Council Candidates Share Their Vision for Our Streets

What do City Council candidates think about our streets? To learn more about their visions, Bike Davis sent all candidates a questionnaire focused on three themes: making Davis more livable, reducing injuries and fatalities on our streets, and transportation infrastructure and zoning.

Some common themes emerged from the candidates’ thoughtful answers. All candidates are in favor of creating a locally-owned and operated bike share system as other cities have done (eg Biketown in Portland, or PeaceHealth Rides in Eugene). Almost all candidates walk or bike regularly. Some ride a bike for daily errands, others walk or ride for exercise. All candidates support preventing traffic deaths and severe injuries in Davis by implementing a Vision Zero approach.

On the other hand, Bike Davis was surprised to find that only four of the nine candidates mentioned bicycling as a way to reduce transportation-related GHG emissions and contribute to Davis’ climate neutrality goal.

Below are the candidates’ answers to some of the questions. The complete answers to all questionnaires are available at bikedavis.us/vote

Question: Streets are the City’s most valuable, abundant, and accessible public space. One avenue for improving the quality of life for all residents is to allocate more street space to healthy, sustainable and community-building activities. What permanent improvements to our streets will you propose to accommodate and encourage such activities?

Will Arnold (District 2)

Many such efforts have already been undertaken by this Council and exist today. The 3rd Street corridor between A and B is a prime example of a shared street space making for a much more comfortable and pedestrian/bicycle friendly space while still accommodating vehicular transportation needs for nearby residents and business deliveries. Space like this can readily be closed to motor vehicles for special events. Advancing more of this type of infrastructure evolution is crucial and we are actively planning for it right now.

These shared spaces, narrowing of streets, widening of sidewalks, creating cycle tracks, pedestrian amenities and plazas, spaces for ride hailing services and transit – they are at the very foundation of the Downtown Plan Update currently underway and will result in permanent improvements to our downtown landscape to build upon those that we have already undertaken (3rd Street corridor, 2nd and 3rd Street bulb-outs, creation of outdoor dining plazas, and most recently with street and parking lot closures to accommodate COVID business support for outdoor dining and sales). The Downtown Plan calls for re-envisioning the space allocation in key areas and will allow for the periodic closure of key streets, and the consideration of possible longer term closures.

We have also empowered neighborhoods to utilize streets for the arts and to use streets as gathering places for events like Neighbors Night Out and 4th of July, and this Council updated our street standards to require narrower vehicle lanes in exchange for more space for bicycles and pedestrians

Finally, the health and vibrancy of our street tree canopy is crucial to keep our streets cooled and to create a special aesthetic and welcoming environment. We are in the process right now of updating our tree ordinance and have charged our Tree Commission with the review of the draft.  We have also been awarded a $500K grant from the Department of Forestry to create an Urban Forest Master Plan and to plant 1,000 trees in partnership with Tree Davis.

Dillan Horton (District 2)

In my day job I work for a local non-profit supporting people with developmental disabilities. A lot of my clients have some degree of a mobility imitation where tripping hazards can become a big risk. In fact if you add together folks with developmental disabilities and many of our senior we have a large population of residents with a mobility limitation. Addressing uneven pavement to make sure sidewalks are safe and walkable will be a top priority of mine if elected.

Colin Walsh (District 2)

I see safe and accessible bike transportation as a cornerstone of how to meet Davis’s transportation needs. Fixing the L and Covell intersection and making 3^rd street between B and A bike only would be 2 high priorities.  I am also very concerned about the safe route to Harper Jr. High for cyclists coming from East South Davis. The Mace overcrossing seems like one of the more dangerous bike and car interchanges in town and does not have good alternative routes. I would also advocate for more secure bike parking downtown, and bike parking better suited for cargo bikes at all shopping centers and downtown.

In addition, I am a big proponent of the recent city decisions during Covid to block off certain streets at certain times to allow for walking and dining unimpeded by traffic. I would support expanding and continuing this process and making it a regular feature of downtown life.

Lucas Frerichs (District 3)

I’d like to see some of the Open Air Davis downtown parklets remain after COVID has subsided. I’d also like to see some ability for parklets to flourish on residential streets- especially in the areas of town where no greenbelts or major parks exist today. In a variety of locations, there is plenty of room to install additional green space, while maintaining usable biking/driving space, as well as ample space for parking.

Larry Guenther (District 3)

This is a discussion that really needs to include the whole community. On the Downtown Plan update Committee, there was relatively little discussion about changing our streets from the current paradigm. I would work to increase the use and safety of other modes of transportation on our streets. The streets in Old East Davis and Old North Davis are very large and making some of that space more available to pedestrian and bike traffic could and should be done. Traffic calming measures are critical to increasing the safety – and therefore the use – of streets where multi-modal transportation occurs. On the Downtown Plan Committee, I advocated for reducing the speed limit and changing street design to make it safer and more comfortable for bikes to share the roads.

Josh Chapman (District 5)

As a member of the Downtown Plan Advisory Committee, I support the recommendations included in the Draft Downtown Plan, and the vision for Downtown as one in which users choose to meet their daily needs by walking, bicycling, taking transit, and ridesharing. Streets are to be safe and comfortable for all modes of travel.

A common feature for all the streets is that they should be multimodal and have the attributes of Complete Streets. Complete Streets give top priority to space-efficient modes of transportation—to pedestrians, bicycles, and transit—when allocating space on streets, in order to maximize the capacity of streets to move people and goods.

An important aspect of Complete Street design is to consider universal access and design features, to make them safe and comfortable for people of all ages and abilities.

Kelsey Fortune (District 5)

I believe downtown should contain bicycle and pedestrian only areas to provide more outdoor space to local businesses, an environment with reduced noise and local pollution, and a true destination where people spend time. My suggestion would be Third Street between campus and G.

Connor Gorman (District 5)

First, as some recent commenters and Commissioners have pointed out, I think more trees would improve our streets, especially by providing shade, regardless of what these streets are used for.

In terms of the actual uses, I do think accommodating cars and car parking to some degree is important, especially for those who have accessibility needs or can’t afford to live near their work, school, etc., but I would be in favor of allocating more land to other purposes.  In particular, I think more and larger sidewalks and bike paths are important and I also support examining other potential uses like more public green space or seating areas.  Such spaces would also benefit local businesses, though I’d want them to remain accessible to everyone, at least under normal conditions, rather than being exclusively reserved for certain businesses (public land should remain public).

I’d also like the City to examine the possibility of making some roads one-way to increase the room we have for other uses.  I think this would be especially feasible in the downtown where the grid system means that finding an alternate path due to one-way roads shouldn’t be too burdensome.

Rochelle Swanson (District 5)

In Downtown, create permanent quality parklets between B – G, 2nd – 4th as appropriate on each block. Permanent closures to vehicle traffic on an agreed upon east to west street and Thursday – Sunday programming that would have more closures — all contingent on providing additional adequate parking to accommodate visitors to the community and those for which biking is not an option. I continue to be concerned that our limited mobility residents and young families are routinely left out of transportation discussions.

I support comprehensive bold striping throughout the community to clearly delineate bike lanes with colored traffic arrows to support new and experienced riders alike. In addition, reviewing speed restrictions on roads to provide traffic calming measures and speed reductions, where appropriate to create a safer more welcome space.

I would love to list far more upgrades, yet feel it would be inconsistent with the economic realities. I wholeheartedly support Davis being more proactive to learn and implement best practices and re-prioritizing transportation projects where we can secure funding – except where the reprioritizing would take away from safety upgrades throughout or greenbelts and bike paths. The degraded condition of many of our pathways is the barrier to greater ridership and walking. This has been raised consistently this entire campaign season.

Question: Between 2015-2019, there were 849 people injured in traffic collisions in Davis, including 272 involving people bicycling and 46 people walking¹. We envision a future where there are no traffic fatalities or severe injuries in Davis. Would you support developing and implementing a Vision Zero plan for Davis?

Will Arnold (District 2)

Yes, I support Vision Zero.

Dillan Horton (District 2)

I would absolutely support a Vision Zero plan to end fatalities and injuries related to traffic collisions. This is essential if we want a community that actually promotes active transportation as a main method of transportation. This has to be a whole-of-government approach that brings Public Works, city communications, public saftey, and of course our Bicycling Transportation & Street Saftey Commission. It should also include many opportunities for public input and consultation.

Colin Walsh (District 2)

Yes. We can do much more thorough design to make our streets safer for cyclists. The more we do this for schools in particular, the more lifelong cyclists we will create as habits can be set early.

Lucas Frerichs (District 3)

One of the single biggest issues I hear about from constituents is people driving at excessive speeds/distracted driving. While we have been installing speed boards, crosswalk signage, and rapid rectangular flashing beacons, this is not enough.

We need a community-wide campaign to slow speeds, and this is an integral component of any Vision Zero plan/campaign.

If I am re-elected, I am going to push forward with implementing a Vision Zero plan for Davis.

I think a solid first step is creation of a communitywide Task Force. I’d like to see the Council appoint some community participants, in addition to having it be comprised of members of the BTSSC, BikeDavis, CoolDavis, UC Davis-ITS, DJUSD, and other community based organizations representing those with disabilities, youth and seniors.

Larry Guenther (District 3)

Absolutely. Really changing our outlook is critical in so many areas – and mobility is one of them. We need to change our outlook and planning from starting with the automobile to starting with people. One of the mistakes we make is relying too much on a model of traffic engineering that is absolutely centered on the automobile and makes active transportation modes an afterthought. I think in this area, and many others, we need to include sociologists and behavioral psychologists in our planning teams. We need to completely re-think the way we design and build streets. This is obviously a long-term project, but we need to start now.

Josh Chapman (District 5)

I am absolutely in favor of working towards implementing a vision zero plan.

Kelsey Fortune (District 5)

Absolutely. We should be striving for the best.

Connor Gorman (District 5)

I would.  I’m not an expert in this area and don’t know what the details of such a plan would be or the best way to implement it in Davis but I think this is an important issue and would gladly support efforts to study the development and application of a Vision Zero plan in Davis.

Rochelle Swanson (District 5)

Yes.

Question: Transportation and land use are deeply connected. With the General Plan due for revision, what strategies will you propose to durably lessen the reliance on private cars in Davis? (eg, unbundling car parking from housing for renters, reducing or eliminating off street minimum parking requirements, charging for car parking, etc)

Will Arnold (District 2)

Electric vehicle infrastructure will be crucial to accommodate increased EV usage. This Council was successful in securing an EV infrastructure grant of $2.9m with VCEA, $2m of which comes directly to the City of Davis for electric vehicle charging infrastructure to implement the City’s EV Plan. We prepared the EV Plan a few years ago (also with grant funds) to position us for precisely this kind of infrastructure implementation funding. This is a prime example of how advance planning can position us well to set forth as clear vision and then go after funding support to implement that vision.

The Amtrak connection study grant of $250,000 was used to engage the community and create recommends on how to improve access and connections to the Davis Amtrak Station. Like the above example of securing funds for EV charging infrastructure – having these plans in places positions us well to secure grants funds for implementation.

We are already unbundling car parking costs from housing costs as we did in the Davis Live, Lincoln 40, and Nishi apartment projects to cite just a few examples. This Council has significantly reduced off-street parking requirements in several projects, including Mission Residences, Sterling, Lincoln 40, and Davis Live. The Downtown Plan update reflects these strategies and the General Plan update will benefit greatly from this work.

Charging for parking is a valuable tool but must also be used with great precision, advanced planning, and community buy-in to be successful. We have employed this tool in the E Street parking lot downtown for several years with success.

The largest single action we can take to reduce private vehicle usage is to continue to employ policies that encourage infill, retain a compact community form, and keep jobs, housing, shopping, parks, and amenities withing walking and biking distances, and maintaining local and regional transit systems that make all travel modes viable and affordable. The Downtown Plan update exemplifies all of these elements, including provision of the “missing middle” housing into our downtown.

Dillan Horton (District 2)

I do think the city should use its planning authority to create housing and business options that don’t further perpetuate car-centric living. I think all of the suggested options above should be considered in future housing and business development projects. At the same time we should understand that constricting parking for those who already own cars, is a tool with limited long-term ability to curb car usage. The fact is that structures far outside of parking force people into car-centric living. For instance my job requires me to move around the county throughout the day and to sometimes transport clients. There is no parking restriction that will remove my work need for a car so I can pay the bills. The most powerful thing the city can do to reduce car usage is to provide reasonable alternatives like wide-spread public transportation, as well as safe biking and walking routes.

Colin Walsh (District 2)

A new general plan needs to look at ways to continue connecting back paths and creating safe routes. New development should be prioritized in places where active transportation is a better option. Unbundling housing and parking costs should be the norm in new development. I would also support exit fees for parking lots rather than rent by the month spaces so there was a per trip cost rather than a set monthly rate. I am open to low parking multifamily models, but the developments need to really be set up in ways that will work. That includes, ample secure bike parking, accessibility to shopping, good drop zones for car services, and possibly car shares at or near the housing. Removing parking from multi-family housing that causes people to park in the neighborhoods would be a bad outcome but can be avoided through good planning. Low or no car multi family housing can be done, but it needs to be done with intention, so it truly meets future residents needs not just as an out for developers trying to avoid the cost of parking.

Lucas Frerichs (District 3)

Answer: An update of the city’s General Plan will begin in the coming year, and there are transportation items that need addressing. I’d like us to address off street minimum parking requirements, and I’m amenable to other suggestions from the community. There will definitely be a robust public participation component to a General Plan update, so I am hopeful that Bike Davis will participate in this process.

Larry Guenther (District 3)

As a member of the Downtown Plan Advisory Committee, I actively worked for unbundling parking fees from rents. This has been shown to be very effective at reducing automobile use. The draft update of the Downtown Plan also eliminated parking minimums, which I also advocated for. User-paid parking is a tool that also works well to change behavior and I would like to use that as we move forward with our planning process. Updating our employee X permit system to include free transit passes would go a long way toward increasing transit use and improving the parking situation downtown. I would also like to expand this program to more areas of the City.

With the update of our General Plan, I would like to see a focus on densification and re-development of areas that are already central to our transit system, like our shopping malls. I believe that the concept of the University Commons project is a big move in the right direction, but I would like to see much more community engagement in our planning process so that we get projects that don’t divide our community, but bring it together. For transit to really work, we need more dense residential development. For walking and biking to really work, we need to have goods and services near people. My neighborhood of Old East Davis has commercial and retail scattered throughout it and this makes walking and biking to those businesses easy and safe. This is a concept I would like to see expanded in our General Plan update.

Josh Chapman (District 5)

The examples laid out above should ALL be included in the general plan.  Also, in the general plan update I would advocate for new development projects to have carve outs where those funds would help pay for the above discussed bike share program.

Kelsey Fortune (District 5)

I addressed this earlier (1). Unbundling parking, instituting parking maximums in an updated general plan, and an annual parking space fee for all properties.

• In an earlier question, Kelsey outlined her priorities for the City of Davis to address climate change:
• Parking should be uncoupled at housing complexes.
• Prioritize alternative transportation funding
• Update general plan to have parking maximums rather than minimums
• Encourage and push forward development that allows people to live close to where they work and play. Commuter data is misleading as Davisites who work at the university are shown as working outside of Davis. Really the university employs around 21,000 people, so there are very few people who live in Davis and work elsewhere. Our housing shortage has pushed people to live outside of Davis.
• Push for a parking spot fee assessed on all properties. This will provide much needed revenue as well as provide incentive for the redevelopment of underutilized space and passing through to those utilizing this parking which will encourage people to forgo vehicle ownership. (exemption for handicapped parking)
• Create a Climate commission.

Connor Gorman (District 5)

I do think the example ideas given here, and others like them, have a lot of merit and promise and I’d be interested in studying them further with substantial input from community experts and those who would be the most impacted.  However, for at least some of them I do have concerns around making sure we don’t disproportionately hurt those who have to drive under the current system (like people with accessibility needs or those who can’t afford to live near their work, school, etc.).  Any policies we create around car parking should take these factors into account.

Along with possible changes to car parking, I think increased densification as discussed in my response to question 3 is a land use policy that would help reduce our reliance on cars, especially if this densification causes people to live closer to the places that they frequently visit (like school, work, and businesses).

Finally, I think creating a more welcoming environment (as discussed in my response to question 2) would help incentivize people to use active modes of transportation more often.

Rochelle Swanson (District 5)

I propose the General Plan update take a holistic approach to identifying the appropriate areas to reduce and eliminate requirements where alternative transportation is a viable and accessible option to most and where amenities are within biking/walking distance. This applies unbundling car parking from housing for renters and charging to car parking. Rather than simply remove and reduce, I want to see a General Plan that plans for the users to be able to lessen reliance on private cars by incentivizing better infrastructure and taking into account mobility of all current and anticipated residents.

Support our work – to become a sustaining at $5 – $10- $25 per month hit the link:

Categories:

Tags: