Who we are and what we believe.
About Better Streets Chicago.
Founded in 2020, Better Streets Chicago is a grassroots 501(c)(3) transportation advocacy organization that believes better infrastructure and service is critical for Chicago to be a safer, more equitable and more livable city.
Our neighbors deserve safe, accessible, affordable and enjoyable ways to get around Chicago. We’re here to give them a voice.
Our mission.
Better Streets Chicago champions universal mobility by challenging harmful transportation infrastructure and policies.
Our team.
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Kyle Lucas
CO-FOUNDER and EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Kyle (he/him) was born in Illinois, but growing up, his family moved all over the eastern half of the US. He attended college just south of Chicago, and fell in love with the city during weekend trips via Metra and plugging into creative communities here. After a many-years journey of oppressive struggles as a gay man, he finally found his way home to Chicago in 2016.
He has always had a love for the built environment that’s rooted in his love for people – and is fighting to ensure it better serves all people and the planet they call home.
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Micheál Podgers
POLICY DIRECTOR
micheal@betterstreetschicago.org
Micheál (he/him) is an urban planner with expertise in urban transportation planning, housing, and land-use. Micheál grew up on Chicago’s Northwest Side, but he has also lived in Madison, WI; Vienna, Austria; and Freiburg, Germany. He was a long-time bartender and nightlife denizen. Micheál lives car-free and is a lifelong 84 Peterson bus rider. He holds bachelors degrees in History and German from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a masters degree in Urban Planning and Policy from the University of Illinois Chicago. His interests include design, classical music, film, history, and languages. He speaks or is learning German, French, Dutch, and Irish.
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Noah Baird
CO-FOUNDER and FINANCE & OPERATIONS DIRECTOR
Noah (he/him) manages the internal operations and financials for Better Streets Chicago. He helps businesses and nonprofits use financial data to make informed, strategic management decisions. He has Bachelor of Science degrees in accountancy and finance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is enrolled in the Baumhart Scholars MBA program at Loyola University Chicago. He has a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from the University of Illinois Chicago and is a Certified Public Accountant, Certified in Financial Forensics, and a Certified Fraud Examiner.
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Courtney Cobbs
CO-FOUNDER and COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ADVISOR
courtney@betterstreetschicago.org
Courtney (they/them) moved to Chicago from Little Rock, AR with the desire to live well without a car. Chicago feels like home after over a decade of residence. Courtney believes public transportation in Chicago can be equitable, reliable, and speedy–and that cycling can be a safe and fun form of transportation for Chicagoans and visitors alike no matter their age or ability.
Courtney has a Masters of Social Work with a concentration in Mental Health and often considers the impact of the built environment on physical and mental health. Courtney would love to see Chicago implement people focused streets similar to efforts seen in Barcelona’s Superblock project, Paris’ school streets, and London’s low-traffic neighborhoods project.
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Alex Nelson
STRATEGY ADVISOR
Alex (she/her) is an enthusiastic pedestrian, Divvy rider, and public transit user who believes that our built environment has an outsize influence on our quality of life. Utilizing her background that ranges from media production to community organizing, Alex likes making complex issues digestible and accessible for everyone to engage with. She holds two bachelors degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and an M.S. in Television from Boston University.
Our board.
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Atta Zahedi
SECRETARY
they/them/theirs
rolling, bus, train
I started my transit advocacy journey assisting on the Plow the Sidewalks campaign after enduring harsh winters in Chicago feeling trapped within my apartment. To be often cut off from my community despite possible answers left me furious and despondent. Everyone deserves accessible and affordable transit options to fully live as they want within their communities.
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Brittney Lane
CO-FOUNDER
she/her/hers
walking, bus, train
Growing up in suburban south Florida, she had a negative perception of public transportation until moving to Chicago in 2011. Since then, she has commuted primarily by transit and foot. Brittney is particularly interested in improving pedestrian infrastructure, improving accessibility for people with physical limitations and creating more equitable transportation options for people across the city.
Brittney is a marketing manager at a non-profit in the healthcare space.
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Courtney Cobbs
CO-FOUNDER
they/them/theirs
biking, bus, train, rarely drives
I moved to Chicago to live well without a car. After a decade of living in Chicago I’ve grown frustrated at our lack of progress with bus-only lanes, BRT, and protected bike lanes. I want everyone who lives and visits Chicago to experience world class transit and safe biking and walking. Nearly every week I have an encounter with an aggressive driver that puts my nervous system on edge and it doesn’t have to be this way. I’m involved with Better Streets Chicago to eliminate traffic violence and bring dignity and convenience to the public transit experience. -
Kyle Lucas
CO-FOUNDER and PRESIDENT
he/him/his
walking, biking, bus, train
I found my way into advocacy and activism out of self preservation. As a (multiple times) victim of traffic violence, I understand the pain, trauma, and lasting fear that it brings. I firmly believe that every Chicagoan deserves to come home safe and secure without fear.
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Micheál Podgers
Micheál (he/him) is an urban planner with expertise in urban transportation planning, housing, and land-use. Micheál grew up on Chicago’s Northwest Side, but he has also lived in Madison, WI; Vienna, Austria; and Freiburg, Germany. He was a long-time bartender and nightlife denizen. Micheál lives car-free and is a lifelong 84 Peterson bus rider. He holds bachelors degrees in History and German from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a masters degree in Urban Planning and Policy from the University of Illinois Chicago. His interests include design, classical music, film, history, and languages. He speaks or is learning German, French, Dutch, and Irish.
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Noah Baird
CO-FOUNDER and TREASURER
he/him/his
walking, biking, bus, train, driving
I first became involved in transit advocacy to protect how I commute and navigate throughout the city. I hope that Chicago transportation will become safe enough where I do not need to text my fiancée that I arrived safely at my destination.
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Rachel Reichman
she/her/hers
walking, biking, transit
Rachel grew up in a small western New York town with a strong sense of community and a 20-minute drive to the nearest grocery store. She moved to Chicago for grad school in 2008 and has been living car-free in the city ever since. You’ll find Rachel riding her bike through rain and snow around her neighborhood and across the city, which is usually her favorite part of the day. Rachel envisions a future in which our built spaces reflect Chicagoans’ deep civic pride and care for one another.
Rachel works as a learning and enablement program manager in tech and volunteers with Chicago Bird Collision Monitors rescuing injured songbirds that collide with downtown windows.
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Scott Rubin
VICE PRESIDENT
he/him/ his
walking, biking, bus, train
I became involved in transit advocacy because I believe in Chicago's potential to transform itself into a city where transportation is affordable, reliable, equitable, sustainable, and safer for all Chicagoans. By bringing a human-centered approach to our street designs, we can create multi-modal transportation systems that cultivate vibrant neighborhoods where residents and businesses thrive together.
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Tasnim Tanveer
ASSISTANT SECRETARY
she/her/hers
walking, biking, bus, train, driving
I first became involved in transit advocacy when I was pregnant to make the streets safer for my kid. I hope that Chicago transportation will become safe enough where I can let my son walk to school and to the park by himself when he's old enough.