I recommend getting some bright lights. I have a 350 lumens rear light that makes my bike more visible than most vehicles.
Love to see it but can't help but be disappointed bigger projects aren't planned from Chicago. I don't understand why it will take me twice as long to take the train to New Orleans than drive or why there is only a single running east per day.
I agree with a lot of people that suggest voting and holding your representatives accountable and the mass pollutors responsible will be the most important part but I also think there's no reason not to lead by example in this situation. Reduce your carbon usage when you can by buying fewer consumer goods, eating less meat, avoiding single use products, and more frequently using public transportation, walking and cycling to get around.
There is ideological diversity within the democratic party, especially at the local level. As part of a representative democracy, the electorate needs to be engaged with their representatives. You should start looking closely at your most local representatives.
Roads aren't funded by fares, why should public transit?
I used to think automated cars might be a good thing because I expect them to behave more predictably than unqualified human drivers. Over time I've changed my mind. In the USA we currently have no way to stop harm from major companies like the ones investing in electric cars. A situation that feels incredibly likely will be that instead of facing jail time like an individual would, companies will receive trivial fines that they will price into the cost of the vehicle for harm caused by their fleets. This will prevent any sort of accountability for vehicles causing harm to living things.
At least here in Illinois rural towns have okay train access and can easily accommodate bike infrastructure. Many rural towns with a university have decent bike networks already. It's North American suburbs that are more hopelessly designed around private vehicles.