Primary Election day: Tuesday, March 7, 7am-8pm
Find your polling place: http://lavote.net/locator

Bike The Vote L.A. received responses from 5 of the 11 candidates running for mayor in the City Los Angeles. Please use the below links for candidate grades from Bike The Vote L.A., summaries of candidates, and each candidate’s full response to Bike The Vote L.A.’s mayoral candidate questionnaire.

Eric Garcetti
Mitchell Schwartz
Paul Amori
Diane “Pinky” Harman
David “Zuma Dogg” Saltsburg

2017 Mayoral Candidate Report Card: Eric Garcetti

Primary Election day: Tuesday, March 7, 7am-8pm
Find your polling place: http://lavote.net/locator

Vision for Livable Communities: B
Prioritization of Safety: C
Commitment to Equity: C
Commitment to Collaboration: D
Overall Bike The Vote LA Grade: C

The first term of Mayor Eric Garcetti has been a surprising disappointment for livability advocates. Garcetti clearly understands the health, equity, quality of life, empowerment, and economic benefits to making city streets safer for all road users. But beyond splashy announcements and wonkish technical studies, there has been a frustrating lack of visible action to improve mobility options for those on foot and on bikes.

On one hand, advocates for safe streets have seen some exciting developments under Garcetti: a focus on collection of data, the appointment of livable streets leader Seleta Reynolds as head of LADOT, implementation of the City’s first parking-protected bike lanes, a scramble crosswalk at the center of Hollywood, adoption of a potentially transformative Mobility Plan, and adoption of a Vision Zero policy. And Mayor Garcetti played a crucial role in shaping and securing adoption of Measure M, the sweeping ballot measure passed last Fall that secures funding for a transformative vision of Los Angeles’ transportation system, including bike infrastructure to access new transit lines and completion of the L.A. River Bike Path through Downtown.

On the other hand, we’ve seen bike lane implementation drop to a snail’s pace, a lack of outreach to communities of color, and failure to implement the 2010 Bike Plan’s bike lane network. Additionally, the Mayor’s voice and political muscle have been frustratingly absent from prominent street safety discussions regarding the Hyperion Bridge, Central Avenue, North Figueroa Street, and Westwood Boulevard. Los Angeles famously localizes decision-making within the City Council, but the Mayor’s office retains a significant role with a high level of exposure and a fleet of commission appointments capable of shaping policy. The national branch of Streetsblog rightly questioned Garcetti’s pattern of inaction in 2015, asking, “Can LA Make Great Streets If the Mayor Won’t Stand Up for Good Design?” Garcetti’s record may be strong on generating plans and pilots, but we have yet to see that commitment matched in implementation.

In his response to Bike The Vote, Garcetti highlighted the 2.4 centerline miles of protected bike lanes enacted under his tenure while shifting the subject away from LADOT’s decision to stop pursuing annual implementation of 40 centerline miles (80 lane miles) of bike lanes. Garcetti also referenced the City’s long delayed and newly released Vision Zero Action Plan, which outlines a strategy for achieving the objectives laid out when the initiative was launched, but has been criticized by the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition, the L.A. Vision Zero Alliance, and Los Angeles Streetsblog as weak on infrastructure and heavy on enforcement that disproportionately affects people of color. The Action Plan is typical of what we’ve seen as Garcetti’s approach to safe streets: long on identification of problems but short on transformative action, committing to just 12 (lane?) miles of street reconfigurations per year over the next 8 years. This approach falls short of established best practices and is wholly inadequate to meet L.A.’s challenge of eliminating traffic fatalities by 2025, currently over 200 per year.

Like other major metropolitan mayors, Mayor Garcetti’s name is frequently floated as a future national political contender. So far on safe streets, he does not meet the standards set by mayors Michael Bloomberg of New York, Rahn Emanuel of Chicago, Michael Hancock of Denver, Betsy Hodges of Minneapolis, Bill Peduto of Pittsburgh, or Charlie Hales of Portland. If Garcetti earns a second term as Mayor, Los Angeles residents deserve a more impassioned and resourceful effort on active transportation to build a healthier, more sustainable, and more livable city.

(See below for Eric Garcetti’s response to Bike The Vote L.A.)

1. In 2015, Los Angeles approved Mobility Plan 2035, the first update to the Transportation Element of its General Plan since 1999. Mobility Plan 2035 puts “safety first” in transportation decisions, and provides a vision for a transportation system composed of safe and quality transit, bicycle, pedestrian, and automotive options. How would you like to see this Plan implemented, and how do you envision Los Angeles’ transportation system in 2022 at the end of the next Mayoral term?

I am working toward making sure Angelenos have access to a full range of transportation options so that they can get where they want to go, when they want to get there and how they want to get there. This includes walking, biking, bus, rail, car sharing, TNCs, autonomous vehicles and current personally-owned vehicles. I led the effort to pass Measure M, which provides a permanent funding stream for projects included in the Mobility Plan. Measure M also provides funding to create a continuous bike path along the full length of the L.A. River in the City. .

2. How can Los Angeles catch up to peer cities such as New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and Seattle in terms of quality of roadway infrastructure and bicycle-friendliness?

It’s important to note that those are not Los Angeles’ peer cities when it comes to providing infrastructure to a service area. Los Angeles has to provide infrastructure in an area that is 40% larger than New York City, 54% larger than Chicago, 83% larger than Seattle, and 91% larger than San Francisco. Among its peers, Los Angeles was the only city with a population over one million and an area larger than 450 square miles to appear on Bicycling Magazine’s “The 50 Best Bike Cities” (number 24).

During my first term, I led several important milestones for bicycling in Los Angeles. I implemented the city’s first protected bike lane, parking-protected bike lane, and first bike signals. I appointed Seleta Reynolds, a true visionary, to lead LADOT. I signed Executive Directive 10, launching Vision Zero Los Angeles and setting a goal to eliminate traffic fatalities in the City by 2025. I launched bikeshare Downtown, voted to expand bikeshare to Venice and the Port of LA, and created a brand new first-last mile program at Metro to expand bicycle infrastructure near transit. The City broke ground on the MyFigueroa project. We held eleven CicLAvias, including the first ones in the Valley and in South LA, and we awarded millions of dollars for open streets events across the region. The City worked to attract millions of dollars in federal, state, and local funding for new bicycle and safety projects. I opened new segments of the LA River Greenway, and started the process to bring a continuous bike path along the LA River. We also adopted the Mobility Plan 2035, which cements a multimodal approach to the future of transportation in Los Angeles.

We now are now well on the way to where we want to be, and with the boost provided by Measure M, we will get there.

3. On August 24, 2015, Mayor Garcetti signed Executive Directive 10, setting ‘Vision Zero’ as a policy for Los Angeles, with the goal of eliminating traffic-related deaths within 10 years. In order to meet this goal, LADOT identified a “High Injury Network” to prioritize safety improvements on L.A.’s most dangerous streets. However, after a year and a half, we have seen very little concrete action to reduce transportation-related deaths on City streets. What do you see as the critical hurdles for improving safety on Los Angeles streets, and how would you work to address these impediments in reducing speeding in order to save lives?

The City is launching its Vision Zero Action Plan this month, which provides a path for reaching L.A.’s Vision Zero goals. The tasks include filling bike network gaps, updating speed surveys to ensure speeding enforceability, improving street lighting and signal timing, as well as identifying Priority Corridors for where we will target our interventions to make the greatest impact.

In the last six months of 2016, the City increased completed speed surveys for 42 miles of roads on the High Injury Network and will add 200 more miles before the end of the year.  The city has also installed several new signals within the High Injury Network, and has identified 92 more intersections signal upgrades and installation.  LADOT has also started work on 35 projects along the High Injury Network that will reconfigure corridors to improve safety.   

4. In 2011 the City of Los Angeles adopted a Bicycle Master Plan identifying a network of bike lanes to make bicycle commuting a safe and comfortable commuting option. However, after most easy-to-install bike lanes were implemented, the City largely stopped pursuing reconfigurations of roads to accommodate bike lanes on streets where the number of travel lanes might be affected. Since Mayor Garcetti took office, implemented bike lane miles have plummeted from 251 in FY2013-14 and 120 in FY2014-15 to 38 in FY2014-15 and a mere 17 in FY2015-16. Do you see a network of bicycle infrastructure as an important component to making Los Angeles a bike-friendly city? If so, what will your administration do within the next Mayoral term to accelerate the development of a comprehensive network of bike lanes in Los Angeles?

A comprehensive bicycle infrastructure network is an important part of continuing to make L.A. friendlier for cyclists. During my second term, we will expand bikeshare, implement more protected bike lanes, increase the number of open streets events in the City, and make things safer for all street users through Vision Zero.

5. Much emphasis in transportation engineering has been placed in recent years on protected bike lanes and protected intersections. New York City began installing modern parking-protected bicycle lanes in 2007. Los Angeles has started to follow suit, installing short stretches of protected bike lanes in the 2nd Street Tunnel, on Reseda Blvd, on westbound Venice Blvd, on Los Angeles Street, and on southbound Van Nuys Blvd. But with many of these installations limited to ½-mile segments, separated by many miles across a large city, and no protected intersections implemented in Los Angeles; they hardly represent a viable backbone to support bicycle commuting for all ages and skill levels. How do you plan to implement the protected bike lane network envisioned in Mobility Plan 2035, seeing as so far only about 1.1 lane miles of the 300 planned lane miles have been been built in the year and a half since the Plan was adopted? When can Angelenos expect to rely on a system of protected bike lanes to get them around Los Angeles, as commuters now do in New York and Chicago?

We have designed 10 miles of protected bike lanes, and are already moving to implement several projects, including Downtown on Spring and Main and on Figueroa between USC and 7th Street.

6. A 2014 report by the L.A. Times noted a rise in hit & run crimes against people on bikes in Los Angeles. What action will your administration take – both at the local level and in working with State legislators – to reduce hit & run crimes?

Every hit-and-run is a preventable tragedy. Through Vision Zero (described above), we have worked at the local level to reduce the number of hit-and-run crimes. I was also proud to support AB 8 at the state level, which authorizes law enforcement agencies to issue a Yellow Alert if a person has been killed or has suffered serious bodily injury due to a hit-and-run.

7. Bike share systems have been implemented across Los Angeles, but as systems expand to different areas of Los Angeles and neighboring cities, experts foresee three major obstacles: stations that are discontinuous/too far apart, stations with unsafe walking conditions that limit access, and systems that are out of reach for low-income residents. What areas would you like to see bike share expanded to within Los Angeles, and what should the City be doing to make these systems more accessible, affordable, and useful to all Angelenos?

Bikeshare is an important new mobility option and a key element to improving first-last mile connections to transit lines. I would like to see bikeshare expand to neighborhoods across the City, including Venice, Hollywood, Westlake, the Vermont corridor, North Hollywood, and more.  I look forward to finding what Metro has learned from the Downtown Bikeshare pilot, and am open to potential improvement for the system, including the fare structure, station locations, and ways to improve station accessibility.

2017 Mayoral Candidate Report Card: Mitchell Schwartz

Primary Election day: Tuesday, March 7, 7am-8pm
Find your polling place: http://lavote.net/locator

Vision for Livable Communities: C-
Prioritization of Safety: B+
Commitment to Equity: (not enough info to grade)
Commitment to Collaboration: C+
Overall Bike The Vote LA Grade: C

Former California campaign director for Obama, Mitchell Schwartz is perhaps the most politically seasoned of challengers to Mayor Garcetti. His campaign is focused on addressing LADWP reform and tackling L.A.’s pension costs. In his response to Bike The Vote L.A, he offers a generally welcoming platform on active transportation, calling for implementation of the 2010 Bike Plan and a vague commitment to creating protected bicycle infrastructure. But as a candidate who opposed Measure M and wants to tackle ‘out of control real estate development,’ it’s not clear that Schwartz shares the goals of the active transportation community for vibrant neighborhoods linked by an equitable and sustainable transportation system. Should Mitchell Schwartz advance in the Mayoral race, we hope that he will further engage with safe streets and mobility advocates to expand his platform on transportation.

(See below for Mitchell Schwartz’s response to Bike The Vote L.A.)

1. In 2015, Los Angeles approved Mobility Plan 2035, the first update to the Transportation Element of its General Plan since 1999. Mobility Plan 2035 puts “safety first” in transportation decisions, and provides a vision for a transportation system composed of safe and quality transit, bicycle, pedestrian, and automotive options. How would you like to see this Plan implemented, and how do you envision Los Angeles’ transportation system in 2022 at the end of the next Mayoral term?

I’m a lifelong supporter of public transportation and strongly believe that improving Los Angeles’s public transit system is fundamentally necessary to improve the lives of Angelenos and to combat climate change. The Mobility Plan 2035 is a great step toward becoming a more livable city and ensuring that bicyclists and pedestrians are also kept safe in the process. I would seek better relations with Bike-The-Vote LA and other like-minded organizations to ensure that bikers feel safe on our streets. By 2022, I envision a much more people-friendly city with the continued expansion of Metro ridership opportunities.

Furthermore, to keep our bicyclists safe from hit and run crimes we must also work to develop the precautionary infrastructure necessary to keep bicyclists safe from vehicles and buses. That’s why one of my top priorities is to install permanent bike-to-street barriers along our east-to-west corridors in the Los Angeles Basin, Valley, and Downtown regions. Streets and areas of consideration include Pico Blvd, Venice Blvd, Washington Blvd, and the LA River. The latter of which should be Measure M’s top priority.

2. How can Los Angeles catch up to peer cities such as New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and Seattle in terms of quality of roadway infrastructure and bicycle-friendliness?

We need to encourage more transit friendly projects like LADOT’s Bike Program, which encourage Angelenos to enjoy the city by bike for a small cost, and support the expansion of bike-friendly policies. Only by creating the proper infrastructure for biking can we as a city make real progressive progress for our residents.

3. On August 24, 2015, Mayor Garcetti signed Executive Directive 10, setting ‘Vision Zero’ as a policy for Los Angeles, with the goal of eliminating traffic-related deaths within 10 years. In order to meet this goal, LADOT identified a “High Injury Network” to prioritize safety improvements on L.A.’s most dangerous streets. However, after a year and a half, we have seen very little concrete action to reduce transportation-related deaths on City streets. What do you see as the critical hurdles for improving safety on Los Angeles streets, and how would you work to address these impediments in reducing speeding in order to save lives?

When it comes to enforcing Directive 10, we need to be able to fund the improvements we envision, and that’s not going to happen when we see huge budget increases that go to rising pension costs. We need to get our fiscal house in order first.

4. In 2011 the City of Los Angeles adopted a Bicycle Master Plan identifying a network of bike lanes to make bicycle commuting a safe and comfortable commuting option. However, after most easy-to-install bike lanes were implemented, the City largely stopped pursuing reconfigurations of roads to accommodate bike lanes on streets where the number of travel lanes might be affected. Since Mayor Garcetti took office, implemented bike lane miles have plummeted from 251 in FY2013-14 and 120 in FY2014-15 to 38 in FY2014-15 and a mere 17 in FY2015-16. Do you see a network of bicycle infrastructure as an important component to making Los Angeles a bike-friendly city? If so, what will your administration do within the next Mayoral term to accelerate the development of a comprehensive network of bike lanes in Los Angeles?

Again, the Bicycle Master Plan and many essential services have been crowded out of the budget due to rising pension costs. Since Garcetti took office, the budget has grown 22% ($1 billion), but nearly all of it has gone to growing pension costs. He has not shown the leadership to tackle this issue and fight for other budget priorities. I will.

5. Much emphasis in transportation engineering has been placed in recent years on protected bike lanes and protected intersections. New York City began installing modern parking-protected bicycle lanes in 2007. Los Angeles has started to follow suit, installing short stretches of protected bike lanes in the 2nd Street Tunnel, on Reseda Blvd, on westbound Venice Blvd, on Los Angeles Street, and on southbound Van Nuys Blvd. But with many of these installations limited to ½-mile segments, separated by many miles across a large city, and no protected intersections implemented in Los Angeles; they hardly represent a viable backbone to support bicycle commuting for all ages and skill levels. How do you plan to implement the protected bike lane network envisioned in Mobility Plan 2035, seeing as so far only about 1.1 lane miles of the 300 planned lane miles have been been built in the year and a half since the Plan was adopted? When can Angelenos expect to rely on a system of protected bike lanes to get them around Los Angeles, as commuters now do in New York and Chicago?

By making safety a top priority and bicycle funding part of its own designated budget, we can properly ensure that bike safety via new bike lanes finally comes to fruition.

6. A 2014 report by the L.A. Times noted a rise in hit & run crimes against people on bikes in Los Angeles. What action will your administration take – both at the local level and in working with State legislators – to reduce hit & run crimes?

We need to ensure that those who endanger the public safety of our city are put to justice. I support the hiring of 2,500 additional police officers to police the streets of Los Angeles to help with not just the 40% increase in violent crime, but to serve as additional vigilance to all members of the community and to minimize issues like hit-and-runs.

7. Bike share systems have been implemented across Los Angeles, but as systems expand to different areas of Los Angeles and neighboring cities, experts foresee three major obstacles: stations that are discontinuous/too far apart, stations with unsafe walking conditions that limit access, and systems that are out of reach for low-income residents. What areas would you like to see bike share expanded to within Los Angeles, and what should the City be doing to make these systems more accessible, affordable, and useful to all Angelenos?

In supporting the general expansion of bike sharing, such as the LADOT’s Bike sharing service, I would want to see expansion where it is most ideal. Realistically, the most sense would be to expand the programs in the most population-dense areas that have the best current infrastructure i.e. bike lanes, to ensure that the program does not lead to an increase in bike-related accidents.

2017 Mayoral Candidate Report Card: Paul Amori

Primary Election day: Tuesday, March 7, 7am-8pm
Find your polling place: http://lavote.net/locator

Vision for Livable Communities: B+
Prioritization of Safety: A-
Commitment to Equity: (not enough info to grade)
Commitment to Collaboration: (not enough info to grade)
Overall Bike The Vote LA Grade: B

Mayoral candidate Paul Amori’s “Vote 4 Love” campaign gives off the feel of a hipster immersed in character for an ironic performance art project, and so it came as a surprise to receive such a thoughtful response from him to Bike The Vote L.A.’s questionnaire. He offers heartfelt support for our vision of a layered system of mobility options and a robust network of bicycle infrastructure that helps us to meet L.A.’s sustainability goals; commitments that are lacking in the platform of L.A.’s current mayor. It’s hard to assess whether Amori has the political expertise or experience to lead Los Angeles, but his rational approach grounded in love and empathy – is certainly a welcome addition in today’s political climate.

(See below for Paul Amori’s response to Bike The Vote L.A.)

1. In 2015, Los Angeles approved Mobility Plan 2035, the first update to the Transportation Element of its General Plan since 1999. Mobility Plan 2035 puts “safety first” in transportation decisions, and provides a vision for a transportation system composed of safe and quality transit, bicycle, pedestrian, and automotive options. How would you like to see this Plan implemented, and how do you envision Los Angeles’ transportation system in 2022 at the end of the next Mayoral term?

I wholeheartedly support Mobility Plan 2035, it was a crucial update to an outdated and dysfunctional city plan that valued car traffic above foot and bicycle traffic in our city. Overhauling and exploring new paradigms for both our public transportation system and our traffic congested highways is a major part of our platform.

We need to reduce the numbers of automobiles on the road and to increase safety for bikers and pedestrians. My campaign will do this in a number of ways; first by creating incentives for drivers to adopt new transportation technologies like driverless cars that are safer and more efficient. Second we will support the infrastructure required to add the new bike lanes proposed by the plan that makes it easier and safer for bikers to get to their destinations on major streets and across green belts like the LA River. I would also like to expand the Metro Bike Share program to all parts of the city.

By 2022 I want to see Los Angeles be recognized as a biker and pedestrian friendly city with rapidly declining fatality rates from traffic collisions.

2. How can Los Angeles catch up to peer cities such as New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and Seattle in terms of quality of roadway infrastructure and bicycle-friendliness?

Our infrastructure in Los Angeles is in dire need of some love. With broken sidewalks and pothole strewn roads the streets are crumbling and unsafe. Revitalizing our infrastructure will require us to rethink how our city services are operating. We can look to other cities for ideas and inspiration, but we have to remember that Los Angeles occupies far more square miles than most cities and as such has unique needs that require innovative solutions that can be implemented quickly and efficiently. In order to truly raise the quality of our roads and create both bicycle and pedestrian friendly streets we need to enlist the city council and neighborhood councils to be active participants in helping the city to prioritize what areas need immediate assistance and taking action to service them.

3. On August 24, 2015, Mayor Garcetti signed Executive Directive 10, setting ‘Vision Zero’ as a policy for Los Angeles, with the goal of eliminating traffic-related deaths within 10 years. In order to meet this goal, LADOT identified a “High Injury Network” to prioritize safety improvements on L.A.’s most dangerous streets. However, after a year and a half, we have seen very little concrete action to reduce transportation-related deaths on City streets. What do you see as the critical hurdles for improving safety on Los Angeles streets, and how would you work to address these impediments in reducing speeding in order to save lives?

The biggest hurdle for improving safety is that we first have to catch up to current standards which the sheer size of our city and road system makes inherently challenging. We also have to reeducate drivers to think of cyclists as equal partners on the road, that means making high visibility bike lanes on streets that favor bike traffic over automobile traffic. We also need to look at the more heavily accident prone streets and corridors and assess where we can increase and establish safer crossing structures and bicycle lanes utilizing signage and if necessary speeding impediments.

4. In 2011 the City of Los Angeles adopted a Bicycle Master Plan identifying a network of bike lanes to make bicycle commuting a safe and comfortable commuting option. However, after most easy-to-install bike lanes were implemented, the City largely stopped pursuing reconfigurations of roads to accommodate bike lanes on streets where the number of travel lanes might be affected. Since Mayor Garcetti took office, implemented bike lane miles have plummeted from 251 in FY2013-14 and 120 in FY2014-15 to 38 in FY2014-15 and a mere 17 in FY2015-16. Do you see a network of bicycle infrastructure as an important component to making Los Angeles a bike-friendly city? If so, what will your administration do within the next Mayoral term to accelerate the development of a comprehensive network of bike lanes in Los Angeles?

To make bicycle commuting a viable option we absolutely need to build out a bicycle friendly infrastructure. A core part of our platform is traffic reduction and Green solutions. Adding more cyclists to the road makes for healthier citizens, reduces traffic and our carbon footprint. But before we can offer a solution to how we would accelerate the development of such a network we would need to understand why the city and Garcetti has opted to slow down the process in order to determine the best route to getting the plan back on track and up to speed.

5. Much emphasis in transportation engineering has been placed in recent years on protected bike lanes and protected intersections. New York City began installing modern parking-protected bicycle lanes in 2007. Los Angeles has started to follow suit, installing short stretches of protected bike lanes in the 2nd Street Tunnel, on Reseda Blvd, on westbound Venice Blvd, on Los Angeles Street, and on southbound Van Nuys Blvd. But with many of these installations limited to ½-mile segments, separated by many miles across a large city, and no protected intersections implemented in Los Angeles; they hardly represent a viable backbone to support bicycle commuting for all ages and skill levels. How do you plan to implement the protected bike lane network envisioned in Mobility Plan 2035, seeing as so far only about 1.1 lane miles of the 300 planned lane miles have been been built in the year and a half since the Plan was adopted? When can Angelenos expect to rely on a system of protected bike lanes to get them around Los Angeles, as commuters now do in New York and Chicago?

Without having first hand knowledge of how the plan is being carried out I cannot fairly comment on why it is coming up short. If I become mayor I pledge to do a thorough analysis to determine how to get Mobility Plan 2035 back on track and ensure that it lives up to its promises.

6. A 2014 report by the L.A. Times noted a rise in hit & run crimes against people on bikes in Los Angeles. What action will your administration take – both at the local level and in working with State legislators – to reduce hit & run crimes?

At all times, public safety for the citizens of Los Angeles has to be our number one concern. We need to work with legislators to create legislation that brings down the full power of the law upon perpetrators of hit and run’s. With that in mind, our first step will be to review the most current data on bike related accidents and fatalities in Los Angeles and determine the best course of action, including enforcing existing legislation that has either halted or slowed for political or budgetary reason.

7. Bike share systems have been implemented across Los Angeles, but as systems expand to different areas of Los Angeles and neighboring cities, experts foresee three major obstacles: stations that are discontinuous/too far apart, stations with unsafe walking conditions that limit access, and systems that are out of reach for low-income residents. What areas would you like to see bike share expanded to within Los Angeles, and what should the City be doing to make these systems more accessible, affordable, and useful to all Angelenos?

I believe in the bike share system and I believe it should be city-wide, but bike shares will not even be appealing in neighborhoods that don’t have bike lanes and safe streets for cyclists. First and foremost we need to implement the lanes laid out in the Bicycle Master Plan, then begin to place share systems along the paths that see the most traffic. From there we can begin to reach deeper into neighborhoods that are not currently benefitting from share systems. Pricing should be based on gross income of neighborhood and districts and should be lower in less affluent areas. Of course with more supply we can also reduce prices making share systems an affordable solution for all Angelenos.

2017 Mayoral Candidate Report Card: Diane “Pinky” Harman

Primary Election day: Tuesday, March 7, 7am-8pm
Find your polling place: http://lavote.net/locator

Vision for Livable Communities: C
Prioritization of Safety: B
Commitment to Equity: (not enough info to grade)
Commitment to Collaboration: (not enough info to grade)
Overall Bike The Vote LA Grade: C

Upbeat and effervescent local personality Diane “Pinky” Harman is running a mayoral campaign aimed at bringing attention to noble goals like addressing bullying in schools and changing how LAPD addresses victims of stalking. Though she does not yet display a depth of knowledge regarding safe streets or active transportation, we appreciate the support she expresses in her questionnaire response for making City streets safer for all who use them.

(See below for Diane Harman’s response to Bike The Vote L.A.)

1. In 2015, Los Angeles approved Mobility Plan 2035, the first update to the Transportation Element of its General Plan since 1999. Mobility Plan 2035 puts “safety first” in transportation decisions, and provides a vision for a transportation system composed of safe and quality transit, bicycle, pedestrian, and automotive options. How would you like to see this Plan implemented, and how do you envision Los Angeles’ transportation system in 2022 at the end of the next Mayoral term?

 Our infrastructure would be fixed so pipes and roads wouldn’t have pot holds.

  People who worked close to their houses would walk or take a bicycle.

Car pools would be the norm rather than a rarity

  Traffic and congestion would be reduced.

2. How can Los Angeles catch up to peer cities such as New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and Seattle in terms of quality of roadway infrastructure and bicycle-friendliness?

  Seattle in terms of quality of roadway infrastructure and bicycle friendliness.

   First of all, we need to make our infrastructure as our first priority.  I would look at the

       Budget and eliminate waste.  In addition, I would look at property Los Angeles owns that

        We could sell to get the income needed to fix our infrastructure.   People driving autos

      Have to be more aware of the people in the bike lanes.  We have to lower the speed

       In places where bike lanes are prevalent.  Bikers have to wear clothing that they can be

      Seen in to avoid accidents.

3. On August 24, 2015, Mayor Garcetti signed Executive Directive 10, setting ‘Vision Zero’ as a policy for Los Angeles, with the goal of eliminating traffic-related deaths within 10 years. In order to meet this goal, LADOT identified a “High Injury Network” to prioritize safety improvements on L.A.’s most dangerous streets. However, after a year and a half, we have seen very little concrete action to reduce transportation-related deaths on City streets. What do you see as the critical hurdles for improving safety on Los Angeles streets, and how would you work to address these impediments in reducing speeding in order to save lives?

Reduce cars as far as we can.  If you spot someone speeding on the road call 911 if possible and get their

License number.  People in cars and pedestrians have to be vigilant in taking responsibility.  Too often people look the other way.

4. In 2011 the City of Los Angeles adopted a Bicycle Master Plan identifying a network of bike lanes to make bicycle commuting a safe and comfortable commuting option. However, after most easy-to-install bike lanes were implemented, the City largely stopped pursuing reconfigurations of roads to accommodate bike lanes on streets where the number of travel lanes might be affected. Since Mayor Garcetti took office, implemented bike lane miles have plummeted from 251 in FY2013-14 and 120 in FY2014-15 to 38 in FY2014-15 and a mere 17 in FY2015-16. Do you see a network of bicycle infrastructure as an important component to making Los Angeles a bike-friendly city? If so, what will your administration do within the next Mayoral term to accelerate the development of a comprehensive network of bike lanes in Los Angeles?

Yes.  I will cut the waste in the budget, so that it will be possible. In addition, we have a lot of property we can sell.  There are ways to fund this.

5. Much emphasis in transportation engineering has been placed in recent years on protected bike lanes and protected intersections. New York City began installing modern parking-protected bicycle lanes in 2007. Los Angeles has started to follow suit, installing short stretches of protected bike lanes in the 2nd Street Tunnel, on Reseda Blvd, on westbound Venice Blvd, on Los Angeles Street, and on southbound Van Nuys Blvd. But with many of these installations limited to ½-mile segments, separated by many miles across a large city, and no protected intersections implemented in Los Angeles; they hardly represent a viable backbone to support bicycle commuting for all ages and skill levels. How do you plan to implement the protected bike lane network envisioned in Mobility Plan 2035, seeing as so far only about 1.1 lane miles of the 300 planned lane miles have been been built in the year and a half since the Plan was adopted? When can Angelenos expect to rely on a system of protected bike lanes to get them around Los Angeles, as commuters now do in New York and Chicago?

The lanes have to be fluorescent so drivers will see the people riding their bicycles in the bicycle lanes.  Paint the bike lanes so drivers can see the biker be more visible.  Those employees will be part of an expanded Department of Transport workforce, which would have a benefit in increasing jobs.

The system will take time, however, we need to start with baby steps.

6. A 2014 report by the L.A. Times noted a rise in hit & run crimes against people on bikes in Los Angeles. What action will your administration take – both at the local level and in working with State legislators – to reduce hit & run crimes?

I would have people be more observant when this happens and have them write down the license.  They can use their cell phones if the car is close enough.  Educate the public In terms of responsibility to stop.  Everyone will have to take a class once a year before they get their license. I will increase the number of emergency phones on the road.

7. Bike share systems have been implemented across Los Angeles, but as systems expand to different areas of Los Angeles and neighboring cities, experts foresee three major obstacles: stations that are discontinuous/too far apart, stations with unsafe walking conditions that limit access, and systems that are out of reach for low-income residents. What areas would you like to see bike share expanded to within Los Angeles, and what should the City be doing to make these systems more accessible, affordable, and useful to all Angelenos?

I would like to see bike share expanded in the car parking areas for the various stadiums.  The more populous places would take priority.

2017 Mayoral Candidate Report Card: David “Zuma Dogg” Saltsburg

Primary Election day: Tuesday, March 7, 7am-8pm
Find your polling place: http://lavote.net/locator

Vision for Livable Communities: F
Prioritization of Safety: C
Commitment to Equity: F
Commitment to Collaboration: F
Overall Bike The Vote LA Grade: F

For anyone involved in L.A. local politics, City Hall gadfly David Saltsburg, a.k.a. “Zuma Dogg,” is a familiar face and voice for his non-sequitur and profane outbursts during public comment at City Council meetings. We appreciate his response to our questionnaire from the perspective of someone who has commuted by bike on L.A.’s difficult streets, but Zuma Dogg doesn’t have the knowledge, perspective, or temperament to be considered a serious candidate to lead Los Angeles.

(See below for Zuma Dogg’s response to Bike The Vote L.A.)

1. In 2015, Los Angeles approved Mobility Plan 2035, the first update to the Transportation Element of its General Plan since 1999. Mobility Plan 2035 puts “safety first” in transportation decisions, and provides a vision for a transportation system composed of safe and quality transit, bicycle, pedestrian, and automotive options. How would you like to see this Plan implemented, and how do you envision Los Angeles’ transportation system in 2022 at the end of the next Mayoral term?

My main concern, as a biker, myself, is; drivers making turns, who do not give a final look before pulling away; as biker with right of way, is coming through. I spent over six years, as bike/bus only in L.A. Never had a problem biking along side of road, with or without a bike lane. It’s cars who don’t stop for bikers, with a bike lane or not that have hit me, multiple times.

2. How can Los Angeles catch up to peer cities such as New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and Seattle in terms of quality of roadway infrastructure and bicycle-friendliness?

We can’t catch up. L.A. is very different, geographically, to begin with; and we will never be able to change that. But, we can continually improve our own roadway infrastructure.

3. On August 24, 2015, Mayor Garcetti signed Executive Directive 10, setting ‘Vision Zero’ as a policy for Los Angeles, with the goal of eliminating traffic-related deaths within 10 years. In order to meet this goal, LADOT identified a “High Injury Network” to prioritize safety improvements on L.A.’s most dangerous streets. However, after a year and a half, we have seen very little concrete action to reduce transportation-related deaths on City streets. What do you see as the critical hurdles for improving safety on Los Angeles streets, and how would you work to address these impediments in reducing speeding in order to save lives?

The city can’t tie it’s own shoelaces, because there is no quality management at L.A. City Hall. Those who have followed my campaign, and overall activism at city hall over past decade know that my number one goal as mayor; on day one; is to implement the 14 points of quality and productivity; that many of you know about. You can make all the demands and even turn them into plans. But, then; how do you achieve any of these goals when the system to achieve any and all goals is broken to the point where there isn’t even really a system. It’s called leadership; and it’s something we haven’t seen at city hall in a long time. Read my 14 point plan on my website.

4. In 2011 the City of Los Angeles adopted a Bicycle Master Plan identifying a network of bike lanes to make bicycle commuting a safe and comfortable commuting option. However, after most easy-to-install bike lanes were implemented, the City largely stopped pursuing reconfigurations of roads to accommodate bike lanes on streets where the number of travel lanes might be affected. Since Mayor Garcetti took office, implemented bike lane miles have plummeted from 251 in FY2013-14 and 120 in FY2014-15 to 38 in FY2014-15 and a mere 17 in FY2015-16. Do you see a network of bicycle infrastructure as an important component to making Los Angeles a bike-friendly city? If so, what will your administration do within the next Mayoral term to accelerate the development of a comprehensive network of bike lanes in Los Angeles?

if L.A. is to be a bike friendly city; then more needs to be done. A lot more. Based on these questions, it seems like the main problem is a messed up, inefficient, wasteful system; of do nothingness. To accelerate the goals you mention; it takes the will and intent of the mayor; and then council – and again, we must implement quality and productivity (14 points) at city hall. I think the bike community is seeing that. AND, I am very big on an education campaign (bus signs/public service ads) – reminding drivers that they have to stop for bikers in intersections; and it’s not a movie stunt scene to try and clear the biker, without hitting them. I will be that spokesperson, as mayor; or simply as Zuma Dogg, if you want me to do it.

5. Much emphasis in transportation engineering has been placed in recent years on protected bike lanes and protected intersections. New York City began installing modern parking-protected bicycle lanes in 2007. Los Angeles has started to follow suit, installing short stretches of protected bike lanes in the 2nd Street Tunnel, on Reseda Blvd, on westbound Venice Blvd, on Los Angeles Street, and on southbound Van Nuys Blvd. But with many of these installations limited to ½-mile segments, separated by many miles across a large city, and no protected intersections implemented in Los Angeles; they hardly represent a viable backbone to support bicycle commuting for all ages and skill levels. How do you plan to implement the protected bike lane network envisioned in Mobility Plan 2035, seeing as so far only about 1.1 lane miles of the 300 planned lane miles have been been built in the year and a half since the Plan was adopted? When can Angelenos expect to rely on a system of protected bike lanes to get them around Los Angeles, as commuters now do in New York and Chicago?

The same response, as above, applies here; but I must say; bikers cannot expect L.A. to be the bikers utopia we’d like. The city is a car city, more than any of these other cities mentioned. The streets were not designed to be a bike city. We’re trying to jam a square peg. The city doesn’t have a magic wand. I do believe that city hall wants L.A. to add as many bike lanes, as possible; if for no other reason than to make driving traffic so bad; people take mass transit. They even publicly say so. So, when they do part of a bike lane…then some is exposed without a lane; then back to a lane…we as bikers (and again, though I have a car, now; too; just went over six years without a car, in L.A., and only got a car this past year. So, I spent past six or seven years on bike only. But, I’m not an unrealistic, nutty crybaby, either. And, I remind you, I’ve been hit by cars several times on my bike.

6. A 2014 report by the L.A. Times noted a rise in hit & run crimes against people on bikes in Los Angeles. What action will your administration take – both at the local level and in working with State legislators – to reduce hit & run crimes?

The start is an education campaign. Everyone knows what happens when you are caught drinking and driving. Or, these days;  people know you don’t leave pets in unattended cars, due to heat. We need an education campaign, and a huge on on radio/tv/newspaper/billboards about watching for bikers – and if you hit and run; it’s as big a crime as hitting a vehicle driver.

7. Bike share systems have been implemented across Los Angeles, but as systems expand to different areas of Los Angeles and neighboring cities, experts foresee three major obstacles: stations that are discontinuous/too far apart, stations with unsafe walking conditions that limit access, and systems that are out of reach for low-income residents. What areas would you like to see bike share expanded to within Los Angeles, and what should the City be doing to make these systems more accessible, affordable, and useful to all Angelenos?

It’s not going to be more affordable. It’s gonna be an expensive, rip-off from a price standpoint. it’s like saying, “how will you make popcorn and drinks at movie theater more affordable for low-income residents. It’s not the same as public transportation, yet. Just a tourist thing. If they are all discontinuous; that’s because departments and agencies don’t have a quality and productivity plan (like a flow chart) to make things work together. Clearly, needs to be one, citywide system; that is continuous for the user.

Darn, forgot to mention huge peeve of mine: city needs to issue notice; then enforce for Uber/Lyft drivers who use bike lanes as valet zones. Ive made my presence felt w these drivers, many times; while biking around them, into traffic. But, im running for mayor; so wont say HOW i make my presence felt. 😉