#cd12

CD12 Candidate: Carlos Amador

Carlos Amador’s response to our questionnaire is informed by his own experience as a survivor of a hit-and-run, car-vs.-bicycle collision that sent him to the emergency room. Citing that experience, Amador supports prioritizing safety improvements on L.A.’s High Injury Network and implementing protected bike lanes on streets like Parthenia Street. He opposes raising speed limits on 12th District streets and supports alternatives to traffic enforcement, including redesign of neighborhood streets and educational programs.

Amador offers a range of helpful policy ideas to improve mobility options and help key segments of the 12th District community to get around without driving, including leveraging Measure M funds to improve street safety; creating more affordable housing for workers and students; and providing more tailored transportation options for seniors. With that kind of platform, voters and safe streets advocates will be well-served by Amador as councilmember.

Bike The Vote L.A. 2019 Primary Grade: A

[Click HERE for Carlos Amador’s questionnaire response to Bike The Vote L.A.]

CD12 Candidate: Loraine Lundquist

In her response to our questionnaire, Loraine Lundquist impresses with her deep knowledge and detailed platform on transportation. A faculty member at the Institute for Sustainability at Cal State Northridge, Lundquist has clearly done her homework, and it shows in her comprehensive policy prescriptions addressing infrastructure, bus service, carpooling, land use, tree canopy, ADA accessibility, and more. As a member of the Northridge East Neighborhood Council, she has put that understanding of safe streets to work, sponsoring the Mobility Bill of Rights. She’s willing to do what it takes to prioritize safety for people walking and biking, pledging to use data to target the district’s most dangerous intersections and implement needed changes.

Lundquist also emphasizes her personal stake in improving active transportation, citing her own daily bike commute to campus and her family’s reliance on transit to get around their neighborhood. Between her personal choices and her professional focus, Bike The Vote L.A. is confident that improving mobility options across the 12th District will be a high priority for Lundquist as a councilmember, and that she’ll be a valuable ally for safe streets advocates on the L.A. City Council.

Bike The Vote L.A. 2019 Primary Grade: A

[Click HERE for Loraine Lundquist’s questionnaire response to Bike The Vote L.A.]

CD12 Candidate: Stella Maloyan

Stella Maloyan’s response to our questionnaire can be summed up with one exceptional quote: “Vision Zero is insufficient. We need Action Zero.” While she doesn’t call anyone out by name, Maloyan makes clear that she’s dissatisfied with the inadequate pace of progress on the City’s signature street safety initiative, pointing out the hypocrisy of politicians who talk a good game on the need to address climate change but continue to stand in the way of meaningful improvements that would make it easier for more people to walk and bike.

Maloyan is committed to getting 10 miles of protected bike lanes installed throughout the 12th District in her first term, including a route connecting Cal State Northridge to Metrolink. At the same time, she pledges to work hard at engagement and coalition building so that crucial improvements gain lasting support from the community. Between her strong commitment to safe streets and her background in the nonprofit sector, Stella Maloyan is poised to be a strong and effective ally for bike and pedestrian advocates on the City Council.

Bike The Vote L.A. 2019 Primary Grade: A

[Click HERE for Stella Maloyan’s questionnaire response to Bike The Vote L.A.]

CD12 Candidate: John Lee

John Lee served as Chief of Staff to CD12’s previous councilmember, Mitch Englander, and understands the need to make 12th District streets safer for all users and supports the idea of creating more protected bike lanes and other improvements; however, his response left a lot to the imagination as to what kinds of changes—in infrastructure, policy, funding, etc.—that he’s willing to actually champion. In his response to Bike The Vote L.A., Lee emphasizes the need to engage community stakeholders and keep a range of options open in consideration of roadway safety. While we would hope to see a stronger commitment to prioritizing safety on city streets, we’re hopeful that, should he be elected to City Council, Lee will give safe streets advocates the consideration they deserve during that process.

Bike The Vote L.A. 2019 Primary Grade: B-

[Click HERE for John Lee’s questionnaire response to Bike The Vote L.A.]

CD12 Candidate: Josh Yeager

In his response to Bike The Vote L.A., Josh Yeager expresses that he supports expanding mobility options for the 12th District and suggests helpful safety improvements such as all-direction pedestrian crossings and neighborhood traffic calming. However, his stated opposition to reallocate travel lanes or parking lanes—even where necessary to reorient deadly streets towards safety—makes us doubt that he’d be an ally for bike and pedestrian advocates when tough decisions need to be made.

Bike The Vote L.A. 2019 Primary Grade: C-

1. What role do you see for walking, transit, and biking in the getting residents and students in Council District 12 to and from local businesses, parks, and schools?

The city of Los Angeles seems to be living two different realities. On the one hand, we have some regions with forward-looking developments of biking infrastructures like the ones seen in downtown LA, pedestrian-friendly initiatives with diagonal crosswalks, and public transportation infrastructure booms that aim to make the city more accessible to the residents and less reliable on cars. At the same time, there are parts of the city, including the Council District 12, that have been neglected on developing a vision to make the streets in the region more bike-friendly, pedestrian accessible, and transit reliable.

There is that same-old argument that it is the “car culture” of Los Angeles that does not allow for such people-centered models in the city to take place. But, I believe, it is the city’s leaders who have not allowed for such initiatives to really flourish and change the culture in our region. I believe that if we want to see our city, and in particular the northwest San Fernando Valley, be fully accessible to all. There is a critical role that walking, biking, and transit accessibility for residents, workers, and students will play in improving the health of our communities, tackling climate change, and have a true right to the city. My role as a city council member to achieve this vision will be to provide the existing resources for the community, champion the necessary policy changes, and facilitate the conversations at the district level.

2. Thirty-eight percent of Cal State University, Northridge students do not have access to a car for their daily commute. What actions can Los Angeles take to make the CSUN campus more accessible for students, staff, and faculty including better bike, pedestrian, and transit connectivity around the campus? Additionally, do you support implementation of protected bike lanes on Parthenia Street to connect Metrolink Northridge Station to existing protected bike lanes on Reseda Boulevard?

Cal State University, Northridge, in many ways, is the heart and soul of the San Fernando Valley. It is the only public university in the valley where the next generation of workers, thinkers, and leaders go to gain the tools to improve their communities. It is also a cultural and economic center, providing opportunities to the surrounding communities to access jobs, education, and cultural events beyond the classroom. But, access to the university continues to be an issue for students, staff, and faculty alike. As a city council member, I will work with university administrators, state, county, and city officials to expedite the transit developments in the northwest San Fernando Valley under Measure M and other transit funded projects. This will help increase the accessibility to the university for everyone. I will work on expanding the current bus routes connectors, and work with university administrators in seeking avenues to expand the funding for vanpools and public transit passes. I am in full support of implementing protected bike lanes on Parthenia St. to connect the Metrolink Northridge station to existing bike lanes on Reseda Boulevard. I will also support the implementation of additional protected bike lanes in the surrounded areas, expanding the network beyond the immediate university radius. Finally, I believe that we must look into community-conscious affordable housing development so students, staff, and faculty can live closer to campus and decrease the need to travel long distances.

3. CD12 sees some of L.A.’s worst speeding and street racing, with three out of the top five most dangerous intersections in all of California located within the District. In response to the condition of dangerous streets across the city, Los Angeles adopted a ‘Vision Zero’ program with the goal of significantly reducing the 240+ annual roadway deaths that the City currently sees. Do you support prioritizing safety on L.A.’s High Injury Network streets in CD12 such as Reseda, Roscoe, and Balboa Boulevards, even when there may be trade-offs in terms of automotive travel time or on-street parking?

As a bicycle rider, a survivor of a car-bicycle collision, and parent of a four year old girl who enjoys riding her own bike, I am in strong support of policies that strengthen protections for bicycle riders, pedestrians, and people moving through our streets in alternative modes of transportation.

In December 2011, while heading home from work on my bicycle, I was struck by a vehicle in a hit-and-run collision. The exact moment of the impact has been erased from my memory due to the concussion, but as I recovered my consciousness laying on the pavement, I remember asking a passer-byer to call my wife. The next memory I have is riding on the ambulance to the emergency room. That night I spent it in the emergency room recovering from the injuries. Thankfully, the injuries that I endured during the accident were relatively minor. And, I am happy to be able to continue to ride my bicycle.

Because of my own experience, I know first hand the importance of having strong policies in place to decrease the number of accidents and fatalities in our streets. To tackle street racing, we must take a community-driven approach where stakeholders from across the district come together and chart out a plan of action. As a council member I will bring community leaders, leaders of neighborhood councils, schools, surrounding colleges, and LAPD, to design and launch a program that creates education and community-accountability to decrease the number of street races in the valley.

And, I am in support of prioritizing safety on LA’s High Injury Network streets in Council District 12. Ultimately, the vision zero program should not only be about how we reduce the staggering numbers of roadway deaths, but how we envision a city where pedestrians, bicyclists, and vehicle drivers, can co-exists in an equitable way.

4. LADOT has determined that speed is the predominant factor in whether traffic collisions are deadly. Despite this fact, Los Angeles recently increased speed limits on 100 miles of local streets to abide by state law, including raising the speed limit to 45 mph on Winnetka Ave., Wilbur Ave. & Reseda Blvd. in CD12. Would you support implementation of lane reductions and other traffic calming infrastructure in order to reduce vehicle speeds on surface streets in CD12?

I agree that a main factor on whether a collision leads to a death has to do with the speed that the cars are traveling at. I also agree that there is a speeding problem across the city that must be addressed. But, I disagree with the decision to increase the speed limits in order to enforce speeding laws. The way to address speeding issues in our streets is not by following the framework a decades-old state law, nor is it by setting speed traps across the city. As a council member, I will support alternative models to address the issue of speeding on our streets, including lane reductions, radar speed signs to alert drivers, and community educational programs, among others.

5. Los Angeles’ traffic woes are compounded by the reality that many parents, students, and workers don’t feel safe commuting even short distances or performing school drop-offs walking, rolling, or by bike. What would you do as Councilmember to improve active transportation options around schools, public transit, and in commercial districts to provide better mobility options for CD12 residents?

Our city streets should be equally shared with pedestrians and bicycle riders. But, one of the main reasons why community members do not feel safe traveling short distances on foot or by bike is the lack of safety on the streets. As a council member of the 12th district, I will work with community-based groups and transportation groups to identify and implement a robust protected bike lane system throughout the region. Everyone should have the opportunity to walk, ride their bikes, or use public transportation, whether to do school drop-offs, grocery runs, or do the daily errands. But, another factor that impacts the ability to walk or bike to do errands on the regular basis is the fact that for the majority of working adults in the district, their jobs are not close by. That means that working people need to spend longer times commuting to and from work, which limits the amount of time available to do school drop-offs or do errands by foot or bike. As a city council member, I will focus on bringing and keeping good-paying jobs in and around the district, so working people can spend less time commuting and more time in their communities. I will also take advantage of the Measure M transit infrastructure projects in the region to develop more Transit Oriented Communities. Developing community-conscious housing around major transit projects will shift our communities from being car-reliant, to becoming oriented around the local community.

6. While one of Los Angeles most recently developed districts, CD12 also has the largest senior population by percentage in the city. What improvements to mobility options would you implement to empower CD12's senior population to comfortably age in place?

1. What role do you see for walking, transit, and biking in the getting residents and students in Council District 12 to and from local businesses, parks, and schools?

In many ways, I've been trying to live my vision for LA transportation. Since we got our big yellow cargo bike about five years ago, my family and I have logged more than 5,000 miles biking around CD12 to go to work, school, the park, the library, the grocery store, the dentist, and all the other places a busy family travels. When going further afield, we take public transit – including local bus lines (167, 236, 166, 158, and more), the Orange Line, MetroLink, and the Commuter Express – as our primary mode of transportation. So when I talk about what works and what doesn't about CD12 transportation, I know from personal experience.

Transportation affects our quality of life in so many different ways – time, money, air quality, and even the opportunities to interact with one another as we move through our community. While LA has historically been the car capital of the world, we must re-envision both the culture and infrastructure for LA transportation. Specifically, LA’s Sustainability pLAn envisions 50% of all trips originating in LA are made by foot, bike, or transit by 2035 -- an ambitious goal which we may nevertheless find insufficient once we get serious about tackling our climate crisis.

Improve multi-modal infrastructure. We have a long way to go. We've inherited a transportation infrastructure designed for cars with acres of impervious surfaces devoted to wide roads and parking lots. We need to enhance these corridors for multi-modal transit with dedicated bus lanes, bike lanes, and green spaces that enhance walkability. CD12's bicycle infrastructure is currently fragmented, and bus service is infrequent on most lines.

Make transit more accessible and more attractive. Our current transportation network does not serve everyone equally. My students at CSUN often cannot afford their own vehicles and spend hours each day riding transit while people with more money can get rapidly from one place to the next in private vehicles or ride hailing. This lost time translates to lost opportunity. Every person deserves the right to move freely around our city regardless of their age or economic means. That's why I support the Mobility Bill of Rights and introduced a motion that my Neighborhood Council to formally endorse it. As a member of LA City Council, I will advocate that transit within the City and Metro systems be free to all. Increased ridership will decrease congestion and allow us to provide a wider range of transit options (including more routes, more frequent service, and more lines with 'rapid' and 'local' options to serve people traveling different distances on the same routes).

Make long-term planning decisions that re-think the use of space in our City. LA grows by 20,000-30,000 people each year. That means we need to find housing for a quarter million new people in the next decade (US Census). With relatively few new places to build, increasing density is the reasonable solution. Yet here in CD 12, many people live here, moved here, or stay here because they enjoy the suburban feel. We can maintain this suburban feel for much of the valley while also creating urban nodes within the larger suburban landscape. These urban nodes should be near transit hubs with mixed-use residential and commercial spaces with large sidewalks, trees, bike lanes, and other amenities that make mutli-modal transportation appealing and natural. Increasing density in this form will build community and economic activity, reduce commute times for many, and generally improve quality of life in the valley.

2. Thirty-eight percent of Cal State University, Northridge students do not have access to a car for their daily commute. What actions can Los Angeles take to make the CSUN campus more accessible for students, staff, and faculty including better bike, pedestrian, and transit connectivity around the campus? Additionally, do you support implementation of protected bike lanes on Parthenia Street to connect Metrolink Northridge Station to existing protected bike lanes on Reseda Boulevard?

As a CSUN employee, I commute to campus by bicycle. At CSUN, two important transportation constituencies require different solutions: students living within a few miles of campus and students that commute longer distances. According to a robust CSUN survey, about 60% of CSUN students would be willing to take transit to campus if it were convenient, and convenience is the number one priority for the majority of students due to their busy lives commuting between work, home, and campus.

Enhanced local transportation options for the 35% of CSUN students that live within 5 miles of campus. Thousands of these students remain underserved by our local transit lines that run infrequently and are not timed well to CSUN class schedules. One idea to consider is a local shuttle service that circulates on major arteries in the communities around CSUN. No transit system will be perfect, especially when it comes to the 'last mile' -- which is why bikes and other wheeled transportation should be an important piece of local transit planning. Our busses need more bike capacity for students to be able to depend upon them.

Enhanced regional transit for the remaining students that commute from long distances. In response to student complaints of parking delays and neighbors frustrated by students parking in surrounding areas, the campus has prioritized building new parking, including the Zelzah/Plummer parking structure. The campus made this $26 million investment in car culture and we look forward to comparable capital investments to accommodate bus rapid transit station(s) and eventual rail line expected in coming years through measure M dollars. It’s important these travel next to CSUN with a stop at CSUN.

Carpooling. The campus has attempted to link its class registration system to a carpool planning web application, but the system is under-utilized. I support CSUN offering greater incentives for carpooling such as preferred parking or financial payouts. Compared to the cost of parking and transit infrastructure, these incentives could be cost-effective.

Metrolink connectivity. Only about 2% of CSUN students commute by Metrolink. We clearly need a better interconnected network of bike routes. Allowing a smooth ride from Metrolink to CSUN requires additional interconnectivity. I support a community dialog among riders, planners, and community members to determine the optimal way to accomplish this connectivity. Ideas include connecting a pedestrian bridge to Vanalden Park along with improved bicycle infrastructure through the residential communities along Vanalden and Prairie, moving the entire Metrolink station east to Reseda, or establishing a protected bike lanes along the industrial/commercial corridor of Parthenia.

3. CD12 sees some of L.A.’s worst speeding and street racing, with three out of the top five most dangerous intersections in all of California located within the District. In response to the condition of dangerous streets across the city, Los Angeles adopted a ‘Vision Zero’ program with the goal of significantly reducing the 240+ annual roadway deaths that the City currently sees. Do you support prioritizing safety on L.A.’s High Injury Network streets in CD12 such as Reseda, Roscoe, and Balboa Boulevards, even when there may be trade-offs in terms of automotive travel time or on-street parking?

One of the recent fatal street racing crashes occurred two blocks from my house and the community still decorates the location of the crash for every holiday – even two years later. I've witnessed half a dozen non-injury accidents at the same intersection over the last few years, and this is not even one of the top five most dangerous.

I support safety improvements such as the ones implemented by Vision Zero. As a CSUN faculty member, I advised a group of my students who came up with a specific plan for improving the intersection of Reseda and Devonshire. They presented to the local neighborhood council and canvassed the area to assess local support for the ideas, which was high. A local news network interviewed one of my students (and myself) about the intersection and their proposal. Drawing attention to the problem is a first step, but I plan to implement designs like theirs at intersections in our district that badly need them.

Vision Zero has implemented a number of safety improvements to city streets, but only about five of them are within CD12 (and two of those are not even on High Injury Network streets). I will ensure that CD12 gets its fair share of these important resources and they are targeted to the sections of street that need them most. We have data that show us which intersections these are, but we do not seem to be targeting them effectively.

Going further, I recently presented a plan to the Los Angeles Police Department for creating a mobility task force made up of LAPD leadership and community members that would elevate help elevate traffic violence to the level of attention it deserves to protect public safety. While our neighborhood councils, neighborhood watch meetings, and Senior Lead Officer reports routinely include reports of car break-ins and burglaries, they often do not include detailed reports on the traffic violence that claims so many lives in our communities. As councilmember, I will work with public safety groups and our police force can bring greater attention to both the problems and solutions to these deaths and injuries.

4. LADOT has determined that speed is the predominant factor in whether traffic collisions are deadly. Despite this fact, Los Angeles recently increased speed limits on 100 miles of local streets to abide by state law, including raising the speed limit to 45 mph on Winnetka Ave., Wilbur Ave. & Reseda Blvd. in CD12. Would you support implementation of lane reductions and other traffic calming infrastructure in order to reduce vehicle speeds on surface streets in CD12?

The data are clear that traffic calming measures reduce crashes. And the effect is not small: 19-42% according to the US Department of Transportation. While increased safety is important, I am also excited about the opportunities that these changes present our communities. While lane reductions are commonly called 'road diets', they can be more accurately thought of as 'road buffets' because of the increased options of a space devoted to a broader range of transportation options that make walking, biking, and public transit. I also support robust and continued input from the community via neighborhood councils and other interest groups before, during, and after implementation of road buffets to ensure they are meeting community needs.

5. Los Angeles’ traffic woes are compounded by the reality that many parents, students, and workers don’t feel safe commuting even short distances or performing school drop-offs walking, rolling, or by bike. What would you do as Councilmember to improve active transportation options around schools, public transit, and in commercial districts to provide better mobility options for CD12 residents?

Children should be able to walk or bike to school. There are both safety and cultural issues that spur some people to prefer driving over walking.

Pedestrian fatalities have steadily dropped over the decades despite the fact that vehicle miles traveled have skyrocketed. Unfortunately, this trend recently began to reverse and fatalities seem to be going up over the last decade. One part of this growth could be that cell phone technology distracts drivers and pedestrians. Society is still grappling with how to deal with distracted driving. Both technology and education are evolving, and our city needs to invest more in education and outreach about safe driving, walking, and biking practices as part of its efforts to transform transportation.

To encourage more children to walk or ride to school, I propose that more schools organize 'walking school buses.' Groups of children traveling together are much more visible and therefore safer than individual children. Intersections with high traffic flow near schools should have higher visibility crossing systems, longer crossing times, and (in some cases) raised crosswalks or pedestrian islands.

While safety is a big part of the active transportation equation, comfort is another piece. Our city-wide efforts to address urban heat island effects have payoff for active transportation as well. Tree cover makes walking more comfortable, yet CD12 lost 15% of its tree canopy in the first decade of the 21st century. In the process of making the city's sidewalks more ADA accessible (and therefore 'walkable'), the city has been unnecessarily removing some trees that whose roots have disrupted sidewalks. Without trees, the sidewalks are no longer inviting places to walk. While the ADA accessibility is an essential priority and required by law, other cities have found tree management strategies that preserve valuable large trees and access. Meanwhile, our city does not currently have an urban forestry plan that guides a long term strategy for rebuilding our tree canopy and maintaining our sidewalks, and I will initiate this process. Our plan must include a plan to reduce the inequality in tree canopy where the poorest neighborhoods have the least tree cover.

6. While one of Los Angeles most recently developed districts, CD12 also has the largest senior population by percentage in the city. What improvements to mobility options would you implement to empower CD12's senior population to comfortably age in place?

Let me say at the outset that I am a strong supporter of public transit and active transportation. Most politicians would follow that sentence with a BUT; where they’d equivocate about why we can’t build protected bike lanes — too soon they’d say — or lower transit fares or increase frequency of bus service. With me, there is NO BUT. If elected, I would be the strongest ally on council to bicyclists, pedestrians and transit users. Period.

My seventeen years with the Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy (LAANE) taught me many things. The first is that progressive change is achievable; I know this because my organization helped achieve great policies at LA City Hall. Second, winning policy requires team effort. It takes multiple progressive sectors coming together to push in smart ways. Finally, it takes leadership. I’m running for office because I’m tired of politicians saying one thing and doing another, or talking around an issue as a way to offend no one. You can’t have a councilmember preaching action on climate change while they’re blocking the construction of bicycle lanes from public transit to the largest commuter school in the entire United States.

1. What role do you see for walking, transit, and biking in the getting residents and students in Council District 12 to and from local businesses, parks, and schools?

Walking, biking and public transit are currently being used by people in the 12th District. My goal is to dramatically increase the opportunity for people to leave the cars at home. If people are given the opportunity to enter the street feeling safe and supported, I know they will walk and bike to school/work more often and use our streets for recreation.

It’s an infrastructure question, and this is where city council must stand firm: we must design streets so that pedestrians and bicyclists feel welcome and safe.

The design of LA’s streets, as well as the pace of our car-centric life, must be challenged. And I’m willing to do that. For me, it’s a quality-of-life question. Why must we cede so much of our public space to the automobile? Why do we make safety a secondary priority in order to allow cars to speed through our neighborhoods? Our priorities are off. And it’s critical to recognize that burning gasoline is LA’s #1 contribution to climate change. Our current convenient way of “getting around” is posing a danger to our children’s future.

LA City’s Mobility Plan 2035 lists over 150 strategies to reduce automobile use and make streets safer for pedestrians and bicyclists. Unfortunately, the City has been slow to implement the plan, and too many of these strategies remain merely ideas on paper.

Specifically, my goal in the first four years of my term will be to construct at least 10 miles of protected bicycle lanes in CD 12, with a particular focus on connecting Cal State Northridge (CSUN) with the Metrolink Northridge Station, and to begin to connect CSUN with the Balboa Orange Line Station, five miles away.

Second, I will work with LAPD to enforce speed limits and safety measures along key thoroughfares. Drivers need to be on notice that they must share the road.

Third, I will work with the City and Metro to expedite the construction of the North San Fernando Valley Bus Rapid Transit project. Metro has a lot on its plate right now, but that cannot be an excuse. I will use my position to prioritize this project – to move it from study phase to implementation. I will also work with Metro to ensure that these new rapid buses have room for bikes to be safely placed inside the buses as well.

Next, well-intentioned members of the Northridge public have opposed double-tracking Metrolink’s Ventura County Line. I sympathize with them. Nevertheless, I would work to negotiate with all parties to get a win for residents while making the line safer, reducing air pollution, and speeding the movement of passenger trains.

Last, although not in my district, I will help expedite the design and construction of the Sepulveda Transit Corridor and the East San Fernando Valley Transit Corridor. Once built, these lines will help CD 12 residents move about the region.

2. Thirty-eight percent of Cal State University, Northridge students do not have access to a car for their daily commute. What actions can Los Angeles take to make the CSUN campus more accessible for students, staff, and faculty including better bike, pedestrian, and transit connectivity around the campus? Additionally, do you support implementation of protected bike lanes on Parthenia Street to connect Metrolink Northridge Station to existing protected bike lanes on Reseda Boulevard?

California State University Northridge campus currently sees over 200,000 weekly car trips. I would work with the City and campus administrators to set measurable time-specific targets to reduce car trips. There are many options, from van-pooling to dedicated buses connecting the campus from the Red and Orange lines, from removing parking spaces to subsidizing Metrolink passes. (Today, CSUN offers reduced fares on the Metro U-Pass, but not for Metrolink.)

Yes, I support protected bike lanes, and Parthenia Street is acceptable. But a more suitable route may be Aliso Canyon Wash to Nordhoff Boulevard. A well-designed, well-lighted bike path along the wash, under the shade of oak trees, could make the bicycle commute more inviting, thereby drawing more students to this way of commuting. Through Measure M, Metro may even have funds for such a path.

3. CD12 sees some of L.A.’s worst speeding and street racing, with three out of the top five most dangerous intersections in all of California located within the District. In response to the condition of dangerous streets across the city, Los Angeles adopted a ‘Vision Zero’ program with the goal of significantly reducing the 240+ annual roadway deaths that the City currently sees. Do you support prioritizing safety on L.A.’s High Injury Network streets in CD12 such as Reseda, Roscoe, and Balboa Boulevards, even when there may be trade-offs in terms of automotive travel time or on-street parking?

Vison Zero is insufficient. We need Action Zero. Yes, I fully support prioritizing public safety efforts along CD 12’s major boulevards.

That said, I am sensitive to businesses that view street parking as benefitting their bottom line. I think it’s a question of education and smart planning. As part of street safety, I would establish a concurrent economic development taskforce to help businesses realize the financial benefit of having more livable (slower) streets.

4. LADOT has determined that speed is the predominant factor in whether traffic collisions are deadly. Despite this fact, Los Angeles recently increased speed limits on 100 miles of local streets to abide by state law, including raising the speed limit to 45 mph on Winnetka Ave., Wilbur Ave. & Reseda Blvd. in CD12. Would you support implementation of lane reductions and other traffic calming infrastructure in order to reduce vehicle speeds on surface streets in CD12?

Yes, with a caveat. Traffic calming must not look like big government telling people how to behave – that approach never works. Instead, there needs to be collaboration between government and on-the-ground communities and institutions. Local groups can provide context on why the change is needed. The best outcome would be for the CD 12 public to tell me what they want – and that they want traffic calming. I’m ready to lead on the issue and support dramatic changes to protect the public. But it will take a coalition, not just one leader standing alone, to achieve this goal.

5. Los Angeles’ traffic woes are compounded by the reality that many parents, students, and workers don’t feel safe commuting even short distances or performing school drop-offs walking, rolling, or by bike. What would you do as Councilmember to improve active transportation options around schools, public transit, and in commercial districts to provide better mobility options for CD12 residents?

As explained above, I will work with LAPD to enforce speed limits and promote safety measures in key areas, and I will work to build many miles of protected bikeways in the district. However, there is a human element as well. Angelenos are unaccustomed to sharing the road. As councilmember, I’d promote bicycling via various media, my newsletters and via social media.

6. While one of Los Angeles most recently developed districts, CD12 also has the largest senior population by percentage in the city. What improvements to mobility options would you implement to empower CD12's senior population to comfortably age in place?

AARP is a major supporter of CicLAvia, which is a great reminder that we shouldn’t assume being older entails becoming inactive or immobile.