Amara announced her campaign for Chicago’s Mayor on Monday and her tone is clear, she’s in it to win it. Am I sold already? Not entirely, though I could be leaning her way, but as you would imagine, my interest lies in transportation. It’s not her background or primary education, though she does have education in environmental law—that’s a start to interpret the importance of developing alternatives to the privately owned vehicle.

I return to my desire for a Mayor who may not have the answers themselves, but position and enable leaders of their respective operation to execute the best for Chicago. In our case, encouraging bold choices and having the backbone to stare down critics with the gusto Bloomberg exhibited defending Janette Sadik-Khan.

Amara has an opportunity to learn and develop a transportation platform that would garner support from those who may not be as concerned with what appears to be her personal passion, education. Young people in this city seem to care about politics little outside of employment and transportation options. The employment aspect she’s well aware of, which leaves an opportunity for winning them over completely by supporting a strong network that puts driving in the backseat.

—Instruct CDOT to correctly measure protected bike lane miles and vow to implement an actual PBL network—not just segments. Because they’re just safer, period, and there are opportunities to make them even more safe.
—Lean on IDOT to ensure proper consideration of public transit and biking infrastructure in the North Lake Shore Drive project. At this point it’s undetermined how IDOT will truly handle this incredible opportunity.
—Instruct CDOT to develop, or retain their current Spoke Route plan, a bike plan network and put it up as a binding vote without exemptions when being implemented. This will avoid Alderpersons from disconnecting routes due to political connections from organizations, residents and businesses.
—Address the lack of traffic law enforcement by CPD in an effort to eliminate public safety issues. Doing so has a positive impact on both traffic safety and crime prevention.
—Make the Complete Streets policy an ordinance, not just a resolution.
—Develop a Transit First priority policy that ensures CDOT collaborate with CTA to improve bus travel speed and time.

In the end, transportation platform aside, as a attendee said, “Amara, you may be the doctor Chicago needs.” She aims to address education failures, business regulations and decrease incarceration rates through alternate methods of justice for youth from what I recall at the meeting.

I believe education and business development are the top two priorities for the city, obviously what impacts me most is transporation. But with better education and smart business leaders, residents of Chicago will realize alternatives to driving are necessary to improve health and decrease infrastructure costs among other positive outcomes.

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