Cindy McGovern

Cindy McGovern
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to send a questionnaire. I am running a grassroots campaign and I am not seeking support from special interest groups. That said, I am very interested in improving bike safety and bike lanes in Pleasanton. To me they are not acceptable at this time. To many lanes just end with out bicyclist knowledge that is going to happen. Many bike lanes are not safe for families. Recently Greg Visscher came to our council meeting with an idea to use arroyo trails as part of the Iron Horse Trail through Pleasanton. I think it is a good idea. We are trying to establish a meeting with East Bay Regional Parks for Greg to come and present his idea. To truly improve the cyclist experience and safety through our community, we are going to have to work with other agencies and seek additional grant funding. Thank you for all your coalition is doing to reach the same goal. Cindy McGovern, candidate for Mayor Pleasanton.

Jennifer Hosterman

heryl Cook-Kallio

Fred Watson

Karla Brown

1. In a typical month, how many times do you use a bicycle exclusively for transportation purposes and what places have you travelled to within Pleasanton by bike or foot? Please explain (300 words or less).

I use a bicycle for transportation less than 1 time per month. Mostly I bike as part of my exercise optins. My husband Tim and I like to ride from our home in Kottinger Ranch to the old Vineyard road and followed it along the base of the foothills toward Ruby Hill. I know it is not a long distance, but with all of the hills, we get a good workout. We used to live in the Country Fair II area and my oldest daughter rode her bike to and from her middle school (PMS) on the path by the Bernal property, each day. It was a wonderful way for her to get and from school safely and keep a “mother shuttle” off the road. With the school changes, that area now goes to Hart Middle school and now I rarely see students or bikes on the frontage path along Bernal near Valley.

2. Please indicate how you most commonly commute to work. (i.e. single-occupant vehicle, carpool, mass transit such as BART or bus, walking, etc).

I am a Realtor and need my car while I am at work here in the Tri-Valley area; therefore I do not ride a bike to work.

3. In comparison to similar cities, how bike-friendly do you believe Pleasanton to be? Please explain (300 words or less).

I have not fully studied on Pleasanton’s bike paths, but I would like to learn more. My impression of our bike routes are that they were an afterthought of planning within our local government. The abundance of cut-through and inter city vehicle traffic has dominated discussion and campaigns. The City’s own pdf of the bike paths is http://www.ci.pleasanton.ca.us/pdf/trails-map-100119.pdf , and it shows many short routes with frequent breaks in the links of bike flow (plus the tan on gray is very hard to see).

4. How would you describe your familiarity with the specific improvements called for within Pleasanton’s Bike/Pedestrian Master Plan? (Please select one: my understanding of the Bike/Ped Master Plan is strong/general/light/non-existent).

Light at best. I began downloading the almost 300 page online document and had to quit. My research shows some challenges for Pleasanton would be:
* Safety of bike traffic crossing 5 major intersections
* The need for motor vehicle parking for at the staging areas, esp. IHT.
* Working with EBRD to close the 1.6 mile gap of the IHT.
* Grant money will be needed
* Accessing the IHT in Dublin by going under the freeway
WHEN (not if) Pleasanton connects the IHT through to Sunol Blvd., it will be a major feature for new and existing residents.

5. At the current rate of implementation, the Bike/Ped Master Plan will take many years to implement. A current challenge is limited staff and financial resource to devote to Bike/Ped Master Plan implementation. Will you commit to increasing staffing and resources directed toward implementation of the Bike/Ped Master Plan? Yes/No

6. Beyond approval of funding increases, are there any other specific steps you would be willing to take to implement the goals, policies and programs contained in the Bike/Ped Master Plan? Please explain (300 words or less).

I commit to learning more and getting involved. I commit to raising awareness and asking for staff support to help solve the problems in the response for question # 4.
The number of parents driving kids to school is no logical. I have seen well laid out school areas such as in San Ramon where students can ride their bikes to school on greenbelt areas. I would love to see -at minimum- greenbelts that offer paths for walkers and bikers to get to schools, transit areas like BART and parks safely.

7. As each of Pleasanton’s few remaining vacant areas are slated for development, City Council has the opportunity to require the developer to add bike lanes on adjoining streets (such as on Foothill Road, where shoulders are often narrow and dangerous). Yet such an action would require tradeoffs in allocation of funded improvements, and in recent history City Council has allowed new development to occur without requiring developers to fund bike access adjacent to the developed property. Would you commit to requiring developers to fund safe bike access adjacent to every new development in Pleasanton? Yes/No

8. Once completed, the Iron Horse Trail will provide for 40 miles of safe off-street walking and cycling from the Martinez shore to Livermore’s Robertson Park while weaving through two BART stations, yet two of the most glaring barriers to completion exist right here in Pleasanton. As a potential Council member, cyclists wish to know what action you would take to complete this future treasure:

Pleasanton’s northern ‘Iron Horse gap’ exists today as a straight line of undeveloped land amidst high-density properties and businesses in the Hacienda Business Park, problematically crossing existing motorways in-between current signal intersections. Would you support the addition of new signal lights in the Hacienda Business Park, to allow a new Iron Horse segment to run from BART to the Stoneridge/Santa Rita intersection? Yes/No

Near the northbound intersection of Stanley/Valley under the railway overcrossing, the southern ‘Iron Horse gap’ could be most emblematic of Pleasanton’s difficult tradeoffs between prioritization of motorized vs. healthy transportation choices. A 40-foot undeveloped gap prevents cyclists from safely and conveniently travelling from the southern portion of Pleasanton’s Iron Horse Trail to the other side of Stanley Boulevard. A steel barrier currently blocks access to developable land. The tradeoff between two available alternatives is the following, and we’d like to know which you would support:
o A) Today’s alternative requires northbound cyclists to lengthen their commute by up to four minutes via a detour, which requires that cyclists and pedestrians add three full three crosswalks to their route (note: many cycling commuters choose a more dangerous option to save time: sharing the narrow stretch of motorway underpass with cars and trucks).
o B) Requiring motorists on Stanley near Valley to encounter a potential slowing in travel due to the addition of the fourth crosswalk at this intersection,
Would you support allocating City funds and changing transportation priorities to remove the southern gap in Pleasanton’s Iron Horse trail? Yes/No

YES

9. Would you be willing to increase the frequency of street-sweeping in Pleasanton’s bike lanes, where debris scattered from motorways ends up? Yes/No

10. For generations, state, regional and even local policies have prioritized traffic flow and space for private motor vehicles, to the detriment of walking, bicycling and transit. Around the world, many cities are reversing this priority and using the following hierarchy in transportation planning; pedestrians first, then bicyclists, transit vehicles, and lastly private motor vehicles. If elected, will you support this priority hierarchy in Pleasanton? Yes/No

11. Every couple of years Pleasanton’s City Council identifies a few high-priority projects. Given the health benefits of cycling as a transportation alternative, would you be willing to call for adding at least one critical bicycling priority to the list of high-priority projects? (two possible examples: a) the two missing links in the East Bay’s Iron Horse Trail, or b) working with Dublin and various agencies to complete the bike/ped path under the 580/680 interchange) .

YES, we should complete the IHT as a priority.

12. Please respond to the following short questions:
a. Do you support a plan to move bike parking to more convenient and safe locations at schools, businesses and City offices? Yes/No YES.
b. Do you support working with schools to measurably increase student transportation via walking and bicycling, and ending the costly and unhealthy twice-a-day lines of idling motor vehicles in front of our schools? Yes/No YES
c. Do you support increasing local funding for bicycle projects? Yes/No YES
d. Do you support establishing an effective bicycling and pedestrian safety campaign in the City? Yes/No YES
e. Alameda County has started work on Sustainable Communities Strategies as part of SB 375, which requires the state of California to reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT). Do you support the goal of reducing the number of vehicle miles traveled in Pleasanton? Yes/No; YES
f. Would you be willing to spend a few hours one weekend “in the saddle” touring Pleasanton’s most challenging bicycle routes with a local bicycling advocate? Yes/No YES
g. Do you support removing on-street parking or motorist’s travel lanes if that’s what’s required to allow safe and convenient travel for cyclists? Yes/No
h. Do you support adding “sharrows” (lanes that are designed to have cyclists travel with cars, in the center) to existing motorway travel lanes (and signs that read “Bikes May Use Full Lane”) to indicate that cyclists are expected to use the full outside motorway lane on any motorway that doesn’t provide for safe bike access? Yes/No

13. What other ideas do you have to increase the number of people bicycling for transportation purposes in Pleasanton? (300 words or less).

See answer #4 plus, I think bicycling must consider safety first before launching sharrows or new routes. I taught my 3 daughters to bike at 5 years old, but I never let them bicycle around town, except on very restricted routes. I know two people that are very close to me that were seriously hurt when a vehicle did not see them, and the result were 2 very serious accidents. I would treat Pleasanton’s kids (and adults) like I would treat my own family, safety first, then bike all you want.

Jerry Thorne

1. In a typical month, how many times do you use a bicycle exclusively for transportation purposes and what places have you travelled to within Pleasanton by bike or foot? Please explain (300 words or less)

I enjoy the trail system a great deal, but I do not own a bicycle. I use the trails for exercise (walking). Since I am retired, I do not commute.

2. Please indicate how you most commonly commute to work. (i.e. single-occupant vehicle, carpool, mass transit such as BART or bus, walking, etc)

I am retired, but use BART to travel to points north (San Francisco, Oakland, etc.). As the immediate past Chairman of the Board of the Livermore Amador Valley Transit Authority, I also use “Wheels”. I enjoy walking for pleasure and exercise and use our trail system.

3. In comparison to similar cities, how bike-friendly do you believe Pleasanton to be? Please explain (300 words or less)
We are not where we need to be. The Iron Horse Trail needs to be completed and some of our streets are not wide enough to accommodate an appropriate bike path. I am open to suggestions on how to improve our situation in Pleasanton and look forward to a more rapid implementation of the Master Plan.

4. How would you describe your familiarity with the specific improvements called for within Pleasanton’s Bike/Pedestrian Master Plan? (Please select one: my understanding of the Bike/Ped Master Plan is strong/general/light/non-existent)

My understanding of the Bike/Ped Master Plan is strong.

5. At the current rate of implementation, the Bike/Ped Master Plan will take many years to implement. A current challenge is limited staff and financial resource to devote to Bike/Ped Master Plan implementation. Will you commit to increasing staffing and resources directed toward implementation of the Bike/Ped Master Plan? Yes/No

Yes, as resources become available. At the moment we are experiencing a severe down turn in the economy and we are not replacing staff as attrition takes place. We are down approximately 40 employees and the prospect for 2011 is not good for rebuilding staff.

6. Beyond approval of funding increases, are there any other specific steps you would be willing to take to implement the goals, policies and programs contained in the Bike/Ped Master Plan? Please explain (300 words or less)

I will commit to being personally involved in any activity that helps promote implementation of the Master Plan.

7. As each of Pleasanton’s few remaining vacant areas are slated for development, City Council has the opportunity to require the developer to add bike lanes on adjoining streets (such as on Foothill Road, where shoulders are often narrow and dangerous). Yet such an action would require tradeoffs in allocation of funded improvements, and in recent history City Council has allowed new development to occur without requiring developers to fund bike access adjacent to the developed property. Would you commit to requiring developers to fund safe bike access adjacent to every new development in Pleasanton? Yes/No

Yes

8. Once completed, the Iron Horse Trail will provide for 40 miles of safe off-street walking and cycling from the Martinez shore to Livermore’s Robertson Park while weaving through two BART stations, yet two of the most glaring barriers to completion exist right here in Pleasanton. As a potential Council member, cyclists wish to know what action you would take to complete this future treasure:

Pleasanton’s northern ‘Iron Horse gap’ exists today as a straight line of undeveloped land amidst high-density properties and businesses in the Hacienda Business Park, problematically crossing existing motorways in-between current signal intersections. Would you support the addition of new signal lights in the Hacienda Business Park, to allow a new Iron Horse segment to run from BART to the Stoneridge/Santa Rita intersection? Yes/No

Yes

Near the northbound intersection of Stanley/Valley under the railway overcrossing, the southern ‘Iron Horse gap’ could be most emblematic of Pleasanton’s difficult tradeoffs between prioritization of motorized vs. healthy transportation choices. A 40-foot undeveloped gap prevents cyclists from safely and conveniently travelling from the southern portion of Pleasanton’s Iron Horse Trail to the other side of Stanley Boulevard. A steel barrier currently blocks access to developable land. The tradeoff between two available alternatives is the following, and we’d like to know which you would support:

A) Today’s alternative requires northbound cyclists to lengthen their commute by up to four minutes via a detour, which requires that cyclists and pedestrians add three full three crosswalks to their route (note: many cycling commuters choose a more dangerous option to save time: sharing the narrow stretch of motorway underpass with cars and trucks).
B) Requiring motorists on Stanley near Valley to encounter a potential slowing in travel due to the addition of the fourth crosswalk at this intersection,

Would you support allocating City funds and changing transportation priorities to remove the southern gap in Pleasanton’s Iron Horse trail? Yes/No

Yes as funds become available or we have the opportunity to require it as a condition for a development.

9. Would you be willing to increase the frequency of street-sweeping in Pleasanton’s bike lanes, where debris scattered from motorways ends up? Yes/No

Yes, this seems to be a common complaint that I get when talking to folks who use our bike paths. I have noted myself that some are not maintained well.

10. For generations, state, regional and even local policies have prioritized traffic flow and space for private motor vehicles, to the detriment of walking, bicycling and transit. Around the world, many cities are reversing this priority and using the following hierarchy in transportation planning; pedestrians first, then bicyclists, transit vehicles, and lastly private motor vehicles. If elected, will you support this priority hierarchy in Pleasanton? Yes/No

Yes, I think this would be a good priority guideline, but each situation would need to be evaluated based on a safety first agenda. There could be other needs that would cause a shift in priority, but at the moment safety is the only one that comes to mind.

11. Every couple of years Pleasanton’s City Council identifies a few high-priority projects. Given the health benefits of cycling as a transportation alternative, would you be willing to call for adding at least one critical bicycling priority to the list of high-priority projects? (two possible examples: a) the two missing links in the East Bay’s Iron Horse Trail, or b) working with Dublin and various agencies to complete the bike/ped path under the 580/680 interchange)

Yes

12. Please respond to the following short questions:

Do you support a plan to move bike parking to more convenient and safe locations at schools, businesses and City offices? Yes/No

Yes

Do you support working with schools to measurably increase student transportation via walking and bicycling, and ending the costly and unhealthy twice-a-day lines of idling motor vehicles in front of our schools? Yes/No

Yes, as President of the PUSD/City Council Liaison Committee I will be willing to agendize this issue for discussion and invite some of you to attend.

Do you support increasing local funding for bicycle projects? Yes/No

Yes, as the revenues of the City improve I think critical positions such as Police and Fire will take priority, but bicycle projects could enjoy a higher level of priority for P&R project approval.

Do you support establishing an effective bicycling and pedestrian safety campaign in the City? Yes/No

Yes, I think this should have a high priority.

Alameda County has started work on Sustainable Communities Strategies as part of SB 375, which requires the state of California to reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT). Do you support the goal of reducing the number of vehicle miles traveled in Pleasanton? Yes/No;

Yes

Would you be willing to spend a few hours one weekend “in the saddle” touring Pleasanton’s most challenging bicycle routes with a local bicycling advocate? Yes/No Yes, but you should be aware that I am not an experienced bicycler.
Do you support removing on-street parking or motorist’s travel lanes if that’s what’s required to allow safe and convenient travel for cyclists? Yes/No

This would need to be reviewed on a case by case basis with overall safety of all modes of transportation in mind.

Do you support adding “sharrows” (lanes that are designed to have cyclists travel with cars, in the center) to existing motorway travel lanes (and signs that read “Bikes May Use Full Lane”) to indicate that cyclists are expected to use the full outside motorway lane on any motorway that doesn’t provide for safe bike access? Yes/No

This is not something that I have had a chance to look at, but I will be willing to consider any improvements that might be feasible and safe.

13. What other ideas do you have to increase the number of people bicycling for transportation purposes in Pleasanton? (300 words or less)

In addition to the normal forms of advertising I have found that providing incentives works best. We could brain storm what kind of incentives might work among the biking community. Also, providing better and safer paths for bikes should provide some incentive for those who do not bike now.