Q1. Do you use the bus, walk or bicycle for transportation? If not, have you ever relied on one of those modes of transportation?

I relied on a bicycle for transportation for about a year, when I first moved to Portland. I was working out on Riverside Street, and I found commuting along Warren Ave quite unpleasant! I largely drive currently, but my partner is exclusively a pedestrian.

Q 2. The City of Portland in the past had a Bicycle Pedestrian Coordinator who worked on bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, including seeking grant funding and planning new facilities.  What are your views on the city’s need for such a coordinator, and will you work to have it funded in the FY 2025 budget?

I feel this is an essential position for the city, and I would work to fund it in the FY2025 budget. I would take a two-pronged approach to realize this. The first step is to build support among stakeholders (city staff, councilors, the public) by helping them understand that bike & pedestrian safety is not a peripheral issue, but something essential that affects us all. The next step would be to secure external sources of funding (federal or nonprofit grants), to return the funding structure for the position to its original form.

Q 3. Do you see active transportation (walking, cycling, transit, bikeshare, etc.) as having a role in addressing housing, economic development, access to green space, and workforce shortages?

Absolutely - active transportation is a critical piece of the puzzle, and one that is often ignored. 

In terms of housing, moving away from a car-centric development pattern will allow us to build more dense housing (by removing parking minimums). It will also allow us to reclaim underutilized land, which can be converted into public green spaces.

Empowering people to use active transportation will also boost workforce participation - as it breaks down commuting barriers.

Another important consideration is economic justice - owning a car is a huge expense, and one that we should not inflict on people who are already struggling to make ends meet. Living in a walkable part of Portland is a privilege, and this perpetuates economic inequality. Building a city in which biking and walking feels safe will allow more people to forgo the expense of a car, which will contribute to the economic independence and resiliency of our community. 

Q 4. Please describe your level of familiarity with the City’s Sidewalk Snow Clearing Policy.  Do you have any ideas to improve it?

I’m familiar with the City’s policy, and I also hear that it is not meeting the needs of the community. As with many issues in Portland currently, this is driven by staff shortages, and a lack of resources - so it’s critical that we address the root causes of these shortfalls. I support reallocating funds from the recently passed hotel tax to address staff shortages.

Q 5. What are your thoughts on modifications for Franklin Street, and the restoration of two-way traffic for places like State & High Streets and Congress Street & Park Avenue?

The changes proposed for Franklin Street are excellent, and we should pursue a similar redesign/reclamation process for other major arterials in Portland, including High Street, Park Ave, and Brighton Ave. An important component of the Franklin Street redesign process has been community engagement - it’s critical to help people envision what these changes can look like. 

One element I would like to highlight is affordability. New housing along these redeveloped arterials will be very desirable, so we should mandate permanent affordability through deed restrictions, to ensure that the benefits are evenly distributed, not just reserved for the wealthy.

Q 6. What policies will you pursue to improve conditions for those cycling, walking & wheeling?  Feel free to include specific examples of streets those policies would improve.

I think of this in two ways:

• What are the quick changes that we can implement to increase safety?

• What are the structural changes we should pursue to reimagine transportation in Portland?
  
  

In terms of immediate changes, I would work to expand delayed pedestrian crossings, particularly at dangerous intersections (e.g. Park Ave and Forest Ave, near the Post Office). I would also prioritize protected bike lanes wherever possible. 

Thinking long-term, the first step is to get the zoning right. Our focus should be on increasing density (and distributing it evenly), promoting mixed use buildings, slowing traffic, and establishing interconnected green spaces. I would also support closing some roads to car traffic permanently - specifically, portions of Baxter Boulevard and lower Exchange Street. 

An area of focus for me would be Allen’s Corner - which is currently an example of what not to do. The intersection is dangerous and unattractive, and there are almost no community spaces for people to gather. I would work closely with the recently-formed Friends of Allen’s Corner group to redevelop this into a vibrant hub and community center. 

Finally, I would like to start a conversation about rerouting I-295. This is clearly ambitious and would require years/decades of work and federal involvement, but I feel that the current I-295 route is extremely detrimental to Portland, and removing it would allow us to radically reimagine what the city looks like. 

Q1. Do you use the bus, walk or bicycle for transportation? If not, have you ever relied on one of those modes of transportation?

My Portland transportation is most often my two legs.  My wife and I chose to live in Downtown Portland when we moved here in August 2015 precisely because it provided a very high walkability score for daily life thus allowing us to rely much less on our automobiles (we shrank from a two-car household to a one-car household as a result).

(FYI: our exact address is defined by some as "West Bayside" but the whole "Bayside" designation was created in the early 1940s by Portland's elites as a way to set off areas north of Congress Street as distinct from "downtown Portland" to ripen them for redevelopment - it took decades and the completion of the urban renewal presaged in the 1940s before the "Bayside" designation stuck).

I bicycled frequently when I lived in New York City for ten years and the ten years I lived in Los Angeles but I seldom relied upon cycling as a primary means for getting around.  My first job out of college in Boston required me to be a bus commuter from my childhood home in Manchester, NH for about six months until I saved up enough to live in Boston's North End which allowed for an easy walk to my job in Boston's high-rise financial district.  New York City was the only place I ever lived where daily use of mass transit (subway) was the cheapest and easiest way to get around.  I have occasionally taken the Greater Portland Metro bus, but mostly as a means of experimenting with its service levels (including getting out to the recently opened mega shelter Homeless Services Center on Riverside Street just a short distance from Forest Avenue) versus truly having to rely upon it for regular and daily transportation needs.

Q 2. The City of Portland in the past had a Bicycle Pedestrian Coordinator who worked on bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, including seeking grant funding and planning new facilities.  What are your views on the city’s need for such a coordinator, and will you work to have it funded in the FY 2025 budget?

 Adding a Bicycle Pedestrian Coordinator is an excellent idea.  The key is making sure such personnel are well integrated into the planning and public works decision-making.  In fact, the work this individual would do is already being done by a number of different individuals and the real hard nut to crack is ensuring that all infrastructure projects make pedestrian and other modes of transportation stand on the same level with auto-centric requirements and if there is a conflict, the auto-centric requirements should defer to the pedestrian/bicycle priorities.  This would be a reversal in what our community has been doing for almost 100 years now since moving automobiles around most efficiently took precedence over everything else that inhabits our city's public rights-of-way and competes for attention and respect. 

Q 3. Do you see active transportation (walking, cycling, transit, bikeshare, etc.) as having a role in addressing housing, economic development, access to green space, and workforce shortages?

YES!  Very much so!  It is a fact that the most affluent communities and neighborhoods in our nation and world also happen to be very friendly towards walking, cycling, transit and bikeshare amenities (not everywhere but many places have a mix of all these things).  Unfortunately they also track closely as being very exclusive and segregationist because we have allowed our built environment to be overrun with auto-centric priorities that make it virtually impossible to create safe, walkable, high-density neighborhoods that enable people of all different incomes to inhabit them.  It is literally a luxury to live in a walkable neighborhood when it should be easily available to all households.

Portland should aspire to double down on its 19th century urban landscape that naturally enabled the intimate, walkable (at times congested and dense) environment that all humans in built-up areas had no choice but to experience prior to the automobile revolution and the triumph of the internal combustion engine as the central axis around which we built our day-to-day living around.  Land-use and transportation go hand-in-hand and if we do it well, as many cities, big and small have done around the globe, we can have vital public green spaces, well-used and well-loved existing right up against dense residential and commercial options that allow ALL of them to feed, reinforce and energize one another, which is why urban environments exist in the first place and display powerful advantages over the sprawl of 20th and 2st-century planning that have mostly brought us sterile landscapes that only exacerbate negative climate change outcomes and keep our communities isolated and unable to effectively engage with one another.

Q 4. Please describe your level of familiarity with the City’s Sidewalk Snow Clearing Policy.  Do you have any ideas to improve it?

I am very familiar with the City's inadequate Sidewalk Snow Clearing Policy.  I was present at the time the current policy was put in place - a welcome enhancement over the previous policy but it still did not go far enough in my view.  There is no better marker of neighborliness during Portland's cold season than ensuring public sidewalks and driveways adjacent to your property are free of treacherous ice and snow.  Unfortunately, too often property owners (absentee especially) and contractors hired to assist them in this effort skimp on or ignore completely their responsibilities. A big part of this is education, outreach and empowering those of us whose lives are slowed down or worse (like being hurt) to be vigilant when we see non-compliance with the policy.  

I believe the City Council really has to ask the relevant city staff responsible for snow removal and enforcing the snow clearing policy to keep us very up-to-date about enforcement efforts DURING THE COLD SEASON, especially soon after each storm clean-up winds down.  An active conversation between the Council and city staff when it matters most will enable us to better understand where the gaps in resources and compliance exist so that we can use the warm months to better prepare for the next round of winter weather that is always on the horizon.  This gets even more important during El Nino periods and with climate change making the likelihood of ice storms and freeze-thaw cycles much more frequent and intense.  Life in the winter should not paralyze us.  Other wintery urban environments around the globe do a far better job than we do at tackling this stuff and we should aspire each year to get closer to excellence than just limping along until springtime finally rolls around.

Q 5. What are your thoughts on modifications for Franklin Street, and the restoration of two-way traffic for places like State & High Streets and Congress Street & Park Avenue?

These are big ideas that could radically change how everyone, including our suburban neighbors north, south and west of us, negotiate our community and its urban economy.  Both the Franklin Street "parkway" and the State/High/Park interrelated traffic corridors (car sewers, ahem) have as their primary constituencies users who do not even live adjacent to them.  Those non-resident constituencies are powerful and do not want their daily driving habits re-engineered simply to make Portland's urban life easier and more pleasant and enjoyable, even if it would pay for itself over time (maybe even in less than a decade with the right moves). Commercial entities, both inside and outside Portland depend on these by-ways as well.  Each of these major urban arteries also were designed on the cheap and re-making them to support vital effective urbanism around them is a big undertaking absent leveraging nearby potential development or getting massive federal or state subsidies.

It would be a priority of mine to advance the conversations around change there, but with a very clear-eyed view that it would be a multi-year collaborative effort that would likely involve some tough choices about how to balance the ambitions and vision with what our city can bring to bear on reinventing things that are deeply embedded in our existing landscape.

Q 6. What policies will you pursue to improve conditions for those cycling, walking & wheeling?  Feel free to include specific examples of streets those policies would improve.

In the near term, we as a city have to raise consciousness for what is tolerable among the trials and tribulations of walkers (who often are bus riders too), cyclists and those with limited capacities (primarily our disabled neighbors) who must negotiate our public streets and sidewalks every day.  Slowing down and yielding to others, whether you are driving a car or anything else, is one of the most basic expressions of civic kindness and love you can extend to your fellow Portlanders. We all have places to be and many of us do not leave enough time to leisurely go from points A to B, but your neighbors do not have to be penalized in their lives for another's absence to plan for a safer and slower journey through our city.  

This kind of philosophy takes time to reinforce through public policy.  Moving or creating curbs to create dedicated bike lanes for instance is big bucks and not always feasible to shoehorn into smaller scale projects and improvements.  But we can elevate the conversation while we work to make the budgets that can do things right. I would push hard in my first year in office to create a bicycle pedestrian advisory committee within the City's governance that would be empowered to think holistically across city departments and planning efforts to make people-centered transportation our focus.  Our city bureaucracy will get the message if we make sure we are reminding them on a regular basis that this thinking is not a gimmick or a political scheme but a way-of-life that we need to get back into the habit of putting first.  It may also help save our planet if we can convince enough communities to follow our lead.

Q1. Do you use the bus, walk or bicycle for transportation? If not, have you ever relied on one of those modes of transportation?

Yes! I am an avid cyclist and proud pedestrian. If I can walk to my destination, I will! I am on the Board of the Metro and Co-Chair the Metro’s Ridership Committee, where we focused heavily on removing the barriers that exist to increase Riders.

Q 2. The City of Portland in the past had a Bicycle Pedestrian Coordinator who worked on bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, including seeking grant funding and planning new facilities.  What are your views on the city’s need for such a coordinator, and will you work to have it funded in the FY 2025 budget?

I have discussed this as Chair of the Councils Sustainability & Transportation Committee and tried to get this included in the FY24 budget. I was successful in getting 2 FT positions added to the FY23 budget for the Sustainability Department, when I would imagine this position spends some of its energy as a multi-departmental role. I fully support a full time Program Manager position, with an accompanying full time Coordinator. These roles are essential in weaving together a holistic approach to multi-modal transportation options that are safe, efficient and fun for Portland residents. There is significant grant funding available for positions like these, ensuring that Portlanders are not going to risk an increase in their property taxes.

Additionally, I’d prioritize forming a Municipal Transportation Authority that would encompass our existing Parking Department, but also expand purview over the existing public and private parking options to create comprehensive & streamlined parking management to residents, businesses and visitors. This is an opportunity to create new revenue streams that benefit our city infrastructure. 

Q 3. Do you see active transportation (walking, cycling, transit, bikeshare, etc.) as having a role in addressing housing, economic development, access to green space, and workforce shortages?

Unequivocally yes! Housing and transportation are deeply connected, and we know that smart growth policies have significant positive impacts on climate change mitigation, high road economic development and racial justice. Right now we have a city that is still combating the negative impacts of urban renewal and a disproportionate prioritization on the automobile. I continue to say that cities are for people, and I have shown that in many of my votes as a Councilor. As Mayor, I will continue to emphasize this through a vision that prioritizes multi-modal transportation as a key component of tackling our housing and climate challenges.

Q 4. Please describe your level of familiarity with the City’s Sidewalk Snow Clearing Policy. Do you have any ideas to improve it?

I am familiar and comfortable in expressing my opinion that we need to do more. We have fairly old infrastructure that has not received a comprehensive investment in some time. While stone streets or brick sidewalks are aesthetically appealing, they are a nightmare for snow & ice maintenance, the equipment required to clear them, and the overall experience for cyclists & pedestrians alike. Our removal map is insufficient and doesn’t take into account how Portlanders use our transit corridors, including the Metro and cycling. Again, our city infrastructure is mostly designed with cars in mind, so it’s no surprise that our snow clearing policies are designed accordingly. We need to reimagine the way we address snow clearing by analyzing how we want our people to commute, and realigning the emphasis on pedestrians and cyclists. After a storm there should be immediate attention on crosswalks, bike lanes, and sidewalks within 24 hours. The city must enforce where existing ordinance requires businesses and property owners to maintain/clear their sidewalks within a certain timeframe.

Q 5. What are your thoughts on modifications for Franklin Street, and the restoration of two-way traffic for places like State & High Streets and Congress Street & Park Avenue?

After 2 years on the Council, I was successful in getting the Franklin St. project back on the Council’s agenda by looking at it through a lens of housing and transportation, rather than just transportation. I believe Franklin Street is Portland’s opportunity to take a giant step forward in addressing the housing crisis, and could potentially add thousands of units of housing all while reconnecting our city and repairing the scars of urban renewal. This would restore Lincoln Park, and redesign the 4 lane highway that has resulted in countless accidents.

I have added State & High to the S&T committees agenda this year, and expect it to be on our October meeting agenda. I’ve worked with the City Manager and neighbors on this, and even the Commission of Maine DOT. This has been studied and is relatively a lighter lift in the grand scheme, and will embody a complete streets model that slows traffic, connects neighborhoods, and reaffirms my commitment that cities are for people. 

Q 6. What policies will you pursue to improve conditions for those cycling, walking & wheeling?  Feel free to include specific examples of streets those policies would improve.

Promoting multi-modal transportation options are crucial for reducing congestion, decreasing carbon emissions, and fostering a healthier and happier Portland! Here's my comprehensive policy framework to improve conditions for these modes:

Dedicated Bike Lanes: Construct protected and separated bike lanes on major streets to ensure safety. 

Bike/Ped-Only Zones: Designate car-free zones or times in downtown areas, like Burlington's Church St.

Traffic Calming Measures: Implement speed bumps, curb extensions, and pedestrian islands to slow traffic in residential areas and near schools.

Wheelchair Accessible Paths: Ensure that sidewalks are smooth, flat, and have frequent curb cuts.

Network Development: Ensure paths for cycling, walking, and wheeling are interconnected throughout all of Portland, allowing smooth transitions between different areas.

Public Transit Integration: Ensure that public transit hubs have ample bike parking and that buses and trains can accommodate bicycles. Selfishly I would love this, but I think it would benefit a lot of others!

Education & Training: Launch campaigns to educate drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians about road sharing and safety.

Enforcement: Strengthen laws that protect cyclists and pedestrians, and ensure that they are properly enforced.

Visibility: Increase street lighting, and encourage cyclists and wheelers to use lights and reflective materials.

Maintenance: Regularly inspect and repair pedestrian and cycle paths.

Facilities & Infrastructure: Establish more public restrooms, drinking fountains, and seating areas along major walking and cycling routes.

Urban Design: Prioritize pedestrian and cycling infrastructure in city planning, incorporating green spaces and ensuring accessibility.

Review & Feedback: Periodically assess the functionality and safety of cycling and pedestrian paths based on user feedback. Memorialize the relationship with Portland Trails and PBPAC through creating a standing city with members from each to continue to review and analyze.

Events: Organize more events like 'Car-Free Days' or 'Bike-to-Work Days' to promote these transportation modes.

Subsidies & Discounts: Like the ARPA investment I sponsored in 2022, provide financial incentives for buying e-bicycles or e-scooters, and offer discounts or rebates for businesses that support sustainable transport.

Smart Crossings: Implement technology-driven pedestrian crossings that detect and prioritize pedestrians.

Q1. Do you use the bus, walk or bicycle for transportation? If not, have you ever relied on one of those modes of transportation?

In 2022 I got a new job that allows me to work from home, if I am driving it’s usually out of town or taking my children to multiple places. I do have the benefit of living right on the 9A/B line which makes access intown using the bus really easy and something I like to do when my schedule aligns. I think we have a very walkable downtown as well, so often if I have multiple meetings in town I will have my husband drop me off and ride the bus home.  Our oldest two children (22 and 20) don’t drive and use the bus to get around town regularly.  Our youngest two children (15 year old high schoolers) regularly use the bus to get to and from school and out and about to explore Portland. 

Q 2. The City of Portland in the past had a Bicycle Pedestrian Coordinator who worked on bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, including seeking grant funding and planning new facilities.  What are your views on the city’s need for such a coordinator, and will you work to have it funded in the FY 2025 budget?

I have traveled a lot for work this past year and have seen some of the incredible public transportation systems in other cities that reduce or eliminate the need for single vehicles and really boost non-auto modes of transportation. If we want to walk the climate walk that we’re talking to me that begins with lessening our dependence on single vehicles and investing in alternate modes of transportation like bicycles, bus, and pedestrian paths. I would love to explore bringing a Bicycle Pedestrian Coordinator back. I would love to take a look at the previous job description and make sure that the vision we have for the future matches the job we’re asking them to do and if not making adjustments to ensure that it meets this moment. 

Q 3. Do you see active transportation (walking, cycling, transit, bikeshare, etc.) as having a role in addressing housing, economic development, access to green space, and workforce shortages?

Absolutely. One of the things I love the most about my current job is that I get to work from home. I’m not fighting through morning traffic or asking myself where I’m going to park or worrying if I have enough money for gas.  As our economy remains a challenge for so many families and individuals, having an accessible and affordable way to get to and from work, school, childcare, or recreation is key to helping household budgets. 

As we look for more creative ways to increase housing in our city we have to look at places previously used for single purpose (like Industrial) and repurpose them to be complete neighborhoods, so it’s not just housing in an Industrial zone, it’s transformed into a walkable, bikeable, space. 

Q 4. Please describe your level of familiarity with the City’s Sidewalk Snow Clearing Policy.  Do you have any ideas to improve it?

I am very familiar with this and it has been a source of frustration for me and my family for a few years now. We live on Washington Ave, in the East/North Deering part of town. We have multiple side streets near our portion of the sidewalk and in the winter the plowing from the side streets comes to the main street and then right on our sidewalk. As a family who does not have a snow blower we had to try to get out as quick as possible to remove the snow from the sidewalk before it became impossible because of the salt, sand and ice that accumulated from the plows.  We are fortunate to have able-bodied teens to help us with the clearing, but many of our neighbors might not. I understand the limited budgets and reason, but I worry that this unfairly penalizes residents who may have a disability, don’t have the financial means to hire someone or get their own snow blower.  If we’re not going to clear all the sidewalks I also feel that is a huge equity issue. I would love to have a little more transparency with the council on how this map is decided and talk with the community on how we can improve this policy and make it less punitive.  We need safe, clear sidewalks in the winter, we should be able to work together as a community to make that happen. 

Q 5. What are your thoughts on modifications for Franklin Street, and the restoration of two-way traffic for places like State & High Streets and Congress Street & Park Avenue?

I love the idea that we can constantly look at how things can be improved. Just because we have always done something one way doesn’t mean it has to be that way forever. I grew up in South Portland when the Million Dollar Bridge was still the way to get to and from Portland and Waterman Drive was one way coming off the bridge. When the Casco Bay Bridge was built that changed and now Mill Creek has two way single lane streets that fit the small commercial center and neighborhood. This also opened so much more land use for housing and commercial use.  We can do this in our city. We need to move away from the belief that faster is better when it comes to vehicle traffic. We need to only look at the weekly crash statistics from our police department for the proof that the roads are currently dangerous. Just this past week (Sep 17-23) there were 41 crashes. That’s nearly 6 vehicle crashes per day. Restoring two way traffic, single lanes and using Franklin Street green space for development are ways for us to create safer streets, slower traffic and creatively find space for much needed housing. 

Q 6. What policies will you pursue to improve conditions for those cycling, walking & wheeling?  Feel free to include specific examples of streets those policies would improve.

I don’t have specific policies in mind yet, but I know some of the trouble spots that should be the focus of our work to improve conditions. Forest Ave and Stevens, the off-peninsula stretch of Washington Ave and Allen Ave at Casco Bay High School. Better bike lanes, traffic slowing actions, and single lanes as much as possible. Again we need to prioritize safety over speed.  

For walkers I think we have so many sidewalks that are on the docket to be upgraded and made ADA compliant. The challenge for Public Works has been lack of staffing. I wonder if there are ways to partner with trade programs or incentivize those positions specifically to get staff.  When Public Works is adequately staffed we are able to get so many more things done.

Q1. Do you use the bus, walk or bicycle for transportation? If not, have you ever relied on one of those modes of transportation?

I sometimes use my bicycle. Probably would use it more if my area (outer Congress Street near Westbrook St. and the Elks Club) warn't one of the most dangerous stretches of road in the state. Used the bus often when I was young, to and from South Portland.

Q 2. The City of Portland in the past had a Bicycle Pedestrian Coordinator who worked on bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, including seeking grant funding and planning new facilities.  What are your views on the city’s need for such a coordinator, and will you work to have it funded in the FY 2025 budget?

Active transportation is important, and it seems critical to success to have a Bicycle Coordinator to make it happen. I would support funding for this position for 2025, to get the ball rolling.

Q 3. Do you see active transportation (walking, cycling, transit, bikeshare, etc.) as having a role in addressing housing, economic development, access to green space, and workforce shortages?

Active transportation is critical in displacing cars and associated demands on space which would be better used for housing. Housing, economic development, access to greenspace, and workforce  numbers are all interrelated. Count me in. I brought a bike path to Cape Elizabeth 25 years ago, when I served on the Council there. I fought for it even though it cost me re-election.  I don't regret  my decision, and note that they have a bike path on Shore Road now, and it is in constant use.

Q 4. Please describe your level of familiarity with the City’s Sidewalk Snow Clearing Policy.  Do you have any ideas to improve it?

 Like many lobstermen, to bring in some cash in winter, I had a snow removal business for many years. Most addresses are required to clear the walks in front of them within 24 (?) hours of a storm.  I know most people struggle to find someone to clear their walks.  I retired.  I've often thought that it would be economical to have a fleet of sidewalk plows and  get it done. 

Q 5. What are your thoughts on modifications for Franklin Street, and the restoration of two-way traffic for places like State & High Streets and Congress Street & Park Avenue?

It would make sense to re-do Franklin Street with grant funding that is available. Active transportation and more housing would be improved. I'm open to recommendations for restoring two way traffic, if our professional planners are for it.

Q 6. What policies will you pursue to improve conditions for those cycling, walking & wheeling?  Feel free to include specific examples of streets those policies would improve.

I'm for policies that make more cycling, walking and wheeling happen.  Shared use, bike lanes, and efforts to widen bridges on bike paths such as between Riverton and Back Bay all would help. Morrill's corner needs a lot to make it friendly to bike and foot traffic.  As a former President of the Stroudwater Village Neighborhood Association and resident on outer Congress Street, I would also support efforts to make this piece of road safer for bikes. 

Q1. Do you use the bus, walk or bicycle for transportation? If not, have you ever relied on one of those modes of transportation?

Yes! I walk my children to school each morning and ride my bike to and from work when my daily schedule and the weather permit. I spent 9 years living in Brooklyn, NY during which our family used public transit as our primary mode of transportation.

Q 2. The City of Portland in the past had a Bicycle Pedestrian Coordinator who worked on bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, including seeking grant funding and planning new facilities.  What are your views on the city’s need for such a coordinator, and will you work to have it funded in the FY 2025 budget? 

I would have to look at all the FY2025 budget priorities and staffing structures before I could answer this question. I’ll be interested to see which (if any) positions within city hall have tasks related to non-car transportation and pedestrian safety. I would like to see a job description or participate in the creation of a job description and understand funding sustainability for the position. Lastly I’d seek to ensure that child safety, and disabled persons safety were focus areas for such a city hall position, with the goal of establishing plans for continuous infrastructure and safety improvements for those who utilize wheelchairs and strollers.

Q 3. Do you see active transportation (walking, cycling, transit, bikeshare, etc.) as having a role in addressing housing, economic development, access to green space, and workforce shortages?

Yes! In order to work, people need to be able to get to their place of work, regardless of their personal vehicle ownership status. In order for kids and families to participate in recreation activities, individuals and caregivers need to be able to get to their field, court, or park, regardless of their personal vehicle ownership status. Our built community has an outsize impact on our social determinants of health. I’d look to feedback from D4 residents, city council, and this report to inform my thoughts about community design best practices.

Q 4. Please describe your level of familiarity with the City’s Sidewalk Snow Clearing Policy.  Do you have any ideas to improve it?

With two kids who walk to school at 7:20am and as a program administrator for WIC where we serve many many families that come to appointments by foot - I know firsthand how lack of timely sidewalk clearing can slow and even prevent education and critical service access. I’d be curious to find out from city hall and the public works department leadership what the present work flow and action plans are for inclement weather, along with staffing patterns, and current job vacancies. I’d want to hear from community members who utilize sidewalks, and from small business owners and service provider operators about their experiences and ideas for improvement. 

In some cities homeowners, apartment building owners, and business owners were responsible for snow / ice clearing and safety (sand / salt) of sidewalks immediately in front of their buildings. City public works and the department of education take care of public and school walkways and sidewalks. I would seek successful best practice models from municipalities similar in population and geographical size to Portland and see what, if anything there is to learn from other communities and city governments.

Q 5. What are your thoughts on modifications for Franklin Street, and the restoration of two-way traffic for places like State & High Streets and Congress Street & Park Avenue? 

My primary thought is that we need more housing and the Franklin Street project will accomplish that. My knee-jerk reaction is to reject the idea of two-way traffic on High and State, but this is from my own experience as a pedestrian and driver, and I am by no means a transportation expert. I would seek the input of residents of those streets, the informed counsel from experienced city planners, and pedestrian safety experts before making a decision or voting on any such measures.

Q 6. What policies will you pursue to improve conditions for those cycling, walking & wheeling?  Feel free to include specific examples of streets those policies would improve. 

I’d seek to study areas where streets are most commonly “j-walked” and work to establish crosswalks and flashing lights in these areas. I’d also request a map that identifies all school bus stops and request that we study the safety and accessibility of the stops, especially for middle school bus routes, as middle school students are much more likely to walk to school or their bus stop without an adult than elementary age children.

I’d also seek to have a disability-access audit, and community input survey of wheel (bicycles, wheelchairs, strollers, scooters, skateboards, etc) users' experiences with access to Portland’s streets and sidewalks and target improvement work plans around the audit and survey findings. Communities are the experts in their experiences and needs, and I will always look to the community for their stories and ideas to improve their access to, and experiences on, Portland streets and sidewalks.

Q1. Do you use the bus, walk or bicycle for transportation? If not, have you ever relied on one of those modes of transportation?

On occasion I walk or bike to work. I have never in Portland taken the bus, but relied on the city bus or bike when I lived in Seattle, and subway in New York. 

Q 2. The City of Portland in the past had a Bicycle Pedestrian Coordinator who worked on bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, including seeking grant funding and planning new facilities.  What are your views on the city’s need for such a coordinator, and will you work to have it funded in the FY 2025 budget?

Needed position, yes would work for funding.

Q 3. Do you see active transportation (walking, cycling, transit, bikeshare, etc.) as having a role in addressing housing, economic development, access to green space, and workforce shortages?

Yes

Q 4. Please describe your level of familiarity with the City’s Sidewalk Snow Clearing Policy.  Do you have any ideas to improve it?

Need clarification on deficits of policy. 

Q 5. What are your thoughts on modifications for Franklin Street, and the restoration of two-way traffic for places like State & High Streets and Congress Street & Park Avenue?

Interested in hearing proposals.

Q 6. What policies will you pursue to improve conditions for those cycling, walking & wheeling?  Feel free to include specific examples of streets those policies would improve.

I would focus on high crash/high risk areas (Morrill’s corner/Forest)

Q1. Do you use the bus, walk or bicycle for transportation? If not, have you ever relied on one of those modes of transportation?

During the time that I lived on Portland’s peninsula, I sometimes utilized the metro bus. I’ve biked often throughout the entire time that I’ve lived in Portland, usually to go visit friends that live throughout the city. I have spent a huge amount of time walking in Portland. Before moving to D5, I walked to and from work every day during all four seasons. There was a long time where my wife and I had a single car between the two of us - a common occurrence for young couples. I’m grateful that during this time, I lived within a walkable commute to my work. It’s important to me that the entire city is walkable/bikeable - not just the peninsula. 

Q 2. The City of Portland in the past had a Bicycle Pedestrian Coordinator who worked on bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, including seeking grant funding and planning new facilities.  What are your views on the city’s need for such a coordinator, and will you work to have it funded in the FY 2025 budget?

I would like to first examine if it’s possible for these capacities and responsibilities to be shared throughout city’s existing staff and elected representatives. Not at all to minimize the importance of the issue, but I’m trying to be sensitive to budget increases for staffing while the City is already challenged filling existing positions. That said, I believe that bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure should be prioritized, so I would definitely be open to reviewing whether the coordinator position should be taken up (and within what timeframe) to focus specifically on these demands.

Q 3. Do you see active transportation (walking, cycling, transit, bikeshare, etc.) as having a role in addressing housing, economic development, access to green space, and workforce shortages?

Yes, particularly housing. As we continue through Phase 2 of ReCode and we look to undertake a historic reexamination of our zoning rules and their impact on our present housing shortage, we will need to both accept and prioritize housing that favors active transportation over reliance on cars for residents of Portland. I believe that this aligns with the City’s goals of encouraging smart/gentle density to remedy housing shortages, keeping Portland a pleasant place to live with solid QoL, and reducing emissions and reliance on fossil fuels.

Q 4. Please describe your level of familiarity with the City’s Sidewalk Snow Clearing Policy.  Do you have any ideas to improve it?

While I’m not an expert, I understand that there are challenges for clearing the City’s sidewalks of snow and ice, particularly the historic brick sidewalks on Congress. I’d be in favor of examining materials that sidewalks can be constructed from which don’t sacrifice the historic aesthetic of Portland but are also less difficult to clear following snow/ice storms. 

I would definitely welcome an opportunity to learn more about our snow clearing policy, and I can recall more than a few mornings following snow storms where the City scrambled to clear our public walkways of heavy snow (especially on the peninsula). I realize that the City needs sufficient equipment to clear these walkways, but I also want to be cognizant of the impact of increased budgets and taxes on strained Portland households. Moreover, regardless of how much equipment we have/don’t have, the City is facing a significant staffing shortage that also hamstrings our ability to swiftly respond to storms. That staff shortage is to me a greater challenge than lack of equipment. 

Q 5. What are your thoughts on modifications for Franklin Street, and the restoration of two-way traffic for places like State & High Streets and Congress Street & Park Avenue?

As everyone is aware, we have an acute housing shortage. Modifications such as the Franklin Street project serve as an avenue to creating more housing, and I believe that these efforts fit into the number of solutions required to bring our housing supply to balance with demand.

Q 6. What policies will you pursue to improve conditions for those cycling, walking & wheeling?  Feel free to include specific examples of streets those policies would improve.

In certain areas of the City, I would support efforts to implement pedestrian-friendly policy. Specifically, Allen’s Corner and Morrill’s Corner do not presently feel good or safe to bike or walk. Immediate speed reducing mechanisms/traffic calming may serve to partially remedy this while more long-term solutions are developed. I would also like to see a redesign of Brighton Avenue take place so that it too can become more pedestrian and bicycle friendly. Whether it’s Brighton, Allen’s Corner, or anywhere else in the City - I’d like to actively and directly engage neighborhoods in any modifications or redesign efforts. This may take place through surveys, canvassing, and neighborhood meetings, but in any case I’d like to see more transparency between the City and its residents when it comes to construction and transportation projects.

Q1. Do you use the bus, walk or bicycle for transportation? If not, have you ever relied on one of those modes of transportation?

Yes. We are a one-car household, and my husband drives the car to work every day, so I walk and ride my bike all over Portland for work, meetings, and household errands. Portland is in a perfect moment to transition to more human-powered modes of transportation and I see so many opportunities all around us to make these changes. I have personally been hit by a car on my bike twice (not in Portland) so I think a lot about how to improve our bike and pedestrian infrastructure. If elected I plan to ride year-round to City Hall as much as the winter weather allows.

Q 2. The City of Portland in the past had a Bicycle Pedestrian Coordinator who worked on bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, including seeking grant funding and planning new facilities.  What are your views on the city’s need for such a coordinator, and will you work to have it funded in the FY 2025 budget?

Yes. It is unrealistic to think we can evolve our transportation infrastructure without dedicated staff to support our efforts and connect with regional, state and national organizations. I’ve written Federal, State, and local grants for organizations and know how easy it is to sustain such a position through grant funding and lateral cost savings, so this is not a cost issue. It’s about having the political will to make it happen.

Q 3. Do you see active transportation (walking, cycling, transit, bikeshare, etc.) as having a role in addressing housing, economic development, access to green space, and workforce shortages?

Yes. Portland’s economic vitality is limited largely because of our labor market and housing shortage. We need to transition away from car infrastructure and parking as a revenue source, but we also need to take care of our labor force, whose transportation needs should take a more central place in our urban planning. Creating more space for bike lanes, more frequent busses/transit routes, and transit-only streets will help employers hire workers and make people want to live here. I just returned from a trip to Chicago where bikeshares are used widely by workers, students, and residents of the city, not just tourists. When new apartment buildings are built off-peninsula, a bike-share port, covered bike parking, and way-finding/interconnections with transit should be an integral part of the development.

Q 4. Please describe your level of familiarity with the City’s Sidewalk Snow Clearing Policy.  Do you have any ideas to improve it?

Sidewalk snow clearing is vital to the health and safety of our school kids, and to a high quality of life for our elderly and disabled residents as well as everyone else! Snow clearing must be viewed through an equity lens. Clearing our sidewalks and metro bus stops of snow and ice should have the SAME or HIGHER level of priority as roads. These places are disproportionately used by communities of color and working class families. Portland is currently unable to meet the demands of its own snow-clearing ordinance, partly because we are understaffed. Staffing constraints are causing a serious “de-regulation-through-disemployment” problem in many departments. In a housing crisis and climate crisis we should prioritize hiring local workers. I will be a Councilor who will actively recruit workers in my District to fill open City positions. Young people and anyone who wants to retrain for another career can benefit from the City’s generous college tuition package through USM for city workers. Trades apprenticeships are also available.

Q 5. What are your thoughts on modifications for Franklin Street, and the restoration of two-way traffic for places like State & High Streets and Congress Street & Park Avenue?

I support the vision of remaking Franklin Street into a functional and beautiful mixed-use urban corridor, connecting rather than dividing neighborhoods, transit hubs, and other destinations. The injury rate for pedestrians and cyclists is much higher on one-way streets, where cars can go faster and even leave the roadway, ending up on the sidewalk. Returning streets to two-way will save lives and make our streets more walkable and bikable.

Q 6. What policies will you pursue to improve conditions for those cycling, walking & wheeling?  Feel free to include specific examples of streets those policies would improve.

In general, I feel that our built environment should promote cycling and walking, not just provide for it. In order for people to use non-motorized forms of travel, they must view them as both possible and pleasurable. In District 5, car-centric streets such as Forest Ave., Washington Ave., and Allen Ave tend to dissuade people from walking/riding because it's terrifying and unpleasant to be on these streets in anything but a car. We are lucky in D5, to have a great trail system that connects neighborhoods and destinations outside our district, and allows people to avoid busy intersections, but few people know about them or see them as true commuter ways. As a councilor I will promote our trails as a commuter system as well as a recreational amenity. I will also support the redevelopment of Morrill’s corner to be more bike/ped friendly and hope to partner with PBPAC on this and other projects. Thanks for the work you are doing to make Portland more livable!