2020 Candidate Questionnaire – Mayor: Bry, Gloria

photo of Barbara Bry

Candidate: Barbara Bry —

1. What are your top 3 priorities for improving the biking experience for residents and families in San Diego
  • Addressing safety issues between bicyclists and vehicles
  • Update of San Diego’s Bicycle Master Plan
  • Educating youth about the importance of bicycle safety and expanding their bicycling experiences
2. San Diego’s Bicycle Master Plan needs updating and projects need prioritizing in order to create a complete bicycle network. A large number of street resurfacing projects need to be restriped with bicycle infrastructure. How would you propose to fund the full build-out of the bicycle network needed to achieve the Vision Zero goals and meet the Climate Action Plan mode share targets?

Achieving our Climate Action Plan goals needs to be our most important priority in the work ahead for the next mayor, not just adopting plans, but making the hard implementation decisions. Bicycles are important to help meet our Climate Action Plan goals. I think it is important to have an honest discussion and assessment of the costs and seek realistic funding streams to meet the Bicycle Master Plan, including any potential revisions to the plan. We need to be engaged in looking at potential new dedicated funding streams and other possible funding sources. We need to make certain there is accountability of city staff to meet the plan’s benchmarks on our short-term and mid-term goals, and be realistic that with any long-term plans, there must be flexibility to look at new alternatives that were not realistic, cost effective or even known at the time of the planning. There will be a real discussion about future public transit at MTS, SANDAG, and how that plays in our Bicycle Master Plan. Also, when planning resurfacing and future bicycle infrastructure we need to audit our street maintenance, powerline undergrounding and public transit schedules to determine other possible cost off-sets. Too many times politicians will propose grand ideas without consideration of the actual cost, community input and buy-in on the final plan. I learned at city council that without sitting down with stakeholders, city staff, reviewing the costs and potential funding streams, elected officials will not be able to fulfill those promises.

3. Transportation is the largest source of San Diego’s greenhouse gas emissions (55%). The City’s Climate Action Plan bicycle mode share goals are 6% of commuter trips by 2020 and 18% by 2035, from about 1% today. What steps will you take to make sure these goals are met or exceeded?

Our city has lurched from one decision to the next in response to crisis, without engaging in necessary research, discussions, planning, nor has it held people accountable for implementation. We have seen this with delays in street repairs, increases in our unsheltered population, failure to achieve our affordable housing goals among other things. Because city council failed to make tough decisions, we are not meeting our Climate Action Plan goals. The current council has worked to move in a different direction, taking affirmative action. We are now approving housing with inclusionary along transit coordinators, we passed Pure Water, started installing protected bike lanes and now are debating real public transit options. I think it would be unrealistic to lay out a plan without having proper community input, without including city staff in the discussion, and without legal counsel. It is why we got into this problem in the first place. I will promise to develop a plan that seeks to exceed our Climate Action Plan, that includes community input, an honest cost assessment, realistic funding streams, includes legal counsel and is attainable and deliverable. I hope your organization will at the table for this discussion.

4. Safe bike lanes often face opposition 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?

I think it goes back to bringing together all those impacted parties for input towards a final decision, giving them a voice, active listening, but also being honest and realistic that, with competing interests, not everyone will get everything they want.

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

First, my husband is an avid bicyclist who loves when traveling to explore on a bicycle. My own memorable experience was the 17 Mile Drive in Monterey. Also, I have two grandchildren living in San Diego. I look at bicycling through their eyes. How do we make this city accessible for them to be safe bicycling in their own neighborhood and, when they grow-up, being able to bike to work, and to explore the city and our amazing backcountry.

 


Candidate: Todd Gloria —

1) What are your top 3 priorities for improving the biking experience
in San Diego for residents and families?

Road repair. Poorly maintained roads mean poor biking conditions. I fought to enact and
protect SB 1 funding which more than doubles the amount of annual funding from the state
that goes to City of San Diego roads. My administration will ensure that those funds are used
to fix our streets and make them safer for cyclists.

Complete Streets. I believe we should prioritize the creation of more complete streets
throughout our city and where appropriate. These safer street designs, including separated
lanes, can make our roadways safer for all forms of mobility.

Complete the network of bike lanes planned throughout the region. As Mayor, I will use the
authority afforded by AB 805 at SANDAG to ensure that the network of regional bike lanes is
prioritized.

2) San Diego’s Bicycle Master Plan needs updating and projects need prioritizing in order to
create a complete bicycle network. A large number of street resurfacing projects need to be
restriped with bicycle infrastructure. How would you propose to fund the full build-out of the
bicycle network needed to achieve the Vision Zero goals and meet the Climate Action Plan
mode share targets?

During my time in the State Assembly, we passed Senate Bill 1 to fund road repair and
infrastructure improvements at the local level. With this increased funding coming to the City,
my administration will focus these dollars on those projects and look to provide the
infrastructure necessary to give San Diegans more choices on how to get around our city. In
addition, I intend to use the authority granted to the City under AB 805 to take leadership roles
at SANDAG. This is crucial to make the necessary investments to not only build a world-class
public transportation system, but to also give San Diegans more mobility choices.

3) Transportation is the largest source of San Diego’s greenhouse gas emissions (55%). The
City’s Climate Action Plan bicycle mode share goals are 6% of commuter trips by 2020 and 18%
by 2035, from about 1% today. What steps will you take to make sure these goals are met or
exceeded?

I envision a clean transportation future for the City of San Diego and I will fight to enact strategies that offer true mobility options, reduce congestion, conform to the City’s Climate Action Plan and prioritize safety while encouraging economic growth. We are currently at a crossroads where infrastructure needs are growing, transit ridership is declining, and the disastrous effects of climate change pose a real and imminent threat. San Diego must begin to take transformative action immediately. By prioritizing clean transportation options and leveraging the City’s assets and regional influence, I will be a Mayor that prioritizes a world- class transit system, connected communities with safe walkable and bikeable streets, along with freshly paved local roads. Together these will make up a network to serve our 1.3 million residents and the millions of additional people that enter the City each day to work, patronize local restaurants and businesses, and recreate at our parks and beaches.

4) Safe bike lanes often face opposition 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?

In order to meet our climate action goals, the City needs to invest far more aggressively in
separated bike lanes and other infrastructure throughout the City in order to encourage
bicycles and other non-motorized transportation options as a safe alternative to driving. Of
course whenever such changes are proposed in any community all stakeholders should be
heard and have an opportunity to weigh-in so the best decisions can be made. Careful
consideration should also be made as to how the loss of parking spaces can be mitigated by
installing angled parking on nearby side streets, which can often make up for many of the lost
spaces. This has been the case in my experience, when parking was removed on Park Boulevard
for the Rapid Bus lane, and on University Avenue for dedicated bike lanes.

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

I have enjoyed biking to work, whether as part of an organized event or on my own to promote
clean transportation and get some exercise. Riding up 5th Avenue from Downtown through
some of my favorite neighborhoods is always a good experience for me.