City Council Candidate Survey

1. Peak Oil

Experts say that world production of oil is at or near its peak, meaning that the price of gas will continue to grow faster than the rate of inflation, among other serious effects. The city of San Francisco recently decided to develop a comprehensive plan to prepare for the coming global energy crunch. Do you think Austin should develop a similar plan?

Yes, Austin should specifically prepare for Peak Oil.

No, such planning is not important

Other, or comments:


2. Bicycle Program staffing

Do you think the staffing for the City's Bicycle Program should be increased, decreased, or remain the same?

Increased
Decreased
Remain the same
Uncertain


3. Increasing bike commuting

What specifically would you do to encourage more transportation bicycling and bicycle commuting?


4. Parking in bike lanes

It is perfectly legal for cars to park in most bike lanes in Austin, rendering them useless for their intended purpose. One supposes that in the rest of the civilized world outside of Austin, people understand that bike lanes are actually supposed to be for bikes, not cars.

Yes   No

Would you vote to prohibit cars from parking in bike lanes?

 

In those few bike lanes where it's illegal for cars to park, enforcement is spotty at best. Many times we've seen a police cruiser pass one or more cars parked in a bike lane, paying no notice. By contrast we know cyclists who have been arrested and gone to jail for minor traffic infractions such as bicycling on the sidewalk, running a red light, or biking without a helmet. How would you improve enforcement of the no-parking in bike lanes rule where it exists?

 


5. Shoal Creek Blvd.

Council recently affirmed that it's perfectly fine for cars to park in the bike lanes on Shoal Creek Blvd., ignoring national safety guidelines and the advice of its own staff. Staff and cyclists favor the common-sense plan of having parking on just one side of the street, freeing up enough room for a car-free bike lane on each side of the road. Here's a 6-minute movie of the presentation we gave to council on this issue, as well as more background information.

Yes   No

Would you support staff's plan for Shoal Creek to have parking on one side of the road and car-free bike lanes in both directions?

If you think Shoal Creek [as it currently stands] represents a "compromise", then what exactly do you think motorists gave up, and what exactly did cyclists gain?

Feel free to share any other comments or thoughts on the Shoal Creek Blvd. issue.

 

 


6. Helmet ordinance

Many people have reservations about the helmet ordinance because the last time anyone checked, over 90% of the no-helmet tickets given to kids were given to black and Hispanic kids, and because many believe that getting kids to wear helmets should be the responsibility of parents, not the police.

There's also talk of reviving the local helmet law for adults, although the original in 1996 was so unpopular that the Council was forced to do away with it just a year later. Helmet laws have also been shown to reduce the number of cyclists, making cycling more dangerous for those who continue to ride. (More on helmets and helmet laws from BicycleSafe.com.)

Do you support a local helmet law for...

Kids

Adults

Both

Neither

 

 Comments (optional):


7. Bus system

How can the bus system best be improved? What role would you take in that?


8. Cashing in parking spaces

Would you support financial incentives to City employees who bike, walk, bus, train, or carpool to work?

Yes   No


9. CAMPO Reform

Are you willing to oppose the current representation of the federally-sanctioned CAMPO body, with its overwhelming share of officials representing areas and districts lying outside Austin, even though Austin has most of the area's population?

Yes   No


10. Open Government

Transportation expert Roger Baker relates that when he recently called to check on whether Austin was funding the bike and ped projects promised by the $150 million bond election in 2000, the city told him he would have to file a formal open records request to get that information. Do you support the proposed charter amendment that would require such city records to be made freely available online?

Support   Oppose

Comments:


11. Would you participate in the annual Political Pedal ride?

Yes   No


Any other comments?