From transportation to climate change to affordable housing, emerging technologies can respond to the challenges our growth presents. I’ll work to make sure our City implements those nimble, creative and forward-looking ideas to solve problems before they start.
Our Transportation System Plan itself calls for technology-based programs to ease congestion. A major opportunity is public transit. Bend deserves an innovative system that works for our mid-size town. Technology-based “on demand” transit is proven and we need to integrate it locally.
Our changing climate and uncertain water supply are another place where innovation can play a major role. We need to explore options such as graywater reuse and solar technologies. And we need to implement those ideas at scale.
For example, the City recently announced a creative program to convert lawns to native landscape with rebates. But, it ran out of funding in a few days with huge demand. I’ll work to expand programs like this so they can make a real, substantive impact.