Ald. Brendan Reilly (42) is pictured at a City Council meeting on Dec. 16, 2024. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

During a presentation on the Chicago Department of Transportation’s (CDOT) proposed 2026 budget on Wednesday, department leadership fielded questions from downtown and North Side alderpeople about the impacts of multiple construction projects that have created traffic gridlock in the area.

CDOT’s budget next year is set to decrease by nearly 10 percent, or $202 million, to $1.8 billion, and the department is set to lose 95 positions to total 1,481.