Jermaine Jones
Candidate for: City Council, 12th District
www.jermaineajones.com
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Describe your vision of a healthy, safe, and equitable transportation system for Baltimore city and what roles walking, biking, and public transportation play in that vision.
My vision of a healthy, safe, and equitable transportation system from Baltimore City would be one where owning a car is optional because citizens can access any part of the city solely by using public transit. We would prioritize designing and constructing our roads and sidewalks with the citizens walking in mind first, then those who bike, followed by public transportation, and then cars.
To meet Baltimore City’s adopted climate goals, we must shift at least 10% of current automobile vehicle miles traveled to active transportation and public transit. What is your plan to achieve this goal?
I plan to shift 10% of current automobile vehicle miles to active and public transit to make Baltimore's public transit more accessible. There are still places within the City you can't get to by public transit. Additionally, we need to invest in other transportation options and not rely solely on buses. If we invest in our public transit to make it more reliable, people will use it.
What is your plan to continue to reduce the number of injuries and deaths on Baltimore City roadways each year?
My plan to continue to reduce the number of injuries and deaths on Baltimore City roadway is with education and enforcement. We need to create campaigns focused on educating the public on how better share to road with bikes and pedestrians. Additionally we need to make sure officers are enforcing the traffic law we have on the books. Officers are sometime too concern with getting drugs and guns off the street and many traffic violations are over looked.
How often do you walk, bike or use public transit to reach daily destinations? If not often (or at all), what would make you more likely to use non-personal vehicle modes of transportation?
Not often, I would more likely use non-personal vehicle modes of transportation if the places I had to travel were closer and/or if I had more time to get there.
In 2017, Baltimore City adopted the Separated Bike Lane Network Plan Addendum to the Bike Master Plan. This called for connecting 85% of Baltimore’s neighborhoods to safe, all-ages bike infrastructure by 2022. Less than 20% of this network has been built. What would you do to accelerate implementation?
My first step in accelerating the implementation of the City's Bike Master Plan would be to hold a hearing with Baltimore DOT to investigate what's causing the delays. I would then work to eliminate any of those obstacles and create new quarterly deadlines to check the plan's progress. Once on the council, I would hold every agency accountable for doing its job.
In 2018, Baltimore City received national recognition for passing the first equity driven Complete Streets ordinance in the country. This legislation contains a modal hierarchy prioritizing vulnerable road users and mandates best practices in roadway configuration and design. Are you committed to retaining this ordinance and the current practices and modal hierarchy it mandates?
Yes, I am committed to retaining this ordinance and the current practices and modal hierarchy it mandates but we have to also inform and organize all communities of these changes, or they won't be embraced positively
Do you support the 28th Street road diet and separated path? If so, are you committed to seeing it made more permanent?
Yes, many residents in the neighborhood have expressed support for it, and as long as they do, I will continue to do so.
Do you support the proposed streetscape and road diet along Huntingdon Avenue and 25th Street that will improve ADA access, make crossings safer, and install a shared use path and separated bike lanes along the corridor? If so, how will you see this advanced?
I'm not 100% familiar with the proposed streetscape and road diet along Huntingdon Ave. and 25th St., but I fundamentally support the idea of improving ADA access and making crossings safer. I would help see this advanced by surveying the community's desire for it; if there's a desire, organize around it and push the administration to set aside funding.
Do you support extension of the Central Avenue road diet and separated bike lanes north to connect to Monument Street? If so, how will you move this project forward?
I generally support traffic calming and bike lanes in the neighborhood. I would move the project forward by surveying the community's desire for it; if there's a desire, organize around it and push the administration to set aside funding.
Do you support the traffic calming and separated bike lane proposal for Wolfe and Washington Streets? If so, how will you move this project forward?
I support north / south corridor alternatives. I can't blindly commit to supporting an alternative without knowing which street and the specifics.
What is your position on the MTA’s North/South Corridor alternatives? If a surface route is selected, are you committed to ensuring the route has 100% dedicated right-of-way, even if it may require significant parking removal? Are you committed to a parallel separated bike facility, even if it may require significant parking removal as well?
I would like to see the MTA's North/South Corridor alternatives realized. If a surface route is selected, I could commit to ensuring the route has 100% dedicated right of way, even if significant parking removal is required. Still, I would like to know exactly how much parking before committing because residents will still have to do something with their vehicles.
Agree or disagree?Do you support maintaining the city’s micro-mobility program that provides dockless bikes and scooters?
Yes
Would you support creation of a government subsidized bike share system?
Yes
Would you support local legislation to subsidize the purchase of e-bikes and membership for micro-mobility or bike share systems?
Yes
Are you committed to retaining every piece of separated bike infrastructure in the city that’s been built?
Yes, as long as it makes sense functionally.
Cars are often longer than a single rowhome is wide. Households with multiple vehicles compete for parking in front of other neighbors’ homes. Do you support scaling residential permit parking fees to either the size of or number of vehicles in a household so those with more vehicles parked on city streets pay their fair share?
Yes
Do you support a citywide speed limit of 25mph on arterials and 20mph on neighborhood streets?
Yes
Do you support banning turns on red at all intersections that permit pedestrian crossing?
No
Do you support expanding automated enforcement to all roads that have high rates of crashes and speeding, not just near school zones?
Yes
Do you support legislation to create income-based traffic enforcement fine reductions or waivers locally?
No
Do you support allowing increased density adjacent to high-quality transit, grocery stores, Main Street districts, and in other high-amenity neighborhoods?
Yes
Do you support increasing Transit Oriented Development zoning to include all areas within a quarter mile of high-frequency bus routes and a half-mile of light rail and metro stations?
Yes
Minimum parking requirements are shown to increase housing costs while limiting potential density and making neighborhoods less walkable. Do you support removing parking minimums from new development?
Yes
Do you support removing single family residential zoning categories, so that people can choose to build and live in a variety of housing options citywide?
This needs to be looked at on a case-by-case basis because some developers would quickly take advantage of this negatively impacting neighborhoods.