Ward 13 – Kevin Kelley Responses

Bike Cleveland Cleveland City Council Candidate Questionnaire

Candidate Name: Kevin Kelley
Council Ward 13 Candidate

Q. What roles do you think city council can play in making cities safe, accessible and friendly for biking?
A.  Cleveland City Council is responsible for serving the citizens through legislation, wise stewardship of tax dollars and budgets and the oversight of city departments. I will continue to seek opportunities to provide safety and accessibility to bicyclists through these responsibilities.

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. The capital budget and the 20/20 plan all contemplate bike lanes. I think that to encourage bike lanes, the city needs to consider this in the bid specs for any new roadway project that is being bid for construction. Recently, we did just this in designing the Pearl Road Project that will be submitted for Issue One Funds this year. We worked with the business community as well as bicycle advocates to find a plan that will include bike lanes in a restructured Pearl Road. All Issue One funds should include this feature in the application.

Q. Do you have ideas for securing other funding for biking projects in Cleveland?
A. See above

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. I was a co-sponsor of this legislation and am committed to its successful implementation.

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 am a supporter of the Mayor’s Connecting Cleveland 2020 Citywide Plan that includes plans for bike routes and greenways. The Metroparks leases land between Pensacola Ave. and Wildlife Way. Old Brooklyn Community Develop Corporation is in the initial stages of exploring ways to clean up this wooded area and re-establish the trails there. The completion of this project would gain biking accessibility to not only the zoo but the path along Wildlife way leading to the Treadway Trail and the Towpath Trail.

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. I support the bike lanes on all our major Cleveland streets and was instrumental in having them added to Pearl Road in Ward 13.

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. I am in favor of providing adequate, safe and secure parking for bicyclists and their bicycles and making them ascetically pleasing and works of public art whenever possible. But the bike box idea is not a one size fits all solution for all neighborhoods.

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. I have been working for years on a plan to calm traffic on Pearl Road. This year, this plan will be included in the City’s Issue One application to ODOT. This would narrow Pearl Road and provide bike lanes. Further, I have been a participant and a supporter of Old Brooklyn’s premiere Pedal for Prizes event that brings hundreds of cyclists to our neighborhood each year. This event gives opportunity to assess the bike friendly nature of our community and opportunities to improve.

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. See above.

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. Awareness. I supported the Complete and Green Streets Ordinance passed by City Council.

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