RTA Citizens Advisory Board: Get to know Douglas Fowler

September 30, 2024

Following through on a key recommendation from regional transit strategic plan Transit is the Answer, the RTA launched a newly expanded, rider-focused Citizens Advisory Board (RTACAB) in March 2024, featuring the perspectives of a diverse group of 21 riders and agency leaders from across the region.

The RTACAB advises the agency’s staff and Board of Directors on accessibility, equity, and other impacts of its policies and programs. It has always included the chairpersons of CTA, Metra, and Pace Citizens Advisory Boards, as well as representatives from each of the six counties served in the RTA region. Transit is the Answer called on the agency to “expand the role of the RTACAB and strengthen the rider voice in transit planning and decision making.” The new RTACAB includes eight new “rider representative” positions: two for the City of Chicago, one for Suburban Cook County, and one each for other counties in the RTA region.

In a new Connections Blog series, RTA will profile each rider representative through a Q&A, digging into why community engagement is important, why transit matters to them, and more.

Douglas Fowler, Will County

Doug Fowler is an educator in Joliet and a Will County resident. He earned his Ph.D. in special education from the University of Illinois at Chicago and is a lifelong public transit advocate. He is excited to help foster the success of the RTA strategic plan and ensure access to RTA services for all residents of the Chicago area.

How and why did you come to join the RTACAB as a rider representative?

When I became aware of the need for a Citizen’s Advisory Board, I knew that someone from Will County (specifically Joliet) needed to have a voice. I see the “old bones” that the Chicagoland area has from over 100 years as a major rail hub. The collar counties are the fastest growing counties in the entire state and cannot rely solely on cars for our growth. I wanted to make sure we were doing all we could do to fulfill the goal of embracing true regional transit.

What is your transit experience like? What do you like about riding transit, and what could be improved?

For me, traveling on a bus or train as opposed to driving feels like time travel. As a rider, I can watch a TV show on my phone, have a conversation with my daughter, listen to a podcast, even take a nap. I can continue to live and experience life with my full attention without having the stress of driving. I can take the Rock Island Metra line from Joliet to Chicago without ever feeling the mental exhaustion of driving in traffic. People talk about the “freedom of owning a car.” I personally choose the freedom of not relying on a car.

Why are you passionate about transit?

Having communities where people walk, ride bikes, use electric scooters, and/or hop on a bus is what makes a community come alive. People don’t interact with the world as much when they use a car. That lack of interaction leads to a soullessness of communities. It’s one of the Chicagoland area’s great strengths. Our transit system is a large part of our soul.

How does transit interplay with access to education? How can investing in transit lead to more equitable access to education in the Chicago region?

As a graduate of the University of Illinois at Chicago, the ability for a student from Joliet, Tinley Park, or Lockport to be able to go to school in Chicago with a day pass on the Rock Island or Heritage Corridor for as low as $7.50 round-trip is transformative. I truly think people don’t appreciate how incredible it is that we have provided affordable and efficient transit to move people in the region at such far distances for work, entertainment, and school. Every week I speak with people in Will County who are stunned by the services we have. They simply don’t understand or are unaware of how wonderful our system is. We need to do a better job of educating citizens of the Chicagoland area.

What are your ideas for building the public and political support to invest in transit?

I think we need to understand that the vast majority of the people in Illinois don’t use transit and would prefer to drive. We must not fight that -- but embrace it. Improving transit options will improve the commutes and lives of drivers as well, as we take more drivers off the roads who can take transit and choose it over driving when we improve headways and schedules. This would reduce the wear and tear on our roads. We need to fund our transit systems in the same way we fund our public schools. They are a service. They are a utility.

What would it mean for riders in the communities you represent if transit is unable to find a sustainable funding solution to the fiscal cliff and experiences major service cuts?

Will County is one of the fastest growing counties in the entire nation. Part of that growth is due to its convenient location. However, part of that convenience is lost when we no longer have a convenient way to come and go. We have wonderful interstate and highway access in our community, but we cannot rely on that alone. We must protect and expand transit services in Will County.

Why do you think it’s important for public agencies like the RTA to engage with communities, such as through the newly expanded RTACAB?

I think the lack of awareness of our services is a significant issue. There are tons of people in my community who are unaware that the Rock Island line now has a stop just footsteps from Guaranteed Rate Field. This stop opened 13 years ago, and so many don’t even know it exists. Instead, they drive to a busy parking lot when it’s completely unnecessary. We need to strategically show the people in the Chicagoland area what they have right here.

What do you think is missing from current conversations about public transportation policy issues, and how would you like to see the RTA engage them?

I think we need to start looking at building higher-density housing walking distances from Metra lines. Many Metra lines are surrounded by giant parking lots or empty fields. These are prime spots to build.

What is your favorite transit memory?

My daughter loves to participate in acting classes. Every Sunday morning, we get some breakfast, hop on the Rock Island in Joliet, and get off at 35th Street where we walk to the Red Line. We take that up to Old Town where she takes classes at Second City. Afterward, we get lunch at one of the cafes in the area. Then we head home. It’s honestly the highlight of my week being able to have a lovely morning with my daughter, and the complete ease and lack of stress that our transit system provides helps achieve that. So my favorite transit memory happens every single Sunday morning. Week after week after week.