Gia Biagi has been on the wheel of the Illinois Division of Transportation for lower than two weeks, however she already is planning to hit the accelerator on building initiatives — together with the slow-moving Kennedy Expressway headache.
“Once we get again on the market, you’re going to see of us working on a regular basis,” Biagi advised the Solar-Instances. “I’ve bought my eye on this challenge, and we’re going to push as arduous as we will to get it executed as quick as we will.“
Biagi, IDOT’s new performing transportation secretary, give up as commissioner of the town’s Transportation Division shortly after Mayor Brandon Johnson took workplace, reentering the non-public sector.
She advised the Solar-Instances Friday she spent the final 9 days downstate touring areas she mentioned will equally profit from the state’s $33 billion transportation funds this yr.
She mentioned IDOT already does high quality work and has a powerful funds, because of the state legislature and her boss, the governor. However Biagi believes the division can pace up its building initiatives.
“Now we actually must concentrate on schedule. And so we’re all of the ways in which we will expedite getting these initiatives out the door,” she mentioned.
Biagi mentioned she is watching the Kennedy Expressway building “like a hawk” — a $150 million challenge coming into its third and closing yr. The challenge was delayed final yr when it took weeks longer than anticipated to reopen the reversible lanes. Development on outbound lanes begins this spring.
“We perceive it’s greater than only a headache, proper? It has large implications for the town as a complete. I’m watching it like a hawk. And we’re going to make it possible for this will get executed as quick as potential.”
Gov. JB Pritzker appointed Biagi performing transportation secretary in December, a $220,000-a-year put up. She is ready to be accepted by the Illinois Senate.
As head of the town’s transportation division, she prioritized enhancing the security of roads for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists. IDOT’s purview is totally different than the town’s, overseeing practically 16,000 miles of state highways, 103 airstrips and 15 ports. However Biagi mentioned she will be able to nonetheless concentrate on security and tailoring enhancements to the areas that want them.
“It’s only a greater scale, in loads of methods. And I feel there are loads of similarities in how each neighborhood is slightly bit totally different in Chicago, each neighborhood in Illinois is slightly bit totally different,” she mentioned.
Biagi mentioned she doesn’t know when cameras to implement construction zone speed limits would be reintroduced.
She mentioned the state is open to being engaged in talks about saving Chicago’s inter-city bus depot, as Greyhound hangs on precariously on a month-by-month lease in its West Loop terminal.
Biagi wouldn’t say if she endorses bus-only lanes in the planned redesign of North DuSable Lake Shore Drive, a joint city-state effort, however mentioned it is very important hearken to neighborhood suggestions on the “Daniel Burnham-scale” challenge.
Biagi mentioned she doesn’t fear that federal funds could possibly be plucked from Illinois by President Donald Trump or pending U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.
She mentioned she hopes Duffy, a former congressman from Wisconsin, understands the significance of the Midwest for transportation.
