Bike the Vote! Election Guide
Election Day is May 14th, but early voting is going on now (every day!) and lasts till Tuesday, May 10th. See our previous post on early voting information, and join us to bike the vote!
About the Candidates
While we are not going to tell you who to vote for or endorse specific candidates, we will provide a summary of what they have said about the proposed hike and bike plan, including this (poorly shot, apologies) video of them responding to a question about it at the Young Men for Arlington Candidates Panel on April 5.
Mayor
- watch answers from all candidates
- Robert Cluck: feels the plan needs more analysis. Mentions that parks are an appropriate place to ride a bike. Noncommittal.
- Carl Scrivner: does not support on-street bike lanes. Against.
- watch answers from all candidates
- Gene Patrick: feels that Thoroughfare Development Plan should not be coupled with hike and bike plan. Noncommittal.
- Chris Dobson: supports hike and bike plan. In Support.
- watch answers from two candidates
- Robert Rivera: looking forward to analyzing plan more, and does have some questions about plan. Noncommittal (in our view, but also reportedly against current form)
- Zack Maxwell: adamantly against road diets and the proposed hike and bike plan “in its current form.” Has many facts wrong, claiming that 36 streets are slated for road diets in the plan, when in fact only 14 street segments have proposed road diets. Against.
- Marvin Sutton: could support bike lanes. In support, but with limited evidence.
- watch answers from all candidates
- Kathryn Wilemon: acknowledges that “alternative modes of transportation will probably be used in the future” and that “planning for the future is a top priority.” A member of the council subcommittee that is studying the plan further, she notes that there is room for compromise for the plan. Noncommittal.
- Kelly Canon: outright against the proposed thoroughfare plan. Has many of the facts wrong, claiming that over 200 miles of streets in Arlington will lose travel lanes for cars, when in fact only 28 miles of lane reductions are proposed in the plan. Believes “vehicles and bicycles do not mix on one road.” Against.
- watch answers from all candidates
- Lana Wolff: says staff put a lot in the plan and that it is up to the Council to dissect the plan and come up with a reasonable plan. Added that if a neighborhood wants a bike lane they should go through the same process for a neighborhood that wants a speed bump. Noncommittal.
- Terry Meza: says she can support a plan around UTA and that connects students to downtown. Sees need in parks. Against plan in current form.
- Christopher McCain: has some concerns, but supports the plan. In Support.
- Julie M. Douglas: feels the hike and bike plan is a waste of money, that very few people will use the proposed facilities, and that on-street bike lanes are “an accident waiting to happen.” Against.
- Chris Hightower: feels that a bike plan that centers around downtown and UTA and builds outward from there will be more effective than a spread out, not-fully-connected system. Against plan in current form.
More Info
The City’s secretary has ballot and finance information here. You can learn about all the candidates through the Chamber of Commerce’s website: VoteforArlington.com. The League of Women Voters has a good candidate handout (PDF).
And here are some news articles that can inform you on the positions of various candidates and what they’ve said at public forums:
Star Telegram: Citywide article 1, Citywide article 2, and Mayor.
Arlington Citizen Journal: District 3, District 4, District 5, and District 8
The Shorthorn: District 5 article 1 and, District 5 article 2
What’s my district?
Everyone has a specific district they live in and some of those districts’ council positions are up for a vote this year: Districts 3, 5, and 4. There are also council members that represent the city as a whole. The “at-large” positions to vote on this election are The Mayor and District 8. Here is a district map. The online version, including the incumbents can be found on the city’s webpage here.
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[...] to “Bike the Vote” this election season. We’ve posted about where to go for early voting, but we’ve also created a voting guide summarizing the candidates positions regarding the Hike & Bike Plan. The voting guide pulls [...]
[...] Vote this Saturday, but also Write the subcommittee and CC: the rest of the Council. Tell them how you feel about the two plans. Let them know that Plan “B” is a false compromise and a step backward. Pacifying the opposition with a scaled back plan is not the answer to Arlington’s walking and bicycling issues. To e-mail, just copy and paste: [...]