Raymond (Mr. Ray) David
City Council: 13th District
peopleoverpolitics410@gmail.com
mrrayforcouncil.com
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.
I would support having more oversight and local control over the funding for our public transportation system, ensuring accountability that repairs, enhancements and increase reliability are being addressed.
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 using public transit is its reliability and accessibility. I would support projects to repair and enhance our public transit system. I would support projects to repave sidewalks and repair bike lanes, so they are free of potholes making it a safer ride.
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?
I agree with the 2017 Planning Commission Separated Bike Lane Network. I would attend the Separated Bike Lane Network meetings to stay abreast of the progress and any obstacles that may come up and provide my help when needed. I would prioritize implementing the connection to transit facilities (bus and rail).
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?
I would support installing more speed cameras and stop signs in areas where there have been a high number of deaths and injuries. Also putting up speed bumps near schools to deter motorist from driving over the speed limit.
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?
We can reduce carbon emissions from automobiles by creating more bike lanes, creating walkable streets and enhancing our transit system.
Do you walk for transportation? If so, for what purposes, how often, and what was your last trip walking?
Yes, I walk for transportation approximately 3 miles a day. I walk to work, the grocery store and for leisure. My last trip walking was to work today.
Do you use public transportation? If so, for what purposes, how often, and what was your last trip by public transportation?
I often walk everywhere, it’s my form of exercise. I have to admit that I have found the transit system unreliable, the bus is rarely on schedule. Once I had to wait over 40 minutes for a bus.
Do you ever ride a bicycle? Is it for transportation, recreation, or both? What was your last trip by bicycle?
I ride my bike recreationally usually on bike trails. My last bike ride was last May I biked on Paper Mill Trail.
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 a disability
2. Public Transportation
3. Bicycles & Scooters
4. Ride Hailing Services (Taxi, Uber, Lyft)
5. Freight and Delivery
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
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.
Disagree
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
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.
Agree
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
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: 13th District
Bikeways grant to design an all-ages separated bike lane on Wolfe or Washington Street, part of the 2017 Separated Lane Network Addendum plan connecting Southeast Baltimore to Johns Hopkins Hospital, the all-ages separated lane on Monument Street, and eventual facilities on St. Lo Drive and Harford Road. I support building an all- ages separated bike lane on Wolfe or Washington Street, even if it means relocating or removing some parking.
Agree