 100 miles. I will walk 100. Okay. All right. All right. All right. So I'm going to not use that joke ever again. But today we are really elated by this incredible accomplishment. And furthermore, this year, as the alder has already alluded to, we are on track to have more than 500 miles in total bikeways throughout the entire city of Chicago.

[9:48](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/468pMKEEp_g?t=588) So my administration and CDOT were focused on both growing our bike network and improving the quality of our bike lanes. These bike lane improvements and installations are a meaningful investment into equity and the vitality of our great city. Many Chicagoans rely upon bikes every day as a mode of transportation. I do sometimes enjoy my eight miles riding through Austin and through the Garfield Park community, mostly for exercise and some level of reprieve and my own mental health.

[10:25](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/468pMKEEp_g?t=625) But we do have a responsibility to keep the road safe and accessible to all of our residents who want to bike to work, school, stores, and other destinations. Most of the new bikeways installed fall into what we call the low-stress category, meaning they are protected bike lanes or neighborhood greenways designed to be more comfortable and accessible for people of all ages and experience levels. Our work to expand our bike lane network across the city is fueling a boom in biking in Chicago.

[10:57](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/468pMKEEp_g?t=657) Whether biking is a part of your daily commute, a way to run errands in your neighborhood, or just a way to enjoy our beautiful city, more Chicagoans than ever are choosing to get around with their bikes. This is reflected in our record-breaking ridership on our Divi bike share system this year. Divi had its busiest summer ever as we rolled out new improvements and benefits for all of our riders. Divi's general manager, Sean Madison, is here to speak more about this milestone

[11:30](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/468pMKEEp_g?t=690) and how the program is continuing to grow and serve our neighborhoods. CDOT's bikeway installations and improvements are an investment, again, in equity and vitality. But most of all, they are an investment in safety. Our protected bike lane makes a difference between a close call and a tragedy. Kevin Kline from the Sam Bell Foundation is here today to tell us about the Sam Bell Memorial Foundation and, of course, his friend Sam, who in 2022 was riding in the Milwaukee Avenue bike lane

[12:03](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/468pMKEEp_g?t=723) when he was fatally struck by a vehicle while turning left onto Huron Street. We cannot accept dangerous bike conditions as the norm. In fact, as a city, we have to take a full responsibility to make all of our roads safer. The tragedy greatly shaped and informed the Milwaukee resurfacing project. And today, as we unveil the new bike lane, we honor Sam and all riders just like Sam. And now, as a concrete protected bike lane is accompanied by curb bump outs to shorten the crossing distance and reduce exposure to vehicular traffic.

[12:45](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/468pMKEEp_g?t=765) Under my administration, CDOT's Complete Streets approach ensures that every project undertaken by the department makes our streets safer and more accessible for everyone. whether they're walking, biking, or taking transit or driving. We aim to build upon the positive trends that we are experiencing in Chicago over the last recent years. In fact, since 2021, the number of traffic fatalities in Chicago has decreased by about 30 percent, even as traffic volumes pick back up again after the COVID-19 pandemic.

[13:17](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/468pMKEEp_g?t=797) This progress is continuing in 2025. Initial figures show that through the end of August, Chicago recorded its lowest number of total traffic fatalities and pedestrian fatalities in more than a decade. And by that metric, we are outperforming our peer cities and nationwide with traffic fatalities. Of course, any tragedy is unacceptable. And while we've made meaningful progress, we do know that there's still more work for us to do.

[13:52](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/468pMKEEp_g?t=832) And last week, you all, a nine-year-old boy was struck and killed outside of his elementary school in the Austin neighborhood. The heartbreaking loss is a painful reminder that traffic safety is public safety. We will not rest until every single child, parent, and every neighbor can travel safely on our streets, no matter where they live or how they get around. We're closing, and that is why we will continue to invest in road safety and accessibility. and why projects like the one that we are celebrating today are so critical.

[14:27](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/468pMKEEp_g?t=867) I'm grateful to the Sam Bell Memorial Foundation, the Active Transportation Alliance, and the bikers throughout our city who advocate fiercely. If there's a group in Chicago that advocates on behalf of anything, it's the people who are advocating for bike lanes and bikers, and your advocacy is paying dividends for the people of Chicago. So thank you for that. Thank you for all of you. I'm grateful for the partnership. And so now I want to express my gratitude to CDOT and Acting Commissioner Turner for their leadership and attention to this important issue.

[15:03](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/468pMKEEp_g?t=903) As one of Chicago's bikers, I look forward to our continued streetscape and bike lane improvements as part of the work to build the safest, most affordable big city in America. Thank you all. God bless you. And with that, please welcome to the podium Acting CDOT Commissioner Mr. Craig Turner. Well, good morning, everyone. Thank you, Mayor Johnson, for your strong leadership and your unwavering commitment to making our streets safer for all Chicagoans.

[15:38](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/468pMKEEp_g?t=938) It's fitting that we are gathered here on Milwaukee Avenue today as we celebrate the incredible milestone of installing more than 100 miles of new bikeway under this administration. We also recognize that our city network now stretches over 500 miles. As one of Chicago's busiest and most vital bikeways, Milwaukee Avenue is a perfect example of how these improvements are making a difference. CDOT has been implementing a number of projects along this corridor in recent years,

[16:10](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/468pMKEEp_g?t=970) adding bike lanes and pedestrian safety enhancements that ensure Milwaukee Avenue works better for everyone who uses it. The most recent project between Kinsey and Chicago Avenue is the latest and most significant one. This was a major resurfacing effort that completely transformed this stretch of road. We redesigned the intersections to improve visibility, added concrete protective bike lanes, installed pedestrian refuge islands,

[16:41](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/468pMKEEp_g?t=1001) and curved extensions to shorten the crossing distance, and added bus boarding islands to improve safety and efficiencies for our CTA riders. I want to take a moment to recognize the outstanding work of everyone who made this possible. To the CDOT Division of Engineering, our engineers and designers, our construction managers who have overseen this project, and also our material resurfacing team, to the prime contractor of Begain Paving, and to our consultant construction engineer, Millhouse Engineering Construction,

[17:16](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/468pMKEEp_g?t=1036) Your work in delivering a complex project in such a busy area of the city is incredible. But I also would like to thank CDOT's Division of Project Development and our complete street teams, who has been instrumental in advancing bikeway and traffic safety improvements citywide. The past year has been incredibly productive for the Chicago Bike Network, and 2025 is no different. We are on pace to install 15 miles of protected bike lanes and over 20 miles of neighborhood

[17:50](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/468pMKEEp_g?t=1070) greenways, both of which will be our annual record. This work is guided by the Chicago Cycle Strategy, our community-driven plan to expand a safe, connected bike network. The strategy emphasizes creating low-stress routes that make everyday trips safe and convenient, while linking neighborhoods through vital crosstown corridor like Milwaukee Avenue. These bikeway projects go hand-in-hand with other critical safety upgrades.

[18:21](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/468pMKEEp_g?t=1101) Thanks to Mayor Johnson's leadership and funding from the Build Better Together Capital Bond, CDOT is delivering transformative projects like this all across Chicago. While working closely with city council and community stakeholders, We are embedding complete streets design to every project, which includes features like right-sized travel lanes, adding curb extensions, raised crosswalks, and installing pedestrian islands.

[18:51](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/468pMKEEp_g?t=1131) These features help reduce dangerous speeding, increase visibility, and make our streets safe for everyone. As the Mayor mentioned, these investments are making a real difference. Chicago has been outpacing the nation and bringing down traffic fatalities, which has fallen about 30% since the 2021 peak, and are trending down again in 2025. We know we have more work to do, and CDOT is committed to continuing our work to make our streets safer for everyone.

[19:22](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/468pMKEEp_g?t=1162) But more people than ever in Chicago are choosing active forms of transportation. Our Divi bike share system has always been popular, and it just had its busiest summer ever. This growth comes as CDOT and Divi operator Lyft continue investing to make the system more affordable and accessible with new and upgraded stations and other ride-focused improvements. To share more about this, I'm pleased to introduce Deputy General Manager Sean Madison.

[19:53](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/468pMKEEp_g?t=1193) Thank you. All right, I'll be quick. I know it's a little drizzly out here. Good morning, everyone. Good morning. Mayor Johnson, Commissioner, Alderman, partners, what an incredible day to celebrate not just a transformed Milwaukee Avenue, but a transportation revolution happening right here in Chicago. When I look at this beautiful protected bike lane, I don't just see concrete and paint. I see the 995,000 Divi rides Chicagoans took last month alone.

[20:26](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/468pMKEEp_g?t=1226) That's right. August shattered our all-time ridership record, with half a million e-bike rides and 200,000 scooter trips connecting neighborhoods from Rogers Park to Roseland. These rides aren't just numbers either. They're teachers getting to school, families exploring our beautiful city, workers beating traffic, and neighbors choosing sustainable transportation that makes Chicago even stronger. Every Divi ride represents a choice for cleaner air, safer streets, and a more connected city. This summer's records didn't happen by accident.

[20:59](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/468pMKEEp_g?t=1259) They happened because of the partnership we see in action today between Lyft, the City of Chicago, CDOT, and most importantly, with all of you who've embraced Divi as part of Chicago's transportation fabric. We've worked hand-in-hand with the city to expand access where it matters most. We're installing more stations and docks in the neighborhoods that need them. And we're deploying charging infrastructure to keep our e-bikes and scooters powered up and ready. Our mission is straightforward. We want to give all Chicagoans options when it comes to mobility.

[21:31](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/468pMKEEp_g?t=1291) Milwaukee Avenue's transformation with these protected lanes and safer intersections shows what's possible when we reimagine our streets. Every improvement like this one makes people safer when choosing bikes and scooters. And when people feel safe, they ride. The proof of this virtuous cycle is in those record-breaking numbers. Mayor Johnson, your administration's achievement of 100 miles of new bikeways and reaching 500 total miles citywide isn't just infrastructure. It is an invitation, an invitation for more Chicagoans to experience their city differently,

[22:04](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/468pMKEEp_g?t=1324) to discover new neighborhoods, to be a part of the solution to climate change one ride at a time. Looking ahead, Divvy and Lyft remain committed to growing with Chicago. More bikes and scooters, more access, more connections between communities. Because when we make sustainable transportation the easy choice, everybody wins. So thank you, Mayor Johnson, Commissioner, Alderman, and everyone who made the Milwaukee Avenue and Chicago's entire bike network what it is today. Here's to the next million rides, the more miles of bikeways,

[22:36](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/468pMKEEp_g?t=1356) and to Chicago continue to be one of the cities leading the nation in making the world more livable, sustainable, and connected. Chicago, let's keep rolling. And with that, I will pass it to Alex Perez from the Active Transportation Alliance. Hi, everyone. My name is Alex Perez. I am an advocacy manager with the Active Transportation Alliance. ATA is a nonprofit organization that advocates to create healthy, sustainable, equitable communities

[23:07](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/468pMKEEp_g?t=1387) through advocating through walking, biking, and public transit. We are excited here to be with everybody. We envision a future where people from all over Chicagoland are able to access a safe and affordable transportation network with abundance of walking, biking, and public transit, which is why we're here to celebrate this project. We also aren't going to grow our number of people who are choosing to walk and bike projects

[23:38](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/468pMKEEp_g?t=1418) if you don't feel safe, so we are excited to continue working on projects that put people first and not prioritize cars or speeding and that is a good way to keep our streets safe and make sure that people are engaged with riding around biking around and taking public transit we are excited to celebrate c does 100 c does work in implementing 100 bike lanes throughout the johnson administration divvy ridership has also seen an increase in ridership that's also due to the number of thoughts that they've been increasing all over the city and

[24:11](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/468pMKEEp_g?t=1451) And it's also a way that people are able to get around safely and affordable. We are also here to celebrate the project here on Milwaukee Avenue that also extends the protected bike lane. People are able to get from downtown to the northwest side now safely without having to intervene with courage as well. And that's something we like to see across other corridors as well. So thank you Cina for working on making Milwaukee Avenue a safer route for people to get to. uh also by taking a holistic approach uh we see um this approach of making of centering people

[24:43](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/468pMKEEp_g?t=1483) being a way that people want our cities to look like uh we also are as a result we also see more people riding and using it um i took milwaukee biking here on my bike and i got to see uh people walking in here families children so we want to see that result also as increase of people being able to ride safely families we want to make sure that they're using uh bike lanes as well So we encourage that to be continuing to use. Even if it's raining, we want to see people riding as well, too. Complete street projects are very important.

[25:14](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/468pMKEEp_g?t=1514) We want to make sure that we are redesigning our streets to reduce speeding. We want to make sure that people are paying attention to the road, and we want to make sure that people are crossing the street safely. That's how we get more people to be able to walk around, bike around, and use public transit safely. We also want to make sure that they're clean. Not only our transit, but also our streets should be cleaned. And that's how people are going to be able to use them more. This project also sends a message that we can and should value people-centered streets over speeding.

[25:47](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/468pMKEEp_g?t=1547) So we want to make sure that we continue to keep doing that. And I just want to say thank you to CDOT. Thank you to the alderman. Thank you to the mayor. All the people who have put on this project to make it happen. And we want to continue to celebrate and put on the next 100 miles. Thank you. I'll give it off to Sam Bell. Thank you, everyone, for inviting us to speak today, or inviting me to speak today. Traffic safety improvements like the Milwaukee Avenue project are about more than infrastructure. They represent a choice, a choice to value people over speed and design streets that protect life rather than endanger it.

[26:23](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/468pMKEEp_g?t=1583) When we calm traffic and add protected bike lanes and create safer crossings, we do more than reduce crashes. We build communities where children can bike to school, where older adults can walk without fear, and where all of us can move with confidence. This vision aligns with the Sam Bell Memorial Foundation. Sam's life was cut short in a preventable strategy just one block up the street, and out of that loss came a commitment to change. The foundation reminds us that behind every statistic is a loved one, a neighbor, a friend, a family member. Each improvement to our streets is both the safeguard for the future

[26:54](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/468pMKEEp_g?t=1614) and a living memorial to those that we have lost. When we advance projects like Milwaukee Avenue, we are not just reimagining how streets function. we are affirming that safety is non-negotiable. We're saying that every life matters and that compassion should guide how we shape our city. In this way, the work of traffic safety and the mission of the Sam Bell Foundation are one and the same, to honor memory, prevent loss, and to build a community where every journey begins and ends in safety. Thank you.

[30:04](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/468pMKEEp_g?t=1804) What are they? Testing, testing. Cool. Are you ready? Yes, please. Thank you. All right. We'll come over here. Sean, you want to start? Mariah? Hi, Mayor. Hi. Good morning. How are you? I'm wonderful. Thank you.

[30:37](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/468pMKEEp_g?t=1837) um you previously called for an investigation into the ice shooting in franklin park um the sun times is reporting this morning that ice may have mischaracterized the severity of the officer's injuries he's seen on body camera footage saying that we obtained saying that he was only minorly injured nothing major you know that's despite ice immediately saying he was severely injured with multiple injuries can the feds be trusted to investigate this incident or Or what body of government should be responsible for probing what happened?

[31:09](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/468pMKEEp_g?t=1869) Well, first of all, again, this was a tragedy. And a father, a worker, a human being, their life was taken from us because of this, you know, ungodly leadership at the federal level, quite frankly. And I believe what's necessary in this moment is that the federal government has a responsibility to check the behavior and the activity of law enforcement.

[31:47](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/468pMKEEp_g?t=1907) And so it could be appropriate for the Department of Justice to establish an independent investigation outside of itself. That seems to be what is most appropriate, I think, in this moment. Well, thanks for asking. Hey, Mayor, good morning. You're not going to hold it for her? I know. I'm going to be doing it. It's all right. I got you, Sarah. It's all right. That's okay. I don't need it.

[32:21](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/468pMKEEp_g?t=1941) There appears to be a compromise on the granny flats ordinance. What do you think of this compromise? Well, look, this is really about building more affordable units. You know, as you see today, Chicago is clearly growing. We're moving in the right direction as we build the safest, most affordable big city in America. And I've always said from the very beginning, it's important that we all come together, the stakeholders, which obviously includes city council, to make sure that we're doing everything in our power to build more affordable units. So I'm grateful that these conversations continue to move forward and that we're not getting jammed up

[32:57](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/468pMKEEp_g?t=1977) because of one individual's particular perspective, but that it's about the entire collective as a city. Also on Sunday, you probably heard President Trump during Charlie Kirk's memorial service take aim at Chicago once again during a memorial service. Just what are your comments about, again, that he continues to attack Chicago? Well, first of all, as he takes aim, clearly he keeps missing, right? Because as a city, we are firm and we are agile.

[33:29](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/468pMKEEp_g?t=2009) Well, this moment really requires the federal government to actually work with mayors across the country to do what works. I'm working hard every single day alongside of, you see two alders who are standing out here with me, Alder Cruz and La Spada. and the full force of government to make sure that we're building safe communities. Right now, again, we are still on pace to have the fewest amount of homicides that we've seen in 60 years, right? Look, one tragedy, whether it's life being lost through commuting

[34:01](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/468pMKEEp_g?t=2041) or someone's life being taken away from them because of gun violence, government has a responsibility to make sure that people are safe. This president has not shown a genuine concern towards how we actually build safe communities. So as he continues to take aim at the city of Chicago, we're going to stand firm in our values, protecting working people across the city. How are you doing, Mayor Johnson? I'm doing well. Excellent. You're just showing off without that umbrella, by the way, but go ahead.

[34:31](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/468pMKEEp_g?t=2071) My jacket's covering my recorder. I've got to protect the important stuff. The Alderman got an update yesterday on the progress or lack of progress in replacing lead service lines for homes. A fraction of the people who should have been notified under a federal deadline have been. And Alderman learned or talked about tens of millions of dollars that are still kind of waiting to be spent and waiting to be done. What have you communicated to your department heads and your administration about how to speed this up for people

[35:02](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/468pMKEEp_g?t=2102) so they don't have the potential of lead-contaminated water going into their homes? Well, first of all, the investments in replacing these lead service lines is a transformational moment. I'm grateful to both of our United States senators and our entire federal delegation. Right now, of course, we know that that work is substantial, And part of our assignment is to make sure that we're bringing together all of the workforce that can actually carry this work out because it's important that the workforce reflects the communities in which we are actually transforming.

[35:35](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/468pMKEEp_g?t=2135) Are you satisfied with the progress that's been made so far? Well, look, there's more work to be done. You know, I don't know if I'm going to be satisfied until we have complete, safe communities across this city. So, no, there's more work to be done, and we're committed to getting it done. Good morning, Mayor. Good morning. The deadline for the grocery tax vote is coming up. What are your thoughts on that? Do you have enough votes to get it through city council right now? Well, look, you know, this tax has been around for 30 years.

[36:06](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/468pMKEEp_g?t=2166) I don't believe that that tax should be raised, right? We know that municipalities around the state of Illinois are collecting that revenue source. That's something that, of course, that the city council and others will continue to debate. And we'll make sure, though, that if nothing else, we're going to make the critical investments in our communities to continue our path for safe and affordability. Hey, Mayor. On the ADU compromise, it's a lot less than what your administration had sought.

[36:37](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/468pMKEEp_g?t=2197) You know, this wouldn't allow for in residential areas ADUs to be built without aldermanic approval. What do you think about that kind of drop in what you saw and what you got? Well, look, we're on pace to build 10,000 affordable units. We need 100,000. I'm going to continue to work with city council members and all stakeholders to ensure that we're creating as many opportunities as possible to build more affordable units. That's the ultimate goal. That's what we are accomplishing, and we're going to do that with as much expediency as we possibly can.

[37:09](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/468pMKEEp_g?t=2229) Thank you all very much. Now it's starting to run. Come on through the ramp.

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Source: https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/468pMKEEp_g · Chicago Politics, an independent tracker of the Chicago City Council. Guide for agents: https://www.chicagopolitics.org/llms.txt