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.

My vision of transportation is a Baltimore where every individual has an equal opportunity to use multiple forms of accessible, public, and affordable transportation no matter what part of the city they live in. Particularly in Southwest Baltimore, transportation equity is a huge issue that impacts education, workforce development, food access, and healthcare. Public transit should be frequent, clean, and in good repair with routes that are coordinated & straightforward. Transit should connect neighborhoods of the Southwest Baltimore corridor to other parts of the city that were previously detached like the Red Line would have done.

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?

The biggest barrier to residents walking, biking and public transport in Baltimore are policies that encourage and enforce subsidizing cars and highways over people and safe streets. For example, as the largest polluter, city designs have prioritized cars much more than public transportation. The City has a role to play in making sure we balance the scales where we can use equitable models and proven street-scape initiatives. As Councilwoman, I will work with agencies to ensure that we continue to pass legislation that protects the walkability of our neighborhoods and make sure to prioritize pedestrians, bikes and other forms of mobility & transit. Similar to other areas of Baltimore City, Southwest Baltimore residents do not have the option of walking to the nearest grocery store or shop and we need to make sure that we are creating a city that has infrastructure that attracts those investments to our city beginning with transit infrastructure.

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 would continue to develop networks where we already have existing bike lanes. This should be a common sense approach that integrates other City agencies such as the Fire & Police Department, Parks & Recreation, etc. We need to make sure that protected bike lanes are well marked and comfortable for bikers and folks with disabilities. Moreover, the City should also think about using green infrastructure & spaces to further protect users of the bike lane.

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?

As a public health practitioner, fatalities & injuries as a result of traffic each year greatly concern me. Seniors, youth, and adults are all impacted from the lack of carelessness as it relates to pedestrian & biker safety. The truth is many cars are speeding towards and past red lights, intersections in school zones, and through neighborhood areas where children play. As Councilwoman, I would support a policy that maximally enforce speeding and unsafe driving in the city using a racial equity lens. Studies have shown that camera placement & enforcement of traffic violations can negatively affect underserved & low income communities. This includes modified use of speed cameras and red light cameras to deter bad behavior from drivers. Better design of the Complete Streets infrastructure encourages safer driving without the need for overtly expensive citations & enforcements.

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?

First, we need to tackle emissions from cars, collectively is the largest source of pollution. By increasing the tree canopy and the usage of mass sustainable methods of transit such as walking & biking as well as reducing heat islands, we can reduce pollution and the negative public health outcomes pollution brings in Baltimore’s historically marginalized neighborhoods particularly those in Curtis Bay & Brooklyn. I will promote the use of transit by working with the Department of Transportation to ensure that buses move through the City faster and on coordinated schedules with other modes of transportation. The Department will also be tasked with incorporating green infrastructure into traffic Complete Streets projects. The decreased use of cars, size and temperature of heat islands, as well as the increase of greenspace and tree canopy will yield public health integrated benefits.

Additionally, promoting the use of other modes of transportation, such as bikes, scooters, and thinking of creating pedestrian friendly neighborhoods will also help curb emissions.

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

I typically walk throughout downtown for official business & recreation with friends. Similarly, I walk with my dog to get to the businesses on Main Street in Pigtown & Brooklyn.

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

Yes. I use public transportation modes like buses & the MARC train as I frequent Washington DC. Similarly, I use rideshare services such as Lyft to carpool around the City if I am unable to get there by foot or coordinated public transportation in a reasonable amount of time.

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

I do. I ride my bike when I can around Carroll Park and my neighborhood. I want to ride my bike more often.

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. Walking & devices that aid people with disability
2. Bicycles and Scooters
3. Public Transportation
4. Ride Hailing Services (Taxi, Uber, Lyft)
5. Freight and Delivery [This would be ranked higher for industrial zones and certain commercial districts where local businesses depend on this (i.e. grocery stores, manufacturing, etc.)]
6. Personal Automobiles
7. Parking

Agree or disagree?

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

Agree
Yes, we should prioritize the removal of parking to ensure the safety of residents. This should be completed in tandem with the community’s input centered at the decision. Removal of parking spaces should be done in a way that does not negatively impact the neighborhood residents & business owners.

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
Yes, I would support relaxing and/or removing parking requirements. Land use would be concentrated on creating a more walkable and green city rather than devoted to parking lots that are subsidized by residents.

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

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
I am open to larger denser buildings where it makes sense. Overall input should center on the understanding that there are ways to address most of the valid concerns that community/preservation groups may have while increasing density and would seek comment from historic preservation and community groups in Baltimore City should a change in zoning code be proposed.

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

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 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

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

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.

Agree

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

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.

Agree

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

Agree

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
However, I would like to have a conversation with the community or local businesses before removing parking spaces that could hurt a businesses’ ability to attract and retain customers.

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