Sustainable transportation advocacy and the 2010 election cycle

I have been mentioning this in conversations and emails, but I guess it's time to mention it in the blog.

Advocates need to come up with a checklist of sustainable transportation questions for candidates for office at all levels of government, with appropriate questions dependent on the level (i.e., different questions for city/county candidates, vs. state legislators, vs. Governor vs. the representatives in the U.S. Congress and Senate).

These lists need to be used now, during this election cycle. It's incredibly important that elected officials get clued in and cued in to the importance of sustainable transportation (and other smart land use policies) during the primary season. It's too late to wait until after they have been elected.

E.g., Sen. Mikulski in Maryland was the leading proponent of "cash for clunkers." I wouldn't call that anything but a giveaway to the auto industry, with little economic or long term contribution to sustainable transportation objectives. Support for balanced transportation (transportation enhancement programs etc.), questions on gas taxes, etc. are appropriate for candidates for federal offices. etc.

- Transportation Alternatives in NYC has a questionnaire for candidates. I can't find my copy of their magazine at the moment which discusses it, and they don't have the article "T.A. Gets Political" online (Fall 2009)

- but this sample from Portland gives you the idea. It has seven main questions, many with subquestions:

1. Vision
2. Policy Priorities
3. Columbia River Crossing (a very local issue)
4. Pricing
5. Transit
6. Bicycle and Pedestrian Issues
7. Freight Policy

Action Committee for Transit in Montgomery County has a questionnaire but it doesn't cover biking and walking.

Here's a very interesting one from Houston (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!), the rrail GPAC 2009 Candidate Questionnaire.

- Transit Riders Union, Seattle - of course, the questionnaire doesn't include more vision type questions, or questions on walking and biking, just very specific questions about bus service, fares, and funding.

The London Cyclists Campaign (I am thinking of joining just because they are so awesome), has a Cycling Manifesto set of questions for candidates as well as a separate manifesto for local elections:

TRAINING FOR KIDS
Provide free on-road cycle training for all school children, free or subsidised training for adults and regular training for highway engineers and transport planners.

MORE CYCLE PARKING
Deliver sufficient cycle parking for staff and visitors at all council, NHS and school buildings and make it a requirement in all relevant planning applications.

LOCAL ACCESS
Make local cycling journeys easier by returning borough
one-way systems and streets to two-way operation, or by allowing contraflow cycling.

LORRY DANGER
Reduce casualties involving lorries through a driver-cyclist-awareness programme for all council HGV drivers and by council membership of the Freight Operators Recognition Scheme.

SAFER STREETS
Reduce danger, particularly to children, by setting a 20mph speed limit where people live, work and shop and by adopting a road danger reduction strategy for the borough.

SOLID TARGETS
Back an investment plan that will surpass the Mayor’s
target of a 400 percent increase in cycling by 2026.

HEALTHY STAFF
Encourage council staff to cycle by signing up to the
government’s Cycle to Work Guarantee scheme.

EVENTS & ROADSPACE
Promote healthy living by running regular cycling events such as car-free Sundays, reducing car-dependency and reallocating road space to cycling and walking.

LOCAL ISSUES
Local LCC groups produce their own local manifesto points too, so why not contact yours to see what are the pressing barriers to cycling in your area?