Questions for Redwood City Council Candidates

Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition is a 501c3 non-profit organization and is permitted to educate our members about where candidates for public office stand on our issues. We are not permitted to endorse candidates. Questions were developed with the SVBC San Mateo County Local Team. We emailed all the known candidates for Redwood City City Council and received responses from the following: Alicia Aguirre, Ian Bain, Janet Borgens, Rosanne Foust, Shelly Masur, and Tania Sole. Candidates' responses are listed in alphabetical order following each question.1. Should bicyclists be accommodated on El Camino Real through your city? If so, how should the roadway be designed to accommodate them?Alicia Aguirre: Bicyclists [should be accommodated] on El Camino and throughout our City. Unfortunately, not all streets, even El Camino are wide enough. My main concern is safety. We have restriped many streets and are in the process of adding more for bicyclists. Sharing the road with automobiles is a good option, as long as it is safe for all.Ian Bain: I have supported the expansion of bike lanes throughout the city, however, I'm not sure about El Camino. The road is very congested, even during non-peak times, so I'm not sure how well that would work. I will be watching Menlo Park very closely to see how their proposal plays out.Janet Borgens: El Camino is heavily traveled by cars and buses. When I bike El Camino I feel much safer when there is a designated bike lane. As we move towards the Grand Boulevard discussion we should look at opportunities that would accommodate both public transportation, cars and bicycles safely. I would support adding more bike lanes in comparison to more vehicle lanes. I would be open to all ideas. By bringing in all interested parties we can create and design a project that we can all navigate safely thru and on. I also support the continuing education of large vehicle drivers to learn how important it is to the safety of the bicyclist and pedestrian to really know what is around them at all times. Sharing the road safely is everyone's responsibility.Rosanne Foust: The City is a member of the Grand Boulevard Initiative (El Camino Real from Daly City to San Jose) and supports the Guiding Principles including #9 which states:--Strengthen pedestrian and bicycle connections with the corridor--Reduce the distance between corridor crossings to improve connectivity with adjacent neighborhoods where appropriate.--For projects near the corridor, encourage design that provides easy access to the corridor or to cross streets.--Provide pedestrian cut-through linkages to access parking lots, alleys and neighborhood routes between blocks, including additions to “Safe Route to Schools” paths.Shelly Masur: As someone who bikes to work, I would like to see Redwood City connect its bicycle lanes across the city so it is easy to get around. However, I don't think El Camino is the best route for bikes in our city. But bikes do need a north south route that is safe and easy to ride. Middlefield is an option or one of our neighborhood streets. We could look at using intermittent barriers as they have done in Palo Alto so cars can't go all the way through.Tania Sole: I am a bicycle rider. And yet, personally, I don't recall ever riding on El Camino other than to cross it. I would like to survey other bicyclists to determine their preferences regarding riding on El Camino or side streets as viable options to arrive at their destination.2. A generation ago, half of schoolchildren walked or biked to school. Now, only 15% do. Meanwhile obesity and chronic disease linked to inactivity are soaring. How can your city help reverse these trends?Alicia Aguirre: We are working on this. There are many programs that address this issue. I am a commissioner on the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, Vice Chair of City County Association of Governments, and I sit on the Congestion Management and Environmental Quality Committee. We have many Bike/Pedestrian committees and programs such as Safe Routes to School, Walk to School, Bike to School, and International Walk to School Day. I am committed to making sure that we continue to have funding for these programs.Ian Bain: I have worked with the school district to promote safe routes to school. This includes speed signs, lighted crosswalks and mid-crosswalk islands. One of the ideas I'm currently working on is getting a pedestrian bridge through Maddux Park to Henry Ford school. I think the more we can provide access and reduce physical barriers, the more we'll be able to encourage walking to school.Janet Borgens: I support the "walking School Bus." Creating safe neighborhoods by keeping sidewalks clear of obstruction and clean walk able sidewalks would help. Children should not have to walk in the street to get around obstructions like cars blocking sidewalks. Providing incentives for class credits to students, like scavenger hunt on the way to school could make walking to school fun. To help with health education I support healthy food choices. All neighborhoods should have the opportunity to find healthy options at their local neighborhood food market, at an affordable price.Rosanne Foust: Redwood City has been a leading supporter of the "Safe Routes to School" and "Walking School Bus" programs and I see that support continuing in the long term. These are two ways that we can encourage children and their parents to walk and bike to schools in their surrounding neighborhoods.Shelly Masur: Creating safer bike and pedestrian ways in Redwood City is one of my campaign platforms. By working with the Complete Streets committee of the council and Redwood City 2020's Safe Routes to School Committee to identify and address particularly dangerous intersections, streets that could be used for bike routes, and places where we need crossing guards or changes to sidewalks to increase the safety of walkers and bikers.Tania Sole: Diet is also a major contributing factor to obesity and chronic diseases. Although working to support additional physical activities can be helpful it cannot solve the problem alone.3. How should active transportation (walking and biking) to new developments east of Highway 101 from downtown be encouraged and accommodated?Alicia Aguirre: It should be encouraged and accommodated. We are making a pedestrian undercrossing from east of Highway 101 along the creek to our downtown.Ian Bain: The city is planning to do an underpass at Redwood Creek that would help the residents of One Marina get to the downtown. I'm concerned about safety, however, and whether it will be passable in high tide. My preference, even though more expensive, is for a bicycle and pedestrian overpass in that same area.Janet Borgens: I support the ongoing efforts of the walk under 101. This was a discussion that took place when the development of Pete's Harbor and One Marina was being discussed. As we move forward with the inner harbor plan discussion we can make sure we consider and include a bike able and walk able community. I also support the discussion of a Redwood City Ferry located near the Port of Redwood City that could accommodate bike riders as well as provide shuttles for downtown employees.Rosanne Foust: Please see the Inner Harbor Precise Plan on the City of Redwood City's website that details plans for active transportation east of the 101. Here is the link:http://www.redwoodcity.org/departments/community-development-department/planning-housing/planning-services/major-projects-initiatives/inner-harbor-specific-planShelly Masur: Creating connected bike lanes, potentially building a bike bridge alongside one of our bridges over 101, and connecting to the Bay Trail so we can bike safely on the north-south route.Tania Sole: As a walker and bicycle rider, I have advocated and continue to advocate for the construction of more under and overpasses that are also appropriate for people walking and bicycling between the areas east of 101 and west of 101.4. How would you work to achieve Vision Zero in your city, the goal to eliminate traffic deaths and life-altering injuries? Alicia Aguirre: Yes, I would. This is a great program.Ian Bain: I've been a leading proponent of bicycle and pedestrian safety, and served on CCAG's Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, which funded projects throughout the county. In addition to greatly expanding bike lanes, I've been a proponent of establishing the Complete Streets committee in Redwood City. I also worked with residents to get speed humps throughout the city, as well as stop signs on 13 previously uncontrolled intersections.Janet Borgens: I would support continuing education for our workers on how to safely share the road. I would also support training all city workers not only on alternative modes of getting to work but how to safely accomplish that. I would support a city wide employee program that would provide incentives for city workers to take alternative modes of transportation, such as train, bus, bike.Rosanne Foust: I believe that this something the City Council and our newly formed Complete Streets Advisory Committee should look into and evaluate.Shelly Masur: The first step would be to adopt Vision Zero for Redwood City. To do that, I would want to work with the SVBC and Redwood City's Complete Streets Committee to identify components of that plan. I would implement some of the ideas posed above as well.Tania Sole: I support all forms of public transportation as well as bicycles and walking.