Transportation Committee Meeting - April 15, 2026
Transportation Committee Meeting - April 15, 2026
The Transportation Committee of Cook County met on April 15, 2026, at 5:15 PM. The meeting was called to order with a roll call for remote participation, which passed with 15 ayes and 2 absent. The committee approved the minutes from the March 11, 2026 meeting and then bundled and approved a series of infrastructure and funding items.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Minutes: The minutes from the March 11, 2026 meeting were approved unanimously.
- Bundle of Items (260504, 260671, 260702, 260704–260711, 260771, 260800, 260802, 260813, 260820): Approved en bloc. Key items include:
- 260504: Preliminary engineering phase one contract with Stranded Associates, Inc.
- 260671: Contract amendment with R.D. Dunaman Company for $1.1 million for 175th Street construction.
- 260702: Drainage and engineering services contract with Hay and Associates.
- 260704: Intergovernmental agreement with Village of Mount Prospect ($408,000) for Busy Road improvements.
- 260705–260710: Various IDOT Local Project Funding (LPF) grants ranging from $1.1 million to $2.5 million for road rehabilitation, traffic signal modernization, ADA improvements, and drainage on multiple roads (119th Street, Halsted Street, Stegger Road, Michigan City Road, Ridgeland Avenue, and Joe Orr Road).
- 260711: $5.2 million LPF grant for replacement of Salt Trail Bridge over Thorn Creek.
- 260771: $50,000 for a phase one study of a new multi-use path in Sulk Village.
- 260800: $191,000 intergovernmental agreement with Village of Palatine for sidewalk gap design on Quinton Road.
- 260802: $3.9 million joint funding agreement with IDOT for signal equipment on multiple roads.
- 260813: $150,000 for crack sealing services on various roadways.
- 260820: $6.1 million for replacement of traffic signal equipment at intersections in Palos, Palatine, Schaumburg, Tinley Park, and Cook County.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Taiwan Sims: Expressed frustration over unresolved personal legal cases (Case 23D 79597, 25120 458-301, 25120-869-201) and alleged false arrests. He stated he has been appearing before the committee since 2024 without receiving help or follow-up. He claimed violations of his constitutional rights (14th, 1st, and 4th Amendments) and parental rights, and criticized the commission for not addressing his concerns.
- George Blakemore: Delivered a rambling speech accusing the commission of scheduling meetings concurrently with Chicago City Council meetings, thereby denying him the right to attend both. He referenced “Brendan Johnson” (likely Mayor Brandon Johnson) and made allegations about racism and political motives. He also mentioned “Mr. Blake Moore” and “Trump hat.” The chair ended his speaking time at one minute.
Discussion Items
- No substantive discussion occurred on the bundled items. The chair asked if there were any questions, and hearing none, proceeded to the vote.
Key Outcomes
- Remote Participation Motion: Passed with 15 ayes, 2 absent (Commissioners McCaskill and Kevin Morrison).
- Approval of Minutes: Unanimous approval.
- Bundle of Items: Approved with 15 ayes, 2 absent. No dissenting votes recorded.
- Adjournment: Motion carried unanimously.
Meeting Transcript
Okay. Ready. You ready? Ready. All right. The meeting of the Transportation Committee will now come to order. Uh Madam Secretary, would we have a motion to call for remote participation? Yes, sir. At your recess meeting, you had all members present. I did not have Commissioner McCaskill on the roll, and she's still not present in the room. Remote participant is Commissioner Gay in there, so a remote roll call is necessary. Move. Mover and second, or sir. I move to allow remote participation. Commissioner Anaya, Commissioner Britton. Move and second. Thank you. Commissioner Aguilar, your vote, sir. Aye. Commissioner Aguilar is aye. Commissioner Naya? Aye. Thank you. Commissioner Britton. Aye. Commissioner Daly. Commissioner Degnan. Aye. Commissioner Gaynor. Aye. Commissioner Laurie. Laura Rizai. Commissioner McCasco is absent. Commissioner Miller. Commissioner Marita. Commissioner Marita is absent. Previous votes were all aye. Commissioner Kevin Morrison is absent. Commissioner Sean Morrison. Sean Morrison, aye. Previous votes are aye. Commissioner Scott. Aye. Commissioner Stamps. Commissioner Stamps vote is aye for remote participation. Thank you, ma'am. Commissioner Trevor. Aye. Thank you. Commissioner Vasquez.
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