Redwood City city council candidates' statements on bike transit

There are many qualified candidates running for Redwood City city council this year -- seven candidates for three seats, only one of whom is an incumbent! It has been difficult for me to choose just three to vote for. I emailed all seven to see what their plans were for bike transit specifically in Redwood City; while several had platform planks around improving walkability and alleviating traffic, I didn't see anything on any candidate's website about bike transit in particular. So I emailed them all to ask! Posting here for the benefit of other voters who might be interested in this issue.

The question

Hi! My name is [name] and I'm a Redwood City resident researching my options for the city council race. An issue I care a lot about is making bicycle commuting safe and convenient. I think that making it easy for people all over Redwood City and the larger region to bike to work is not just good for residents' health--it's vital for the planet and the easiest tactic to reduce traffic and get cars off the road. It also matters to me personally; I often commute by bike to work, but with the current state of our bike infrastructure every day I have to choose between burning gas in my car or risking death in four-lane rush hour traffic.

If elected, what is your plan for improving and expanding bike access in Redwood City and in coordination with the larger region?

Candidate replies (in order received)

Jason Galisatus:

Thank you for reaching out about this! I'm a lifelong Redwood City cyclist; I used to bike to school over the Oak Knoll Hill to North Star every day with my sisters and currently bike down to Palo Alto for work, so I know how treacherous cycling can be.  As the Vice Chair of the Complete Streets Advisory Committee I championed a Vision Zero Policy, which set the goal of eliminating all traffic related deaths and serious injuries in Redwood City. I was also a panelist at the Silicon Valley Bike Coalition Conference this year as well. 

If we are to achieve the mode shift goals outlined in the Citywide Transportation Plan, we must make it safer for folks to bike around town. I hear often that so many people would bike to work if they felt they weren't literally risking their life doing so. 

Our region needs stronger North/South bike connections across jurisdictions.  The Peninsula Mobility Project, which created signage for a North/South optimal route was a step in the right direction, but ultimately we need to improve bike access along North/South arterials like El Camino, Middlefield and Alameda.  We are beginning the work of improving El Camino through the ECR Bike/Pedestrian Safety Plan and are looking at a number of options that include a Class IV bikeway that would run parallel to ECR. I will continue to advocate for this option for Redwood City and need to engage and coordinate with our neighboring cities to ensure a seamless connection across City/County boundaries.

I am deeply committed to ensuring that everyone, including cyclists can get around town safely and efficiently. It's crucial for easing congestion and achieving our GHG reduction targets. 

Giselle Hale:

I have a strong record on bike and pedestrian access. I worked in the El Camino Corridor plan which would establish the first protected bike lane along the El Camino on the Peninsula. My transit plans also call for improving bike/ped safety for safe routes to school. Finally, I support the modifications on Farm Hill which make biking easier. I am endorsed by Matt Self, Chair of Complete Streets, an avid cyclist who worked on RWCmoves, our Citywide transit plan.

Let me know if you have any follow up questions. Hope I can count on your support.

Ernest Schmidt:

Thanks for your question Karen, yes a healthy community is important and bicycling is definitely one way to do it, whether it's going to work or just simply enjoying a good bike ride, that being said I'm a huge proponent of finding a way to create a protective buffer along the El Camino as well.

Another exciting thing that happened back in September, was that a bike route was created on surface streets that connect Redwood City and Mt.View via Menlo Park, Atherton and Palo Alto, I feel that there is progress being made, can we do more? Absolutely, and I'm looking forward to working with those that interested in finding other creative ways, because we still have many people who love their cars and the freedom it gives them.  

Diane Howard (incumbent):

Thank you so much for your email and your great questions about safe bike commuting. I would love to speak with you about our ongoing efforts to make bike safety a top priority as we address safe commuting around our community. You can reach me at [phone number]. I would love to talk more about this subject with you.

Diana Reddy:

Thank you for reaching out to me, Karen. There are two things that might be helpful for you to know about me. I'm a Justice Candidate. I'm running on an environmental, economic, and housing justice platform. I am part of a coalition that advocates for transportation justice policies. The other is that I'm a Community Organizer. The justice part of me sees adopting good policies for bike commuters would more than address my interests in environmental and economic justice. The Community Organizer part of me wants to know from you what that means. What policies do I need to support to make your commute safer and more attractive to others.

[Ed. note: I'm working on formulating some proposals to reply with for Howard and Reddy, but haven't gotten to do so yet!]

No reply: Rick Hunter, Christina Umhofer