2018 Active Trans Gubernatorial Candidate Questionnaire

Candidate Name: Bob Daiber for Governor

1. We live in an era when more Illinois residents from the ages of 8 to 80 are choosing to walk,
bike and ride public transit. How do you incorporate walking, biking and public transit into your
everyday life? Do you, or a family member, routinely walk, bicycle or use transit for any of the
trips listed below? If so, please circle.

Walk: Go to work Bring child to

school Errands Recreation Other
Bike: Go to work Bring child to school Errands Recreation Other

Transit: Go to work Bring child to school Errands Recreation Other

Comments:

I live in a semi-rural area, so opportunities for walking, biking and transit are less for me than in
more populated areas. However, once I get to my office in Edwardsville, I walk around the
downtown area when I go to meetings, etc., even if it’s three-quarters of a mile away. I’ve done
a lot of walking on this campaign for governor, and I ride Metro Link when I go to St. Louis for
Cardinals games.

I should point out that Madison County Transit operates an extensive system of bike trails,
many of which opened when I was on the County Board, and the development of which I
supported:
www.co.madison.il.us/MCT%20Trails%20Presentation%20for%20MIC%20Summit.pdf

2. Chicagoland transit agencies face a $19.4 billion need to maintain and modernize
existing infrastructure, yet state operating and capital funds for public transit have been
cut several times in recent years.
a. Do you support restoring transit operations funding to pre-2017 levels?

 Yes
 No

b. Do you support dedicating at least 40 percent of transportation spending in

any capital legislation to public transit?
 Yes
 No

Comments:
a. Yes
b. No. It sounds like a good idea, and I am aware of the need for transit – I am not a roads-
only guy – but I don’t want to be tied to a promise of 40 percent. I will consider it a guideline.
I will add that I would continue state support for Amtrak corridor service, and would look to
expand frequency and reliability. I also favor extending some Metra routes, if possible, to places
such as DeKalb and Kankakee, even if it’s only four or five trains a day.

3. Unlike many of its state department of transportation peers, the Illinois Department
of Transportation (IDOT) currently sets aside very little state-generated funds in support
of walking and bicycling. Nearly all funds for dedicated biking and walking facilities and
programs are either federal or local in origin. Do you support establishing a bike-
walk fund in the state budget with a target annual appropriation of $50 million
(approximately 2 percent of the overall annual IDOT budget)?

 Yes
 No

Comments:

Yes, I support that, but it’s hard to promise. However, if we undertake a capital program
that involves an increase in the motor fuel tax, I promise I would set aside funds for
walking and biking projects.

4. Every day in Illinois, people driving cars hit five kids while they are walking or biking
within one block of a school. In 1969, more than half of kids walked or biked to school.
Today, only 13 percent report doing it, in part due to parents’ concerns over traffic
safety. Most Illinois students are not receiving any walking and biking safety education,
and driver education curricula rarely address safe driving around people who walk and
bike.
a. Do you support requiring Illinois public schools to incorporate biking and
walking education into physical education or health curricula?

 Yes
 No
b. Do you support strengthening driver education standards to include
instruction around safely sharing the road with people who walk and bike, and
their legal rights as road users?

 Yes
 No

Comments:

Yes to both. I think education is lacking. Pedestrians and bicyclists get no education, and drivers
get their license at age 16 or 17 when maneuvering the car is their top concern. They don’t ever
learn the finer points of safety, and over the decades they develop bad habits, with nobody to
tell them they’re wrong. Drivers must be educated on how bike lanes work, not to block the
crosswalk at a traffic light, not to turn right on red without checking for pedestrians, etc.

5. On state-controlled roads, Illinois policy frequently prioritizes the swift movement of cars
above more efficient modes of transportation and the safety of all road users. Do you support
reforming IDOT policies to support building more and better biking and walking facilities on
state routes?

 Yes
 No

Comments:

Where appropriate, yes. Some roads should be designed for the swift movement of cars. Others
should carry a mix of modes, and I do support adjusting IDOT policies to recognize that.

6. Planning for the state’s reconstruction of North Lake Shore Drive in Chicago is currently
underway. Bus riders, who account for one-third of users on the roadway, get stuck in traffic
every day, particularly during the morning and evening rush. Do you support creating a new
transit corridor on North Lake Shore Drive with its own dedicated lanes?

 Yes
 No

Comments:

I favor it – but I’m a school teacher, not an engineer. We’ll have to see if the proposals are
practical, but yes, dedicated bus lanes during congested periods on LSD are something I
support.
7. The Illinois Toll Highway Authority recently decided to expand the Tri-State Tollway at a
cost of $4 billion, and recently opened the new Elgin-O’Hare toll road. At the same time, IDOT
plans to widen Interstate 290 and Interstate 55. Research and experience show that expanding
roads in urban areas only makes traffic congestion as bad or worse in the long run by inducing
more people to drive, while physically isolating and undermining low-income neighborhoods.
Do you support a state policy that prioritizes lasting, cost-effective congestion relief and
alternatives to driving, including better public transportation and rush-hour demand
management strategies, rather than highway expansion?

 Yes
 No

Comments:

Set aside the Tollway portion of the question, because the Tollway Authority is set up for one
reason: To build and operate tollways.

With respect to IDOT, I agree with the premise of the question. I support bus-only lanes on I-
290, but not a full-scale, multi-lane expansion of I-290 and I-55 overall. There might be some
areas that could be expanded to unsnarl persistent congestion, but a miles-long capacity
expansion would not be a priority in my administration.

The I-290 corridor would handle more people if the Blue Line tracks and signals were improved,
if stations were reopened at California, Kostner and Central Avenue, and, should the money be
available, if the route is extended at least to the Maywood courthouse-1st Avenue, if not
further.

8. Mobility equity is fundamental to human and civil rights. Like most of the United States,
Illinois is designed around using a personal automobile for transportation. However, many low-
income residents cannot afford a car, and they lack access to safe and convenient
transportation options to get to jobs, schools, healthcare, recreation and other critical services.
Do you support establishing a transportation equity working group at IDOT with a focus on
increasing and improving transportation options in vulnerable communities?

 Yes
 No

Comments:
Yes. There are areas that need and deserve transit but don’t get it. I think IDOT and the transit
agencies throughout Illinois should be required to listen to a working group to be made aware
of problems. There may not be immediate solutions, but without awareness of the problem,
there will be no solution.