See where Illinois Secretary of State candidates stand on active transportation issues

Election Day is quick approaching in Illinois. The Energetic Transportation Alliance lately launched its 2022 sustainable transportation voter information for the Secretary of State place. The secretary of state oversees the Illinois guidelines of the street, the motive force training companies examination, and varied site visitors security initiatives, amongst different duties. Six candidates – 4 Democrats and two Republicans – are vying for the Secretary of State place which is being vacated by outgoing Secretary of State Jesse White, who’s retiring after 23 years in workplace. 

The Energetic Transportation Alliance, Journey Illinois, and the Metropolitan Planning Council collectively created a questionnaire that was despatched to all candidates. The candidates’ responses make up the voter information. It’s value noting that as non-partisan 501(c)3 not-for-profit organizations, ATA, Journey Illinois, and MPC don’t endorse candidates or consider their positions. The information is meant as an academic useful resource to tell the general public and candidates for statewide workplace about present priorities for enhancing public transit, strolling, and biking as recognized by members, supporters and workers of those organizations.

We’ll present an outline of the candidates’ responses. Let’s begin with the Democratic candidates 

Alexi Giannoulias

Giannoulias, served as Illinois treasurer from 2007 to 2011, says he lives in a walkable neighborhood, and appreciates with the ability to stroll to eating places, parks, and different native companies. He makes use of energetic transportation as a lot as attainable provided that it helps cut back congestion and is best for the setting.

When requested concerning the function of transportation in addressing public well being challenges, local weather change, racial and social inequities, he states that he sees the secretary of state as having a duty to advocate for various modes of transportation to assist Illinois residents transfer past automobile dependency, and to coach drivers concerning the significance of sharing the street to enhance security and shield the setting. He says an growth of sustainable transportation choices, with a particular deal with underserved communities, may help the state handle fairness points.

Giannoulias desires to advocate for a extra multi-modal method on the Illinois Division of Transportation. His need to rework state-controlled roads into extra multi-modal thoroughfares with bike lanes, improved walkability, and devoted transitways” stood out to me.

Moreover, Giannoulias desires to work with stakeholders and different state companies and create a state sponsored plan just like Imaginative and prescient Zero, designed to scale back automobile associated crashes, accidents, and fatalities, which might be carried out statewide.

Giannoulias was requested if he helps requiring drivers to reply questions associated to driving safely close to pedestrians, cyclists, and different weak street customers with the intention to full their examination and he says he strongly helps this requirement. He’s conscious that crashes involving automobiles and bicycles are far too frequent. If elected, he says he would make sure that questions associated to weak street customers seem on written driving exams.

Giannoulias helps altering Illinois regulation and the Secretary of State Guidelines of the Street round jaywalking to considerably cut back or remove fines for violating this regulation. He additionally helps elevated disclosure for ticketing that “would permit native governments, residents, and advocacy teams monitor the place enforcement is happening with the intention to present improved accountability.”

Giannoulias’ solutions appear to point he helps considerably lowering or eliminating fines for cyclists after they carry out an “Idaho Cease” at an intersection the place no different site visitors is current. He helps cyclists with the ability to carry out an “Idaho Cease” but has issues about the opportunity of a crash. He reiterated his assist for protected bike lanes.

David Moore

David Moore is at the moment the alderperson for the seventeenth Ward. In response to the primary query he states that almost all of his bike driving is for “train” and group biking occasions like Roll N Peace. His responses within the “notes” space of the survey embrace plenty of fluff, however issues that stood out was the point out of a report from StreetLight Information, a personal firm that conducts transportation evaluation, that ranks Illinois as one of many prime 5 finest states for bicyclist security. I’m very skeptical of this rating. Moore mentions this in relation to the disproportionate ticketing of Black cyclists. He then mentions Roll N Peace as a solution to foster higher relationships between Chicago police and residents. To me that’s not a really robust argument.

Moore states he want to create Youth Engagement Workplaces within the 122 motorcar services throughout the state. He says these workplaces would serve to coach younger individuals about how you can be a extra conscientious driver round cyclists and the advantages of biking.

When requested if he helps requiring a query on the Illinois written drivers take a look at re: driving duty round pedestrians and cyclists, Moore signifies he strongly helps this. He added a  word that states the rise in bike owner deaths may be attributed to drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians ignoring site visitors legal guidelines. (In fact, while you’re piloting a quick, multi-ton automobile with blind spots that may simply kill different individuals, your duty to journey safely is exponentially greater.)

Moore helps reforming legal guidelines in opposition to jaywalking and helps reviewing the state’s cease signal legal guidelines because it pertains to individuals on bike.

Anna Valencia

Anna Valencia, at the moment Chicago’s metropolis clerk, indicated she walks along with her daughter to the park and close by areas for play dates, purchasing, and many others. She believes the state ought to broaden transportation choices and thinks a method we are able to do that’s by educating drivers on how they need to share the street with individuals on bike; promoting and funding public transportation; and creating incentives for individuals to make use of non-car journey modes.

Valencia says she strongly helps requiring driver exams to have questions associated to driving safely close to pedestrians, cyclists, and different weak street customers to ensure that potential drivers to finish their examination. She additionally strongly helps reforming Illinois’ jaywalking legal guidelines and cease signal legal guidelines as they relate to cyclists.

Sidney Moore, the opposite Democratic candidate for Illinois Secretary of State has not but responded to the survey.

Republican Candidates

Dan Brady

Brady indicated that he makes use of a motorbike for purchasing or errands and for recreation. He makes use of public transportation to get to leisure actions.

When requested about how he sees transportation addressing local weather change, well being and security, and fairness, he indicated he’s conducting extra analysis. Brady says he strongly helps requiring driver exams to have questions associated to driving safely close to pedestrians, cyclists, and different weak street customers to ensure that potential drivers to finish their examination. He additionally strongly helps reforming Illinois  jaywalking legal guidelines and cease signal legal guidelines as they relate to cyclists.

John Milhiser, the opposite Republican candidate for Illinois Secretary of State has not but responded to the survey.

If you need to learn the candidates’ responses extra in depth, you are able to do so on the Energetic Transportation Alliance web site.