Getting people out of cars and onto bikes is a challenge everywhere, but we know it’s financially, socially, and environmentally responsible. We need a city road system that promotes safety and offers reliable travel times at the same time. Building larger roads for cars is counter-productive. They encourage speeding and are prohibitively expensive to maintain in the long run. We need look no further than the dwindling gas tax revenue and the TUF to understand that we need different answers.
On City Council I’ll work to make sure that programs that lower road speeds become a top priority. We need to listen to residents who have localized issues with speeding or cut through traffic, and work with them to develop traffic-calming projects like speed bumps or more narrow lanes for cars.
Another key to maintaining our quality of life is our tree canopy. The tree code recently approved by City Council is one step in the right direction, but there are several other steps the City needs to prioritize in order to save the iconic native tree canopy that so many Bendites love.