2018 District 8 City Council Questionnaire: Vivian Moreno

Q: Transportation is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions (55%) in San Diego. The City’s Climate Action Plan bicycle mode share goals are 6% of commuter trips by 2020 and 18% by 2035, from 1% today. How will you ensure these mode share goals are achieved?

A: The answer is simple. The Council must actively prioritize CAP related infrastructure projects within the budget. Building high priority bike infrastructure projects is the only way the City will meet the 2020 goal of 6%. The funding exists- it just needs to be allocated to projects that will help achieve CAP goals. Additionally, the City needs to plan for where the mode share increases will come from. Right now, as the City approves Community Plan Updates, the updates brought forward thus far have not included measures that meet that 6% goal. The discouraging thing is that some of these plans- North Park, Uptown- were areas where the goal is achievable because they are close to centers of employment and are walkable neighborhoods. If the City does not intend on meeting CAP goals within each community plan update, then they need to release a citywide strategy that shows where the increases in biking, walking and public transit will be. I intend to push for that as a City Councilmember.

Q: The City of San Diego’s Bicycle Master Plan has been repeatedly delayed.  How would you secure funding and ensure build-out?

A: The funding of the items above is really a matter of Council priority. During the annual budget process, the City Council actively chooses to fund or not fund many projects and programs. Ultimately, the City Council has the final say in adopting the annual budget. Standing firm with my colleagues on the Council that increased park space or bike infrastructure projects are built is the only way to accomplish this. This means that we cannot allow items to remain in the budget that are needless or simply vanity projects of the current administration. For instance, in the FY18 budget- which saw cuts to some areas- included $5M for a special election that will not take place. This funding could have built parks, repaired walkways, or helped clean up contaminated areas that flow into our storm drains. Working collaboratively with my colleagues and the Mayor, I aim to build coalitions that can withstand the effects of petty politics and put funding critical infrastructure needs above funding special interest desires.

Q: Safe bike lanes are often opposed by residents due to slower road speeds or reduced street parking.  How would you work with the community to address concerns – without compromising safety or delaying bike infrastructure in the name of consensus?

A: There must be increased density in areas that have public transportation or are close to areas of employment. If people are able to live where using public transportation is convenient they will use it. If people feel safe using their bike to travel in their community- they will travel that way instead of getting in a car to go a few miles. We can’t expect that most people will go out of their way to do these things, but if we, as decision makers in the City, provide the construction of needed infrastructure and utilize land use planning with foresight, people will begin to get out of their cars and use alternative modes of transportation.

Q: What are your top 3 priorities for improving the biking experience in your Council District for residents and families?

A: Ensure existing bike lanes are maintained

I have been monitoring the SANDAG Regional Bike Map over the past few years, and I am encouraged by the amount of bike lanes being added to our infrastructure. Now we have to ensure these roads are maintained, and well advertised so both residents and visitors can take full advantage.

Exploring E-bikes, and adding infrastructure to support more electrical bikes

I believe electricity-powered bicycles are the future, especially in mountainous regions such as ours. E-bikes can provide the necessary assistance to go uphill, even for those who suffer from poor conditioning. That is why I want to explore the possibility of adding more e-bikes within the City, and building the necessary infrastructure such as docking stations to ensure the bikes can service the community.

Provide more bike lanes whenever City roads are constructed or expanded

Traffic continues to grow as our City population increases. As we build new roads, and increase capacity of our existing ones, we need to future-proof our streets by adding bike lanes that can help mitigate some of those traffic increases. One of those streets is Dairy Mart road, which I want to expand from two lanes to four.

Q: Please share a memorable experience(s) you have of bicycling.

My favorite experience within the City is the ride from Coronado, down the Silver Strand and arriving for well-earned fresh glass of horchata once we reach the taco shops on Saturn Boulevard.