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 truly connected Baltimore with bike lanes, walking/jogging trails, and a robust, equitable, reliable, and affordable public transportation network is a vision I have for Baltimore. Our city is equipped to work towards making these concepts a reality.

As we redevelop our city and reinvest in communities, my administration will prioritize alternative transportation modes. Safety is multifaceted. In order to encourage more people to use modes of transportation other than cars, people have to feel physically safe from harm.

In addition, our roads must be safe for pedestrians and bicyclists. Our police department must have a renewed approach to traffic enforcement, particularly when it comes to distracted driving, speeding, and failing to yield the right of way for pedestrians. Our roads must also be in a suitable condition for biking, walking, jogging, etc... The government must invest in these areas to provide more confidence and we market more people on the idea of using transportation methods other than cars.

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?

Following up on question number one- Safety and the perception of safety, reliability and connectivity play a major role in the culture of cars in Baltimore. If people felt safer and were able to easily navigate the region using public transportation, I have no doubt that more would do it. Our culture has to change and part of that is through marketing. However, before marketing the service, we must improve it.

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 generally agree with the plan and believe that it advances necessary transportation opportunities as we look to grow the city. I will responsibly continue the path to build more bike lanes. The areas I would want to prioritize are the low stress roads in an effort to get more people involved in bike riding. I am also an advocate of the reduction in speed limits throughout the city. We need to have a comprehensive approach to building out our transportation infrastructure and do multiple things at once to achieve greater overall success.

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?

The entire point of traffic citations is supposed to be to enforce laws where violations are putting people or property at risk. We will ensure law enforcement is focused on areas that fit the criteria of needing more enforcement. We will also examine the infrastructure in an effort to understand if there are infrastructure related needs on roadways that could make them safer.

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?

The overall concept of reducing the dependence on vehicles with a more comprehensive public transportation network and more viable alternatives to cars is one of the biggest things local government can do to assist in rapidly reducing the carbon emissions. I would also be an advocate for our state to enforce higher standards on vehicle emissions in the state of Maryland to have a greater effect on reducing carbon emissions. I am also a huge advocate for green space and we will plant more trees and protect current greenery. My administration will also study the cost and feasibility of converting some of our city owned fleet into electric vehicles.

Do you walk for transportation? If so, for what purposes, how often, and what was your last trip walking?
I walk as often as possible. I live near a light rail station and my son loves to ride the light rail. We walk to the light rail station and that is our primary method of transportation to places like the Fairgrounds and Downtown. My main walking trips, other than exercise, are to the light rail.

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

As stated above, I use public transportation often with my son, but also for business. I usually catch the subway to my business meetings downtown. I use the light rail to get to the Orioles and the Ravens games. I think the Charm Pass was one of the best and most overdue things we have gotten because the machines never seem to work properly. I rode the metro within the last two weeks.

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

I ride a bike for recreation. Mainly with my son. We last rode in Druid Hill Park during the warmer months.

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. Ride Hailing Services (Taxi, Uber, Lyft)
4. Personal Automobiles
5. Bicycles & Scooters
6. Freight and Delivery
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
As we create a new culture, we must design communities that reflect that culture.

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
We do need to transition from the requirements of an antiquated city code, which, in its day, was designed to compete with the flight of residents to the suburbs. We must choose regulations and solutions that promote density, walkability and public transportation...but, we need to move forward in a responsible manner. Parking is still a need in Baltimore, and will be for some time as we move to change the culture. Outdated parking requirements are not the answer, but a middle ground on newer developments may still be needed for some larger, skyscraper type projects. For example, the new M&T Bank Building on Light Street includes a garage on the first few floors that serves not only the workforce and residents of that new building, but resident of 10 Light St, which does not have a parking solution.

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.

Disagree
I will certainly attempt to have these conversations, but a change like this comes from changing the culture around transportation in our city. I am not in favor of mandating a private company to do so.

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
In general, Baltimore needs to move toward increasing density in certain areas.

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
Absolutely. Connectivity is a vital concern for the Smith Administration and I will look for opportunities to connect different developments on all of our public transportation lines for ease of movement throughout Baltimore, which, in turn, opens up opportunity to some of those neighborhoods that have been isolated.

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.

Disagree
While this may have been used in the past to maintain racial segregation, it will not in my administration. That said, this is a big city with a lot of different neighborhoods and character. We cannot simply remove a zoning category to allow for development without proper channels. This would me more of a case-by-case basis.

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.

Disagree
I think we should reduce some speed limits within the city, but 25 and 20 mph across the board is not realistic.

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.

Disagree
This program is already expanding, but creating a city-wide program where a camera could be put up on any street defeats the purpose and is an imposition on the residents of Baltimore. That said, I am in favor of roving speed and red-light cameras at trouble intersections regardless of their proximity to schools. I would like DOT to develop a program that could define those intersections and have public feedback before such a program would start. My administration will demand transparency at all levels, and I would demand the same here.

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
I believe this issue needs to be studied more.

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