1. Do you bike in New Mexico? Describe your experience biking for transportation and/or recreation.
I bike in New Mexico occasionally. Most of my biking is in and around my neighborhood. I do not use a bike as a major source of transportation. I support those who choose to use bikes for transportation. Doing so is good for the environment and the health of those in our communities across the city. I primarily use a bike for recreational purposes.
2. Describe your vision of a healthy, safe, equitable transportation system for the Greater Albuquerque Region and the roles walking, biking, and public transportation play in that vision.
My vision for a healthy, safe, equitable transportation system is one that would support walking, biking, and a reliable, safe public transportation system. I support the concept of walkable communities and am working to make sure that we have walkable communities. One way to do so is to provide adequate lighting for those who are walking and make sure our sidewalks are in walkable condition. Right now, repairing sidewalks falls upon homeowners. We need a better system for repairing our sidewalks.
People who choose bikes as their major form of transportation need to feel safe on the streets and we need to make sure we have adequate bike lanes to protect individuals when they are biking alone, with their families or pulling their young children in bike carriages as they bike throughout the city.
Our public transportation system must have reliable schedules that people can count on to make sure they can travel from home to work. The schedules must meet the needs of people and be focused on providing efficient transportation for those who use public transportation as their primary means of traveling. Community patrols would be an excellent way to help city officials know when safety is a concern with any form of transportation. I support having a segment of our City Council meetings dedicated to concerns of individuals and communities focused on issues of safety when walking, biking, or utilizing public transportation.
3. What are the biggest barriers to getting people to choose walking, biking, and public transit instead of personal vehicles for daily trips, and what would you do to address these impediments?
The biggest barrier to people choosing to use walking, biking or public transportation is the concern about their safety. I support more funding focused and dedicated to providing safe walking and biking within our communities, and to making sure that public transportation areas and platforms are designed and operating to help ensure the safety of those using public transportation. I support more bikes for our local law enforcement teams. By having our law enforcement teams use bikes, they can see the challenges that people are facing who use bikes and they will have a better visual view of what challenges people face when they choose to walk in our communities.
4. New Mexico consistently has the deadliest streets of any state in the US, with approximately 400 people killed by vehicles each year while walking, biking, or driving, and another 12,000 people injured. What should New Mexico, and in particular the New Mexico Department of Transportation, do to improve traffic safety?
The New Mexico Department of Transportation is headed by Ricky Serna, an excellent Secretary who cares and is concerned about the safety and welfare of the people while walking, biking, and driving and he listens to the concerns that are presented to him. We need community groups and coalitions to work with the Secretary of the Department of Transportation in making suggestions about developing infrastructure for pedestrians and bicyclists. It is also important to have more educational programs about safety while walking and biking, and remind individuals of their responsibility when drivings to help ensure the safety of those who are walking and biking.
5. The New Mexico DOT is currently pursuing a pair of projects related to Interstate 25, following the South I-25 Corridor Study that calls for the widening of Interstate 25 in Albuquerque from Sunport to the Big I, to 8 lanes from the current 6. Do you support urban freeway widenings, or how would you prefer NMDOT enhance transportation options in this corridor?
As our communities grow, we often need to improve our highways and freeways to accommodate that growth. When the decision is made to widen and expand highways and freeways, we must also consider how to accommodate those who do not use highways and freeways. We must ensure safe, alternative paths of transportation for them in our planning.
Decisions about transportation options cannot be made in a vacuum. The voices of those who use various transportation options must consistently be heard and considered when making final decisions. We must help those making decisions about the various forms of transportation to always consider the safety and efficiency of diverse forms of transportation while also promoting economic development and preserving the environment of New Mexico.