Originally published in Chicago Tribune, September 22, 2020.

Niles village officials are hoping state legislators, citizens and professional studies will convince the Illinois Department of Transportation to approve traffic signals for an intersection where a 13-year-old bicyclist was killed in July.

On Sept. 11, letters signed by Niles Mayor Andrew Przybylo were mailed to State Senators Ram Villivalam and Robert Martwick, and State Representatives Bradley Stephens and John D’Amico. The letters ask the elected officials to support the village’s request to IDOT for traffic control signals at Waukegan Road and Cleveland Street, which is part of a designated bicycle route.

The village is also seeking a traffic signal further east, at Caldwell Avenue and Cleveland Street, where the bike trail connects with Miami Woods and the North Branch Trail.
All four legislators, who each represent a district that includes a portion of Niles, were asked to mail a letter of support to the village by Oct. 1 so that it can be included in a larger package of documentation that the village plans to submit to IDOT officials.

Originally published in WGEM, August 27, 2020.

Springfield, IL - The Illinois Department of Transportation is facing questions over complaints of systemic racism. Current and former employees are calling for workplace equity and protocols to end racism in hiring and selection of contractors for statewide projects, especially in Southern Illinois.

Members of the Senate Transportation Committee asked IDOT officials how they plan to address the recent allegations. Transportation Secretary Omer Osman says racism, sexual harassment, and discrimination are not acceptable at the agency. Osman emphasized he is taking the discrimination complaint seriously.

"Any employee who has been a victim of discrimination can file an internal complaint with IDOT EEO or civil rights. Or, they may file externally if they don't want to go that route," Osman explained.

The Department's legal counsel says employees go through regular training to try and prevent discrimination similar to protocols with other state agencies. Osman said IDOT will enhance efforts to stop discrimination following recent attacks on minorities across the country.

Originally published in Quad-City Times, September 1, 2020. 

SPRINGFIELD — A coalition of 10 state transportation agencies, including Illinois’, announced the creation of a diversity panel last week to develop “fairness and inclusion” at work sites, the group’s president said.

The committee has not yet held a meeting, a spokesperson for the Illinois Department of Transportation said in an email, but its establishment “has been in the works for a while.” Members of the Mid-America Association of State Transportation Agencies will share methods and programs designed to diversify their practices.

“We are also committed to creating more contracting opportunities for women- and minority-owned businesses and to avoid transportation projects having a negative impact on minority communities,” Craig Thompson, association president, said in a written statement. “Most of all, we strive to provide mobility options for everyone in our communities to make sure that transportation is not a barrier to the wellbeing of vulnerable people.”

Thompson is the secretary designee of Wisconsin’s Department of Transportation. States belonging to the association include Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota and Ohio.

Illinois currently participates in the federal Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program, which is mandated by the U.S. Congress and overseen by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Originally published in Journal & Topics, September 1, 2020. 

Major Focus On Waukegan Road, Cleveland Street Following July Fatality

The project to install pedestrian traffic calming signals at Waukegan Road and Cleveland Street and Caldwell Avenue and Cleveland has been identified and discussed for years, but delays ensued since both roads are state-controlled routes.

Last month, village trustees awarded a contract to perform a traffic study to move that project along and Sen. Ram Villivalam (D-8th) held a hearing calling for greater transparency in the process the Illinois Dept. of Transportation (IDOT) uses to prioritize which projects are selected and which receive funding.

The village has several road projects in various stages of planning and execution underway to improve roadway safety for pedestrians. The Waukegan and Cleveland traffic safety control device project received new scrutiny after 13-year-old Sam Yousif was killed crossing Waukegan Road at Cleveland on his bike in July.

Both intersections are identified in the village’s 2014 multi-modal plan looking at pedestrian and bike routes as problem intersections, which needed to be addressed. Residents have complained about several accidents at Waukegan and Cleveland dating back to 2013.