1. Describe your vision of a healthy, safe, equitable transportation system for Baltimore City and the roles walking, biking, and public transportation play in that vision.

   A system where every person in the region (all residents, all visitors) can reasonably expect to get anywhere else in the region in an hour at little to no point of purchase cost. This would primarily be accomplished by buses: locals, commuters, expresses and mobility. Adding the western leg of the Red Line from Woodlawn to Lexington Market would be a part. Increased protection for bikes and other micromobility would be a part. Increased space, accommodation and subsidies for single occupied vehicles would not be a part of this plan.

2. The fastest and most economical way to address climate change, improve public health, and create equal access to opportunity is to design a city that reduces dependence on private automobiles. What are the biggest barriers to getting people to choose walking, biking, or public transit instead of personal vehicles, and what would you do to address these impediments?

   In Baltimore the challenges to using bikes as a regular transportation mode are manifold. Bad drivers, bad roads, bad weather, bad city government operating a bad network of bike lanes. Dedicated funding for separated bike lanes is a big step. Traffic enforcement for speeding and other antisocial driving behaviors is a big step. Demonstration projects for bike infrastructure will help. Can't do much about the weather.

3. In 2017, the Planning Commission approved the Separated Bike Lane Network plan that connects 85% of Baltimore’s neighborhoods by creating safe, protected places to ride a bike. Do you agree with the plan’s recommendations, and if so, what would you do to ensure that we fulfill the plan’s promise to build a minimum of 17 miles of bike lanes per year? Are there specific areas of the city where you would prioritize implementation?

   Yes I support vastly expanding the bike lane network. I don’t have a specific plan for how to accomplish this since the opposition to bike lanes can be unpredictable and intense and the city’s financial outlook is massively complicated by impending changes to maintenance of effort thresholds for school funding. My priority would be connecting to the relatively good downtown bus/bike lane network with major branches to the moderately outlying neighborhoods like Pigtown, Walbrook, Park Heights, Hampden, Waverly, Mideast, Belair Edison, etc.

4. Approximately 50 people are killed on city streets each year while walking, biking, or driving, with another 9,000 people injured. What is your plan to reduce the number of Baltimoreans injured and killed in traffic every year?

   We need real traffic enforcement. That means officers and technology whose goal is to cultivate a safe environment on the roads, not generate pretexts for contraband searches. Especially on the major “stroads” and highways. There is literally no traffic enforcement on 83 within city limits. None. 40, Belair Road, Charles, and all the other major avenues for county commuters to get downtown need traffic enforcement that is oriented towards a culture of safety. In 2016 the city commissioned a study on the causes of accidents on 83 which determined that road has a crash rate 2x higher than the state average. It also generated numerous proposed solutions including rumble strips, road coatings, signage etc to reduce speeds in critical areas. Not only has that study been ignored completely the city forgot about it entirely until I requested it via MPIA.

5. Approximately 800 Baltimoreans die early every year from preventable diseases related to carbon emissions, more than double the city’s murder rate. Thousands more are hospitalized each year as these emissions trigger asthma and other respiratory diseases. There is a strong correlation between hospitalization and proximity to major car commuter routes. What is your plan to reduce carbon emissions from automobiles in order to decrease the number of Baltimoreans hurt by and dying from emissions-related diseases?

   My main strategy for reducing car traffic is to replicate the North Avenue Rising project for several major roads in West Baltimore - Liberty Heights, Wabash, Park Heights and Pennsylvania Avenues. Better pedestrian access to transit, dedicated bus lanes and protected bike lanes will get people out of cars. My son is asthmatic, and he is one of the city school students who miss school or are hospitalized for respiratory distress at twice the state average. Reducing car pollution is not just a good idea I heard about in Mother Jones, it's an immediate health need for my family. My other major idea to reduce car traffic in the city is to build the Red Line. The western half connecting Woodlawn and Lexington market is easier and cheaper to construct than the full line, and should be a high regional priority.

6. Do you walk for transportation? If so, for what purposes, how often, and what was your last trip walking?

   Yes. Every trip by all modes - even single occupancy vehicle - begins and ends with walking (or other aided perambulation). I walk to get to work, to take my kids to school, to shop, to get to recreation, for recreation itself, to pick up trash in my neighborhood, to exercise my dog, and every other purpose conceivable outside my house. My last trip by walking was this morning.

7. Do you use public transportation? If so, for what purposes, how often, and what was your last trip by public transportation?

   Yes. I commute to work on the Light Rail 5 days a week. If I have business downtown on evenings or weekends I will typically use the Light Rail for that as well. My last trip by Public Transportation was this morning at 6:15am.

8. Do you ever ride a bicycle? Is it for transportation, recreation, or both? What was your last trip by bicycle?

   I ride every day. Typically for transportation but I do ride for pleasure if the weather is good. My last trip by bike was this morning from the Timonium Fairgrounds Light Rail stop to my office in Cockeysville. (where I am filling this out!)
   
   I live in Woodberry, if I need to take my kids somewhere outside the neighborhood we travel by car. Other than that I am usually traveling by bike for trips under 1-2 miles.

9. Baltimore’s urban areas have limited space on streets. In order to increase safety and improve mobility, some modes of transportation must be prioritized over others to make the most of this limited space. Please rank how you would prioritize different modes of transportation on city streets, using numbers 1 through 7:

   1. Public Transportation
   2. Walking & devices that aid people with a disability
   3. Bicycles and Scooters
   4. Personal Automobiles
   5. Freight and Delivery
   6. Ride Hailing Services (Taxi, Uber, Lyft)
   6. Parking

   
   Agree or disagree?
   
   

10. I support removing parking on a street if it would improve safety and increase mobility of people using that street.

    Agree
    I support this but I can't in all honesty say I'll go to the mat to rip out parking in every instance where its a possibility. We're not there yet in terms of alternatives.

11. Minimum parking requirements are shown to increase housing costs while limiting potential density and making neighborhoods less walkable. I support following the lead of other cities that have removed minimum parking requirements from new development.

    Agree

12. Some cities require employers that subsidize parking also offer an option for employees to receive that subsidy as a cash payment. I support a mandate that employers offer parking cashout so that employees can choose to pocket that money, use it for alternative transportation, or continue using that cash to pay for parking.

    Agree
    Unless its determined people are pocketing the subsidy and street parking for free.

13. Increasing density in areas of opportunity is proven to help individuals escape poverty. I support taller, denser, or larger buildings in areas they are now prohibited by zoning.

    Agree

14. Transit oriented development can expand access to areas of opportunity by locating housing and retail along high frequency transit. Current zoning code only identifies these zones along subway and light rail routes. I support expanded Transit Oriented Development zoning to include areas within a quarter mile of high-frequency bus routes.

    Agree

15. It is now widely accepted that Single Family Residential Zoning was historically created to maintain racial segregation. I support removing Single Family Residential Zoning categories, allowing both single family and multi family residences to be built in all residential zoning areas.

    Agree
    I got news for people who think their single family zoned neighborhood is being strictly adhered to.

16. I support allowing existing residences to be split into apartments in all zoning categories without having to pass legislation for each conversion, increasing density in neighborhoods that were traditionally single family homes.

    Disagree

17. At 20mph, 90% of pedestrians survive being hit by a car. At 40mph, only 10% survive. I support enforcing a maximum speed limit of 25 mph on arterial streets, and 20 mph on local streets.

    Agree

18. Allowing turns on red is a contributing factor in increased pedestrian injury and death. I support banning turns on red at all intersections that allow pedestrian crossing.

    Disagree
    I would pursue this on a case by case basis with an emphasis on reducing slip lane right turns. And I say that as someone whose life has been in the hands of squealing brake pads more than once.

19. Automated Speed and Red Light Enforcement Cameras are widely proven to reduce fatal collisions. I support using these cameras on any street, not just near schools and construction sites.

    Agree
    Strongly agree.

20. The Automated Speed Enforcement Camera current threshold is 12 miles per hour. I support cameras being able to issue citations for those traveling 5 miles per hour or more over the speed limit.

    Disagree
    More like... 9.

21. I would invest in automated enforcement cameras that will issue citations to private automobiles for being stopped or parked in bus lanes.

    Agree
    Including UPS and Fedex and Amazon.

22. Dedicated bus lanes and bus boarding islands are proven to dramatically improve bus reliability and boarding times. I support removing parking or travel lanes to create bus lanes and boarding islands to improve bus performance.

    Agree
    A project like this for major arteries in West Baltimore would be one of my highest priorities.

23. The city adopted the Greenway Trails Network plan that will connect existing trails such as Gwynns Falls Trail and Herring Run Trail to create a 35-mile trail loop that connects 80% of Baltimore’s neighborhoods to greenspace and recreational trails. I support the construction of these trail connections, even if it requires using grass medians or taking road space or parking space away from private automobiles.

    Agree

    
    

District-Specific Questions: 7th District

1. The Gwynns Falls Parkway was designed by the Olmsted Brothers firm, and the original plans called for a median running recreational trail to connect Gwynns Falls Park and Leakin Park to Druid Hill Park. The Baltimore Greenway Trails Network Plan calls for bringing this vision to reality by constructing a recreational trail on the Gwynns Falls Parkway corridor as part of a larger 35-mile trail loop. I support designing and constructing this portion of the Greenway Trails Network Plan on Gwynns Falls Parkway.

   Agree
   It would be tragic to lose all those trees in the median but Gwynns Falls really doesn't need to be more than one travel lane in each direction.

2. The Big Jump is a temporary walking and biking path along Druid Park Lake Drive, connecting Auchentoroly, Reservoir Hill, and Remington for the first time for people who lack access to a car. The Access Project for Druid Hill (TAP Druid Hill), builds upon The Big Jump by calling for a corridor analysis and redesign of Druid Park Drive, Reisterstown Road, Auchentoroly Terrace, and Druid Park Lake Drive. I support efforts to maintain a safe, all-ages walking and biking path along Druid Park Lake Drive as well as expanding neighborhood access to Druid Hill Park through a corridor analysis and redesign of the above streets, even if it means slowing down cars, taking away travel lanes, or removing significant portions of roadway altogether.

Agree
The Big Jump stays, period.