Ward 12 – Roz McAllister Resposnes

Bike Clevleand Cleveland City Council Candidate Questionnaire

Candidate Name: Roz McAllister
Council Ward 12 Candidate

Q. What roles do you think city council can play in making cities safe, accessible and friendly for biking?
A.  There should be properly marked bike lanes that provide safety for bikers, and still maintain good traffic flow.

Q. Funding for bikeways and other bicycle improvements and programs in Cleveland is currently derived from a mix of local, regional, and federal grants. Do you support an increase in dedicated funds in the City of Cleveland capital budget to install a safe, connected network of bike facilities?
A. Yes

Q. Do you have ideas for securing other funding for biking projects in Cleveland?
A. Place a line on the city income tax to allow for a donation to safe biking activities.

Q. In January 2012 the City of Cleveland’s Complete and Green Streets Ordinance went into effect. The ordinance requires implementation of sustainable policies and guidelines in all construction projects within the public right of way. What will you do to ensure that the city incorporates Complete and Green Streets policies and practices into road projects within your ward? How will you measure success?
A. Ensurance is NOT an option as it is law!  And the measure of the success will be easily seen.

Q. In what ways can enhanced bicycling facilities and opportunities benefit your ward and the city as a whole? Are there any specific projects that you’d like to see accomplished?
A. I would like to see more family friendly biking opportunities such as designated areas for biking, skating and walking.

Q. Cities across the United States are installing protected bicycle lanes (a.k.a. cycletracks) to create a stress-free biking environment and to encourage “interested but concerned” people to ride a bike. Do you support the installation of bike infrastructure like buffered bike lanes, protected bike lanes, and bike boxes on Cleveland streets? YES/NO
A. Yes

Q. Are you in favor of Bike Boxes (i.e. former shipping containers converted to bike parking) being placed in a parking lane on city streets?
A. Yes

Q. In just about every neighborhood throughout the city, one of the top concerns is drivers driving too fast, aggressively, and not safely sharing the road with people on bikes. What ideas do you have to calm traffic and make our neighborhoods safer and more comfortable in which to ride a bike? Feel free to talk about particular problem spots in your ward.
A. With my plan for increasing police presence in Ward 12, the problem of bad drivers should subside.  However, aggressive bikers will be equally ticketed.  They, too, must follow the law.

Q. According to the 2012 Census almost 28% of Clevelanders do not have access to a car, how would you go about re-examining road projects to take into account the transportation needs of all city residents, improve safety, and enhance the livability of Cleveland neighborhoods?
A. Our business areas must have better security for bikes.  Our business area should have bike lock areas much like Amish areas have horse hitches.  With this, short trips for a small amount of goods can be done via bike in lieu of car.  Traffic enforcement will make it safer for all forms of transportation.

Q. What do you think is the number one risk to people on bikes both in your ward and the city as a whole? What have you done/will you do as an elected official to remedy it?
A. Traffic law enforcement will help immensely!  I would also like to see a class to teach bike safety to those who are “beginners” in biking for transportation.  This was taught in school when I was young, but is no longer.  Bikers “off trail” must be taught what safety equipment to have and the proper traffic laws that apply to biking.

See responses from all candidates at BikeCleveland.org/I-bike-I-vote