La Spata, a cycling advocate, said he is “incredibly sad” Biagi is leaving city government, saying she was “an incredible collaborator and had such remarkable vision for where we need to go as a city.”
Despite the pace of the city’s expansion of protected bike lanes being criticized by the cycling community over the past four years, La Spata argued Biagi was not to be blamed.
"The commissioner is not the person who holds up this work,” he said. “We need (the City Council) to be more bought-in to a safe infrastructure network across the city for that work to succeed.”
Biagi, an urban planner who was a principal at Studio Gang Architects, joined the Lightfoot administration in 2019.
The city issued a press release Monday afternoon saying Biagi’s last day would be Aug. 11.
Johnson praised Biagi in a statement, saying he was “grateful for her service.”
Biagi was “instrumental in implementing transportation systems and critical public infrastructure that improves neighborhoods, connects residents and promotes safe and sustainable mobility,” the statement said.
Biagi said in the statement that “it’s been an honor to lead an agency committed to creating safer access to opportunities for all Chicagoans, whether they walk, bike, drive or take transit.”
Biagi’s anticipated departure comes just weeks after former Housing Commissioner Marisa Novara announced she was leaving her post earlier this month. Novara’s last day was Friday. The Chicago Community Trust announced today that Novara would join the nonprofit in September.
Johnson kept in place nearly all of Lightfoot’s commissioners, asking them to work with him through the summer as his administration gets its footing.
Jim Horan is serving as acting commissioner while Johnson searches for Novara’s replacement, Johnson spokesman Ronnie Reese said Monday. Horan previously served as deputy commissioner of the department’s bureau of construction and compliance.
Leigh Giangreco contributed.
