Transportation Alternatives 2009 Candidate Survey

I found the article, which links to the special website, Transportation Alternatives Candidate Survey, that Transportation Alternatives, the NYC sustainable transportation advocacy organization, created for local elections in New York City.

Question 1:

What are New York City's most pressing transportation needs? As mayor, how would you address these needs?

Question 2:

A growing number of studies find that passive exercise, through walking and biking, is associated with significant health benefits. Would your administration make increasing walking and biking a public health priority?

Question 3:

Each year, approximately 300 people are killed and thousands of people are injured by automobiles in New York City. What would your administration do to reduce these numbers? In particular, what role should the NYPD play as the primary agency charged with keeping New Yorkers safe?

Question 4:

The Partnership for New York City estimates that traffic congestion is to blame for $13 billion a year in losses to the New York Metropolitan Region's economy. What relationship do you see between the regional economy and traffic congestion? Which, if any, policies do you support to mitigate traffic congestion throughout the five boroughs?

Question 5:

The City recently released plans for Bus Rapid Transit and expressed interest in bringing a bike share program to New York City. As Mayor, would you promote the continuation and/or expansion of these public transit initiatives?

Question 6:

In an effort to increase the safety, enjoyment and health of New Yorkers walking, running, skating or riding a bike in Central and Prospect Parks, car traffic has been gradually restricted on the loop drives within these parks. What do you think of these changes? Do you have an opinion on the idea of completely closing these loop drives (not crosstown transverses) to cars and reserving them strictly for recreational users? What effect do you think such an action would have on the people in surrounding neighborhoods?

Question 7:

According to the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles' most currently available data, in 2007 speeding was a contributing factor in over 3,000 motor vehicle crashes in New York City. Furthermore, the same data showed that the top human contributing factor to the 264 fatal crashes in New York City during 2007 was also speeding. Given these figures, what measures (eg. speed cameras, if any, do you support to redress this problem? Finally, do you believe that New York City's current speed limits are safe?

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The article also calls on Transportation Alternative members to "step up" and vote, get involved in advocacy, and either run for office or get behind good candidates.

WRT the second point, which is relevant in DC to "Advisory Neighborhood Commissions" they write:

Join your community board
Community boards were intended to democratize the City's planning process, but this only works if many interests are represented on every board. Do you think a board full of drivers will vote for a bike lane?

DC's Advisory Neighborhood Commissions are supposed to have standing committees and non-elected citizens are supposed to be able to be allowed to chair these committees as well as be on the committee.

ANC6A in northeast DC does this probably more than any other ANC in the city, and the outgoing chair commented that this adds the efforts of 30-40 people to the efforts of the 9 elected commissioners, allowing the ANC to address many more issues, more thoroughly...