Public Newsroom #83: Chicago's Broken Traffic Ticketing System

For the past year, ProPublica Illinois reporter Melissa Sanchez has been investigating the impact of vehicle tickets on Chicago residents. Here’s what she found: thousands of Black drivers are filing for bankruptcy in order to cope with the consequences of Chicago ticket debt. Another investigation, in partnership with WBEZ’s Elliott Ramos, found that the city’s 2011 decision to increase the price of what was already one of the most expensive vehicle tickets -- not having a city sticker -- has led to massive debt for drivers, but not much more revenue for the city.Melissa and Elliot join us in the newsroom to present their reporting, and help us brainstorm solutions for a better, more equitable ticketing system in Chicago.