As a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, the Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition cannot endorse candidates for public office, but we are able to share information so that you can arrive at your own conclusion. Below are Santa Rosa City Council candidates’ responses to our questionnaire on bicycling in Sonoma County. Thanks to the candidates for their time and thoughtful answers!
NOTE: None of these candidates are members of SCBC.
EDDIE ALVAREZ, District 1
Do you ride a bicycle in Sonoma County for transportation or recreation? How would you characterize the experience of cycling here? I’ve been riding bikes in Santa Rosa for over 40 years if not longer. It is frustrating at times. The way the city is designed has made bike transit difficult. For example the trail entrance north of Aroma Roasters, crossing College, Llano towards Sebastopol are a few of the areas that need major improvements. As the city plans to incorporate un annexed areas will add to connectivity issues. Mainly East to West issues. I would love to see more resources put towards Roseland Creek, Santa Rosa Creek, Colgan Creek and how we can responsibly unite them through safe street travel from one to the other.
What are your community’s/Sonoma County’s biggest transportation challenges, and how does bicycling fit into your vision of future development? State of California has said that new development need not provide parking. The challenge of not having parking creates opportunity. We are increasing public transit for those that require it, and as The City of Santa Rosa we continue to promote alternative modes of transportation while creating housing where services are near the resident making auto usage obsolete.
If elected, what will you do to improve cycling safety and encourage more people in the county to ride? I’ve already won as I’m running unopposed, but that doesn’t mean I’ll be pedaling any easier. I continue to ride my bike. We must lead by example.
Our visions and goals are often tempered by available budgets, staff time and public focus. How will you seek to balance improving bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure and safety with your other policy priorities? We must look at the overall picture. Make the best solution the easiest. For me that means building communities with their needs within walking distance.
Are there any specific projects in your jurisdiction – either planned or imagined – that you are particularly excited to see implemented? Yes, Moorland has yet to be annexed, S. Wright Road is about to blow up. We must design with connectivity in mind; be proactive. We have the old airport right in the middle. What happens there is imperative to all future plans with respect to pedestrian and bike usage… unless you have never tried to pedal down Ludwig from Stony Point. It is an absolute nightmare.
JANICE KARRMAN, District 3
DIANNA MACDONALD, District 3
Do you ride a bicycle in Sonoma County for transportation or recreation? How would you characterize the experience of cycling here? I just bought myself my first new bike in 30 years two weeks ago! I will be using it for recreation. For me I have little to no experience so far. However, I have been very committed to seeing the City of Santa Rosa Vision Zero Plan implemented, as well as the continued changes needed in our infrastructure to support pedestrian and bicycle safety. I will continue to be an advocate for these safety improvements.
What are your community’s/Sonoma County’s biggest transportation challenges, and how does bicycling fit into your vision of future development? I think the biggest transportation challenge we have is the money needed to do the engineering and infrastructure for our roads and pathways. While we are committed to seeing our roads be more bikeable and walkable, we have moved slower than I would like due to budget constraints. As we renew streets, I am supportive and will continue to be a voice toward making sure we have protected bike lanes and sensible safety features in our city.
If elected, what will you do to improve cycling safety and encourage more people in the county to ride? I have been committed to this for the past three years and plan to continue to be. I am supportive of the bike and pedestrian overpass to connect the west side to our downtown. I am meeting with a group of parents that are committed to safe routes to school in my district. As we redesign Calistoga Road, I have asked our Director of Transportation to meet with all of us to ensure we design a road that encourages bicycling and walking to school. In addition, I have worked on two other areas in my district to have lighted cross walks installed, and one is completed. We are also working on an EVA in Oakmont to encourage biking and hope to create a bike path from our newly acquired (almost) Southeast Greenway to Sonoma. I have worked with the new developer to encourage a bike path through the new subdivision out to a path along HWY 12. I would love to see this path go all the way to Sonoma eventually!
Our visions and goals are often tempered by available budgets, staff time and public focus. How will you seek to balance improving bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure and safety with your other policy priorities? I think we have seen the current council’s commitment to continuing to support safe biking as we repave our streets. We have seen the biggest shift to the downtown area in many years. Sometimes this causes complaints because we have fewer lanes. Our new Director of Transportation has recently done two presentations on our focus of designing our roads with the commitment to a more bikeable Santa Rosa.
Are there any specific projects in your jurisdiction – either planned or imagined – that you are particularly excited to see implemented? Yes, the new design for Calistoga Road, the EVA in Oakmont to help with connectivity and the potential of a bike path along HWY 12 all the way to Sonoma eventually. In addition, I would like to do all we can to help connect the Southeast Greenway to the greater city transportation infrastructure. I am extremely supportive of crosswalks, including the safety HAWK crosswalks, and Safe Routes to School projects to support biking and walking to school.
CAROLINE BAÑUELOS, District 5
JEREMY NEWTON, District 5
Do you ride a bicycle in Sonoma County for transportation or recreation? How would you characterize the experience of cycling here? I ride both a mountain bike and a road cycling bike for recreation. I sometimes use the mountain bike for transportation, but mostly around the downtown area. When I do ride for transportation it’s usually on residential streets, so the experience is easy and relaxing. However, I have had conversations with others who bike more often for transportation, particularly representatives from the Bikeable Santa Rosa group, who state that the experience can be more tenuous at times when traveling longer distances on busier roads.
What are your community’s/Sonoma County’s biggest transportation challenges, and how does bicycling fit into your vision of future development? One of the main challenges I see is the need to build a dense residential environment, specifically in the Downtown/Railroad Square area, that is less dependent on cars and, as a result, parking. My vision is for more housing and businesses in these areas that are connecting to and supported by alternative forms of transportation. I would encourage the use of shared scooters, electric trollies, and safe bike and pedestrian corridors that allow potential residents in these areas to safely and conveniently access our broader bus and SMART transportation systems.
If elected, what will you do to improve cycling safety and encourage more people in the county to ride? Education is a big part of improving cycling safety and use for people in this area. I have seen information presented by biking advocates that helped me understand the dangers faced by those who ride for transportation and what we can do to mitigate them. I am also a supporter of the protected bike lanes that have gone up on some of the busier roads in Santa Rosa recently, and would encourage more projects like these if elected.
Our visions and goals are often tempered by available budgets, staff time and public focus. How will you seek to balance improving bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure and safety with your other policy priorities? The district I am running to represent includes the Downtown and Railroad Square areas of Santa Rosa, so any efforts to improve bicycle and pedestrian safety within these areas will align with my broader goals of a dense, economically viable downtown that is connected to alternate forms of transportation.
Are there any specific projects in your jurisdiction – either planned or imagined – that you are particularly excited to see implemented? Completing a pedestrian and bicycle crossing at Jennings Ave near Coddingtown Mall, safely connecting the residents on the West side of the train tracks there with the mall and the SMART trail on the East side, will be a top priority for me. A project like this goes to the essence of what we need to accomplish in order to create a safe, connected transportation environment in Santa Rosa.