My suggestion for reading the candidates’ answers is to use the categories. I’ve created categories for each race, so by clicking the category links, you should be able to see the responses of people running against each other side by side.

DISCLAIMER: B-TOP is a project of the Center for Sustainable Living, and as such, a 501(c)3 organization. We cannot and do not endorse or oppose any specific candidates. The statements posted here were provided by the candidates themselves, and have been posted with no editing (except that, where candidates didn’t include them in their responses, I’m going to paste in a copy of the questions, for reference). We sent the same set of questions to all candidates registered for both parties in the primary for the Mayor, Common Council, and Town Council races, and have posted or will post all answers received. Any B-TOP members who voice an opinion on the election are speaking as individuals, and not for B-TOP.

I conscientiously believe that a set of questions was mailed to the home address of each candidate, but if you believe there were any errors, please contact info@b-top.org. Feel free to email questions and comments to this address as well. Also, please note that additional responses will be added up to the primary election on May 3 if I receive any more.

Elizabeth Venstra, voter guide committee chair

> 1. What do you think is the most important transportation change Bloomington/Ellettsville can make over the coming decade? Why?

Local rail. A downtown streetcar circulator line is cheaper to operate than any other kind of motor vehicle (being electric), is very inexpensive to install into our street grid, and is appealing to choice riders. With one, we could eliminate further municipal investment in structured parking — we aren’t maximizing the use of what we have now — and create the core of a system that could be extended eventually to all parts of town, replacing less efficient rubber-wheeled vehicles. A side benefit: property values along every route with a permanently-installed mass transit line have been shown to increase substantially, up to several blocks away from the line.

> 2. To this end, what are the concrete actions you will take during your term, if elected?

Seek federal funding for the appropriate study for a streetcar line.

> 3. For several years, a proposal to consolidate Bloomington Transit (BT) and IU Campus Bus has been discussed in our community. This move has the potential to bring additional funding on the order of approximately $2 million per year to our community for transit. Do you think Bloomington should actively encourage the bus merger, and if so, what would you do to move it forward?

Yes. I would expand the BT board to seven members (the maximum allowable by state law), in anticipation of the merger, in which BT currently proposes to give naming privileges for three seats of a seven-member board to IU. I would also promote phasing in the merger over a period of several years, so that potential intervenors (other cities losing PMTF money) would have less reason to object.

> 4. How can we accelerate implementation of alternative transportation projects that have been proposed, but not moved forward?

Form a slate of standing Council committees, and make sure that one is devoted just to Transportation. The city administration does not currently have a Department of Transportation, instead splitting up those areas of interest among BT, Planning and Public Works. Short of overhauling City Hall, a Council Standing Committee on Transportation is the best way to bring attention to the 2002 Growth Policies Plan’s call for mitigating motor vehicle miles traveled and making other forms of transport equal to the car.

> 5. What’s the next step to encourage bicycle use on a daily basis?

Make it more attractive an option than driving, by requiring covered bike parking in all new construction and retrofitting such parking where possible (in privileged spaces in parking lots, for example).

> 6. What mode(s) of transportation do you use for your daily or weekly routine? How often do you use modes other than a car?

Eleven years ago I purposely moved to an apartment overlooking the Courthouse Square, even though it was more expensive than housing further away from the city center, because I wanted to not need to use my car all the time. The same year I took an office for my business on the other end of the Courthouse Square from my apartment. During three of the intervening years, I did not own a car at all, borrowing or renting one as necessary.

The car I own now I use primarily for long-distance travel to visit family, or for errands around town that cannot be done otherwise. I would say I use it 2-3 times a week. I do not own a bicycle. I use the bus about once a month. For most of my daily needs, I simply walk.

# # #

[1. What do you think is the most important transportation change Bloomington/Ellettsville can make over the coming decade? Why?

2. To this end, what are the concrete actions you will take during your term, if elected?

3. For several years, a proposal to consolidate Bloomington Transit (BT) and IU Campus Bus has been discussed in our community. This move has the potential to bring additional funding on the order of approximately $2 million per year to our community for transit. Do you think Bloomington should actively encourage the bus merger, and if so, what would you do to move it forward?

4. How can we accelerate implementation of alternative transportation projects that have been proposed, but not moved forward?

5. What’s the next step to encourage bicycle use on a daily basis?

6. What mode(s) of transportation do you use for your daily or weekly routine? How often do you use modes other than a car?]

1) When I visit Portland, it is a pleasure to walk for access to transit whether bus or light rail.
One can go carless in Portland without effort, unlike our metropolitan area. The increase in public transportation will inevitably come to Bloomington and Ellettsville. It is a question of “when”
rather than” if”.

2) The council addresses issues one at a time. I will continue to weigh each proposal on its merits and act in the best interest of our community.

3) I completely support the BT / IU consolidation and have talked with BT head, Mr. May, about this.
His board is also in support and this is a matter of negotiations with IU. Knowing that elected representatives are supportive is useful to Mr. May and IU as well.

4) Funding for trails is an ongoing issue. Having our goals clearly in place and patiently moving in the right direction is how everything gets done. We simply must do our best to do all we can in this area.

5) I have supported increased bike parking in new construction and we could use more of it at most venues.
The proposal to build the east / west bike boulevard is something that I support and look forward to seeing built.
The Platinum Bike Task Force is also something I support.

6) I live close to downtown so I walk downtown and I walk to council meetings and market and Bloomingfoods and downtown restaurants and Cardinal Stage productions and Buskirk Chumley events to name a few. I love to spend the weekend carless, but as a construction worker with aging parents and in-laws, I know that not everyone can ride a bike or use one in his daily business.

Members of Bloomington Transportation Operations for People,

My answers to your transportation survey are included below. Please feel free to contact me at kc@bakerforbloomington.com or at (317) 626-0241 if you have follow-up questions, or if you or your membership would like me to elaborate!

Best regards,
Kristopher “KC” Baker
District One Candidate for Bloomington City Council

1. What do you think is the most important transportation change Bloomington/Ellettsville can make over the coming decade? Why?

I think that Bloomington and Elletsville, working with the county, need to develop a comprehensive transportation plan. The plan needs to take into account community growth, existing transportation patterns, and the need for increasing access to alternative modes of transportation. Transportation and infrastructure projects need to be evaluated as to how they fit into the plan, and the plan needs to be revisited regularly, a “living document” that responds to the changing nature of our city and county.

More specifically, I support a “complete streets” approach that makes the existing transportation infrastructure safely available for a wide variety of uses and use types. Put simply, let’s make the roads we have work better for the people of our community. This requires a smart look a traffic flow for all types of users – buses, bicycles, cars, delivery trucks, and last but not least, pedestrians.

2. To this end, what are the concrete actions you will take during your term, if elected?

As a city council member, I would take the lead on developing a comprehensive transportation plan. I would call for the establishment of a working group – made up of residents and officials from Ellettsville, from Bloomington, and from the county – to undertake a study of our existing transportation system, the ways in which that systems meets and fails to meet the needs of residents and visitors, and how we can bridge the gap. I would require transportation projects subject to city review to include an assessment of how they fit into such a plan, once developed.

3. For several years, a proposal to consolidate Bloomington Transit (BT) and IU Campus Bus has been discussed in our community. This move has the potential to bring additional funding on the order of approximately $2 million per year to our community for transit. Do you think Bloomington should actively encourage the bus merger, and if so, what would you do to move it forward?

The prospect of additional transit funding is encouraging, and I would welcome any proposal that brings more money for transportation into our community. However, the history and nature of these two organizations means that the issue of a merger is a complicated one. If nothing else, the value of two competing organizations acting as models for one another may have benefits that outweigh consolidation. Additionally, it is possible that two organizations lobbying the state for funding can command a larger total pie than one organization. As a member of the Bloomington City Council – and as a candidate – I will study this issue, trying to understand the reasons for consolidation and the reason why the two organizations have not merged in the past.

4. How can we accelerate implementation of alternative transportation projects that have been proposed but not moved forward?

The best argument for alternative transportation is that alternatives can be a “win” for everyone, car drivers as well as those who use alternative transportation means. Where alternative transportation projects make sense, they should be implemented. I view my role as a member of the city council as requiring me to examine a variety of ideas and viewpoints, and to champion those ideas that provide the best quality of life in the fairest way for all of our citizens. I think one of the failings of the existing city council is their unwillingness to look at alternative viewpoints, and that includes the adoption of novel ideas in transportation. I certainly welcome the opportunity to look at those ideas, and to use my position on the Council to advocate for novel ideas that benefit us all – and that includes alternative transportation.

5. What’s the next step to encourage bicycle use on a daily basis?

In terms of what city government can do, I think that the key issues with regard to bicycle use are safety and accessibility. Both can be addressed by developing a common-sense bicycle route system that actually gets bicyclists from where they are to where they need to be. These routes can use secondary streets so as not to impede existing traffic flows, but where primary streets make the most sense for dual-use, bicycle lane striping, lower speed limits, and clear signage – particularly at intersections – for motorists and bicyclists will help to make cycling more accessible and more safe.

6. What mode(s) of transportation do you use for your daily or weekly routine? How often do you use modes other than a car?

I am an avid bicyclist. As a graduate student at IU, I’m required to be on campus four or five days a week, and I commute almost exclusively by bicycle, including through the winter and on bad-weather days. My route is approximately ten miles round-trip, primarily on Rogers Street between Second Street and Rockport Road to the southwest side, where I live. Rogers is a perfect example of my bicycle route proposal outlined above: it has an excellent bicycle path between Rockport and Patterson/Grimes, but no marked lanes or paths to the north or south, despite the fact that it is the only true north/south corridor west of College/Walnut and a necessary route for bicyclists from my part of town.

The biggest challenge of the coming decade will be reducing the number of vehicle miles traveled in the area. Doing this will require a number of things – more walking, biking, public transportation and car-pooling, as well as smarter, transit-oriented development and neighborhood retail. What these various options all have in coming, though, is that they will each help enhance the quality of life for our city and the surrounding area.

2. To this end, what are the concrete actions you will take during your term, if elected?

I would like the City of Bloomington to become much more aggressive in pursuing a “complete streets” approach to our transportation infrastructure. In addition, we must do more to stripe additional bike lanes and improve a sidewalk system that still leaves portions of our city isolated and underserved.  And we must push for transit-oriented development, when development is appropriate.

I also will be a vocal advocate for the consolidation of our two major bus systems, and will use all of the resources available in the Mayor’s Office to encourage ride sharing and car pooling in our community.

I would focus on helping to foster a long-term vision for Bloomington’s infrastructure, including neighborhood retail options and, perhaps most critically, working to assist Bloomington Hospital create a downtown health campus that will continue to provide a substantial walkable, bikeable downtown healthcare option.

3. For several years, a proposal to consolidate Bloomington Transit (BT) and IU Campus Bus has been discussed in our community. This move has the potential to bring additional funding on the order of approximately $2 million per year to our community for transit. Do you think Bloomington should actively encourage the bus merger, and if so, what would you do to move it forward?

Yes. I believe the Mayor has a unique role to play in this process as a leader, mediator and convener. I would bring together all of the
stakeholders in this discussion for a substantive, public discussion about what is best for our city and for future generations of residents – both students and long-term.

4. How can we accelerate implementation of alternative transportation projects that have been proposed, but not moved forward?

When I was Chair of the Bloomington Commission on Sustainability, we, along with the Environmental Commission, proposed to Mayor Kruzan a regional transportation summit that would convene all of the major players in our area to talk about our mutual challenges and goals. Unfortunately, although the Mayor indicated support, he never took steps to make it happen. I believe such a meeting would be a useful first step in helping to create the kind of regional unity and collaborative atmosphere we need to accelerate local projects and maximize the potential for state and federal funding.

5. What’s the next step to encourage bicycle use on a daily basis?

As I have mentioned, I am dedicated to pursuing a bicycle strategy
centered around complete streets, and this would be a critical component of my administration’s strategy to encouraging bicycle use on a daily basis. I think that the Platinum designation is within reach for Bloomington, and we should be doing all we can to bring the community together around this attainable and admirable goal. I also think there are practical things we could be doing right now to move us forward, including a more aggressive street-striping strategy.  I also look forward to learning more about the most
successful strategies from around the country, and how we can import them to Bloomington.

6. What mode(s) of transportation do you use for your daily or weekly routine? How often do you use modes other than a car?

I walk frequently to work, church, the doctor, dentist, campus for all kinds of events, and to recreation with my kids. My wife also walks daily to work, and our whole family enjoys bicycling. Our four-person family – two adults and two active boys ages 14 and 12 – has owned only one vehicle for the last five years. We have averaged fewer than 8,000 miles a year, including our family vacations.

Opens Tuesday April 5, with the hours for that day and the remainder of the month as follows.

T – F 10 AM to 6 PM

Saturdays 9 AM to 4 PM

Closed Friday April 22, 2011 in observance of Good Friday

Final Day will be Monday May 2 from 8 AM until NOON only.

Location:

The Curry Building Atrium

214 W 7th Street

Bloomington Indiana 47404

812.349.2612

[1.      What do you think is the most important transportation change Bloomington/Ellettsville can make over the coming decade?  Why?

2.      To this end, what are the concrete actions you will take during your term, if elected?

3.      For several years, a proposal to consolidate Bloomington Transit (BT) and IU Campus Bus has been discussed in our community.  This move has the potential to bring additional funding on the order of approximately $2 million per year to our community for transit.  Do you think Bloomington should actively encourage the bus merger, and if so, what would you do to move it forward?

4.      How can we accelerate implementation of alternative transportation projects that have been proposed, but not moved forward?

5.      What’s the next step to encourage bicycle use on a daily basis?

6.      What mode(s) of transportation do you use for your daily or weekly routine?  How often do you use modes other than a car?]

1. The most important change would be to moderate population growth in the County, so that we can increase green space, room for pedestrian and bicycle trails on our streets, and preserve the amenity, safety, and quiet of our towns.

2. I would reject tax abatements for new residential projects and ask IU to stop expanding its growth in the County.  These projects bring more cars to our overcrowded streets.
Meanwhile, we can better use the existing but underutilized path on the south side of Third Street (in my District #3), by painting a red line down the center.  Right for bikes, left for walkers.  We should do this very inexpensive thing to demonstrate increased usage before spending large amounts on new facilities in our neighborhood.  As for other districts, I am listening to their representatives.

3. At present I do not see the reason for giving priority to $2 million for this merger.  We have higher priorities for our limited capital funds: sidewalks, bike paths, plantings.

4. If more people will demand and be willing to pay for alternative transportation projects, our City Council will respond, and so would I.

5. Disallow City employees and downtown businesses to park on City streets for more than two hours by requiring garage parking for commuters from outside the City.  When local people have to walk several blocks to their offices, they will consider bicycles in fair weather.  Though more shoppers will be attracted to the downtown area, they will not have to
drive around looking for temporary parking.

6. I use an automobile to Indianapolis or when I have substantial loads; otherwise, I walk to the bus top within Bloomington.  I use my bicycles for recreation.

1)      What do you think is the most important change Bloomington can make over the coming decade?  Why?

The merger of Bloomington Transit and IU Bus Service is the most important change our community can make regarding public transportation.

Why?  Currently, Bloomington ranks 2^nd behind Indianapolis in total number of rides per year – yet received only a fraction of the dollars due to the operation of two independent bus services in our community.

The $2 million+ we fail to receive because of dual services will likely be exacerbated by budget cuts going proposed in the Indiana State Legislature.  Currently, the Indiana Legislature and Governor Daniels would cut support for alternative transportation by 15% — and this is compounded because federal dollars are tied to state support.

In the current budgetary climate, how can we best ensure Bloomington-based bus services can remain vibrant, effective, and efficient?  The logical step is a merger that finds efficiencies, effectiveness, and improved services for our entire community.

2)      To this end, what are the concrete actions you will take during your term, if elected?

It all starts with getting the involved parties to the table to discuss the possibilities of a merger.  Recently, the merger was said to be dead – but the funding situation should motivate IU and the City of Bloomington to initiate the conversation again.

And honestly, I hope my concrete actions will be focused elsewhere – because the conversation between IU and Bloomington should restart this summer (well before the general election in November).  If discussions haven’t started, I would begin working with City Council colleagues and the Mayor’s Office to formulate a strategy that incents Bloomington Transit and IU Bus Service to initiate the discussions.

3)      Do you think Bloomington should actively encourage the bus merger, and if so, what would you do to move it forward?  See above.

4)      How do we accelerate implementation of alternative transportation projects that have been proposed, but not moved forward?

The key will always be budgeting priorities and the availability of funds.  With local government under assault from state and federal levels, the competition for grant dollars supporting alternative transportation will be steep.  Bloomington must always look for creative funding streams to make any infrastructure improvements possible.

5)      What’s the next step to encourage bicycle use on a daily basis?

The next step is increasing the overall connectivity of bike paths/lanes throughout Bloomington & Monroe County – but in a way that creates clear improvement in bike/pedestrian safety  If the average Bloomingtonian doesn’t feel safe on the bike, they will not ride..

6)      What mode(s) of transportation do you use for your daily or weekly routine?  How often do you use modes other than a car?

My primary mode of transportation has been my car – as my wife and I lived in The Stands and where we were raising our two children over the past 12 years.  As you know, the connection of southeast Bloomington with Bike trails and safe cyclist roadways is nonexistent (another priority is to increase that connectivity).   In January we moved to the Bryan Park Neighborhood and are downsizing our lives now that we are “empty nesters.”  This includes increasing the frequency of walking to work and into town.

Gary Charbonneau

Candidate for Bloomington City Council, District 3

1. What do you think is the most important transportation change Bloomington/Ellettsville can make over the coming decade?  Why?

The most important change is to continue to make the policy transition from “making it easier to getting around by automobile (which has been our modus operandi for generations), to “making it easier to get around without an automobile.”  This will require action on several fronts, not just one.

Global production of conventional petroleum has been on a plateau since about 2005.  I do not think that it can remain on that plateau for very much longer.  In fact, I think it is more likely than not that production will begin to decline before the end of the upcoming Bloomington City Council term in 2015.  The decline rate thereafter could, I think, average something like 2% per year.  I won’t venture to speculate on what will happen to the price of gasoline at that point, except to say (1) that it will fluctuate wildly, and (2) as long as we remain in a free market for oil products, at any given time it will be high enough to prevent outright shortages.   All this will have an inevitable impact on the amount of automobile traffic in Bloomington.

There is no doubt in my mind that most people will cling to the comfort and convenience of driving for as long as they can (by, for example, purchasing more fuel efficient vehicles or vehicles running on alternative fuels).  Nevertheless, I would not be surprised to see the beginning of a decline in per capita miles driven in Monroe County on the order of about 1% per year (i.e., about half the decline rate in global oil production).  Such a decline is even more likely if the macroeconomic environment remains poor or deteriorates further, something else I think is not unlikely.  What this means is that I would expect to see Bloomington’s traffic problems slowly begin to disappear as there are fewer cars on the street at any one time.  I would also expect that some people who now drive, especially those on the lowest rung of the economic ladder, will be forced to give up their cars altogether.  This means that our parking problems could slowly begin to disappear as well.

2. To this end, what are the concrete actions you will take during you term, if elected?

My campaign emphasizes a number of issues related to transportation.

First and foremost, I would like to see a significant improvement in the sidewalk infrastructure in my district.  Many neighborhoods in the district were obviously developed without any requirement for putting in sidewalks.  As result, in many places it is very difficult to walk anywhere without having to walk in the street at least part of the time.  Even if everyone doesn’t buy the argument that we are going to be forced to move gradually away from the automobile because of scarce and high-priced fuel, I would hope that we could at least develop a consensus that a build-out of sidewalks is necessary to avoid a safety hazard.  My policy would not be to try to force sidewalks on neighborhoods that don’t want them, but to give priority to the neighborhoods that do.  There is no practical likelihood of the City having the funds to install sidewalks in all the places where they don’t exist anyway, except over a period of many years.

Second, I am in favor of continuing to move forward towards making Bloomington a bicycle-friendly city, and in particular towards increasing the number of bicycle corridors across town.

Third, I would like to see Bloomington Transit investigate the possibility of using buses powered by natural gas instead of diesel fuel.  Natural gas buses are widely used in other cities, and this is a well-established technology.  The reason I suggest this is because I think that natural gas will probably be a significantly cheaper fuel than diesel fuel for many years, so this option could be more economical in the long run.  However, I fully understand that this would require a significant capital investment up front in a natural gas fueling facility, although that could serve City vehicles as well as BT.  In addition, natural gas buses could presumably only be phased in gradually as part of the regular fleet replacement cycle.  Over the very long run, the City could produce its own methane to power the buses (natural gas is basically methane) if it had a properly-designed local landfill, which it currently does not.  Otherwise landfill methane is not just a wasted resource, it’s a significant global environmental hazard because methane is a far more potent greenhouse gas than CO₂.  I think that keeping the bus fleet running with locally-produced methane would be a more feasible option than trying to keep it running with locally-produced biodiesel.

3. For several years, a proposal to consolidate Bloomington Transit (BT) and IU Campus Bus has been discussed in our community.  This move has the potential to bring additional funding on the order of approximately $2 million per year to our community for transit.  Do you think Bloomington should actively encourage the bus merger, and if so, what would you do to move it forward?

Should Bloomington actively encourage the merger?  Certainly – an additional $2 million in funding is nothing to sneeze at.  What would I do to move it forward?  I wish I had a good answer to that.  I have the sense that the reason why a merger hasn’t already occurred is not because BT has been unwilling, but because IU has been unwilling.  The merger is not going to occur unless and until IU is on board with it.  I don’t pretend to know what steps, if any, the City can take to bring them on board.

4. How can we accelerate implementation of alternate transportation projects that have been proposed, but not moved forward?

Well, it’s going to take money, and the money has to come from somewhere.  We not only need to reconsider our local priorities, but we need to press forward vigorously in trying to obtain additional funding from state and federal sources.  In the latter regard we are hindered by the fact that the present state government is clearly committed to the old paradigm of building more and more roads to support more and more cars, refusing to recognize that this is a paradigm that has become obsolete.  I did a back-of-the-envelope calculation and determined that the money now being spent on the SR 45/46 Bypass widening project might have paid for something like 144 blocks of sidewalks (both sides), or 288 blocks of sidewalks (one side).

5. What’s the next step to encourage bicycle use on a daily basis?

I think that the most significant thing that can be done is to improve safety by separating automobile and bicycle traffic as much as possible.  This will require more side paths and dedicated bicycle corridors, and even then there will be problems at intersections without grade separation that could be prohibitively expensive to install.  There also needs to be greater recognition that bicycles need parking facilities too.

6. What mode(s) of transportation do you use for your daily or weekly routine?  How often do you use modes other than a car?

I generally drive.  As I said in response to Question 1, most people will cling to the convenience and comfort of the automobile as long as they can, and so far I include myself among “most people.”  I feel quite fortunate, however, in having a place of residence where my daily commute to work is only about 2.5 miles each way.  I drive a car rated at 26 mpg city.  There are usually two of us in the car on the commute, so that trip usually gets about 50 passenger miles per gallon.  For whatever it’s worth, that’s actually much better than Bloomington Transit’s average, which I believe is no more than 30 passenger miles per gallon.

I would definitely like to walk more, but the current absence of sidewalks in my neighborhood forces me, as a pedestrian, to be an intruder into the world of the automobile whenever I do.

1.        What do you think is the most important transportation change Bloomington/Ellettsville can make over the coming decade and why?

I would promote additional public transportation options connecting Bloomington with popular destinations and institutions outside of the City borders such as Ivy Tech.  That said, I will continue to prioritize urban densities in the development of new business ventures, amenities, and housing in order to contain the public transportation systems to where the majority of citizens reside and work.  Connecting Bloomington with other cities such as Indianapolis, Louisville and Chicago through the State investment in light rail will also be a desired goal for Bloomington leaders to encourage.  This is important in order to connect residents with broader urban opportunities with less reliance on their cars for leisure and cultural activities and business commuting.  I am extremely concerned about the needs of low-income citizens who require public transportation to get and maintain employment.  For these vulnerable individuals, I will advocate for longer bus operation hours and more convenient routes to ensure that those who cannot afford cars have the public support systems they need to make a living wage and manage their personal lives in a more convenient and affordable manner.  In providing supports for low-income riders, of course, all residents of Bloomington who do not wish to rely on cars will have increased public transportation options as well.  Those with fewer means require our utmost efforts in enhancing public transportation options.  All efforts to increase and improve must also be contained within the realistic fiscal affordability of such expansions.

2.        To this end, what are the concrete actions you will take during your term, if elected?

As members of the City Council we must all maintain a reasonable balance in all basic city services that consider the differing needs of low-income individuals, the elderly, children, the disabled, other vulnerable populations, and those transporting goods and passengers.  We must determine the priorities of basic services through a transparent process with broad public input regarding all legislative initiatives.  Those basic services include rate analysis and protections of our water utilities, public safety, infrastructure development and maintenance, land use and green space preservation, trash pick-up and recycling, the health and safety of our core neighborhoods, and intelligent transportation systems that meet current and future needs.  We are mindful of public opinion and contemporary trends in considering all of these services and amenities for Bloomington citizens.  As reducing the carbon footprint is an important ingredient in redefining prosperity, I will continue to support and promote a responsible and comprehensive range of transportation options to encourage biking, walking, public transports and auto travel that is reasonable and responsible.

3. For several years, a proposal to consolidate Bloomington Transit (BT) and IU Campus Bus has been discussed in our community.  This move has the potential to bring additional funding on the order of approximately $2 million per year to our community for transit.  Do you think Bloomington should actively encourage the bus merger, and if so, what would you do to move it forward?

I support a BT/IU bus system merger.  I have been keenly aware of these discussions since the beginning of my time on the Bloomington City Council, and I am also aware of the political challenges that are often beyond the immediate reach of local legislatures.  We are informed that there is a finite amount of transportation funding for the entire State of Indiana.  A BT/IU merger, while increasing dollars to support our bus transportation initiatives that would certainly benefit Bloomington riders, would also come at the expense of other transportation systems throughout the State.  Our gain, their loss equals a political issue to negotiate.  As we continue to make the case for additional funding for our combined systems, we must also be mindful of who governs the Statehouse and where their funding priorities lie.  To the limited extent that I have to change the face of elected officials in other parts of the Hoosier State, I will certainly do that with energy and passion.  We need a new, progressive Governor who values public transportation funding, and the majorities in the House and Senate of our General Assembly are currently not progressive allies with Bloomington in reaching this goal.  All cities and towns deserve adequate public funding in order to have the best possible public transportation systems.  Toward that end as a city official, I will continue to advocate on behalf of Bloomington.  We have limited political influence in the State of Indiana on the whole.  Bloomington is not an isolated island, and as with all things political we must work together, collaboratively and respectfully, to move meaningful public policy change forward.  That requires a good deal of diplomacy, tenacity  and patience, and when it comes to working toward the best possible outcomes for Bloomington, I utilize all of these important qualities as an elected official.  The art of persuasion is a skill that requires listening to everyone, analyzing the challenges and sticking points and negotiating in good faith.  That I can do!

4.       How can we accelerate implementation of alternative transportation projects that have been proposed, but not moved forward?

Again, with respect to my previous answers, the Bloomington City Council works in a methodical and financially prudent manner, and not all good things are produced with immediate speed or dispatch when there are multiple public needs to consider and services to deliver.  Plans are made with respect to possibilities, potential, and the collective political will of the community.  Planning is an important function for city staff, the administration, Plan and Zoning Commissions, and of course, City Council.  With respect to execution of plans, there are due processes to work through, funding options to consider, and public opinion to consider in moving any initiative forward.  Those of us who consider our important work to be multi-faceted in planning for today as well as the future take a measured approach to all forms of transportation, to public need and opinion, and to our fiscal ability to make things happen.  While the speed of government may not move fast enough for some, I’ve learned in my time on council that the best legislation with the most lasting result is crafted thoughtfully, methodically, and with solid analysis of both intended and unintended consequences.  I would respectfully differ with the premise of this question and assert that plans for alternative transportation are moving forward in a methodical and fiscally prudent manner.  In my next term I would continue to support measures to expand transportation options in a deliberate and responsible time frame.

5. What’s the next step to encourage bicycle use on a daily basis?

I support the ongoing bicycle and pedestrian funding initiatives that will move us toward platinum rating.  Next steps are continually developing and unfolding with greater public awareness of the health and environmental benefits of riding and walking, and increasing amenities such as additional bike racks, more connected bike trails, public safety campaigns related to bike/pedestrian/car interactions, and other important measures to encourage increased ridership.  The City of Bloomington has made a major commitment to increasing ridership through the Platinum Bicycle Task Force and our ambitious goals to become a top-rated bicycle friendly city.  I strongly support these efforts and am confident we will see them develop methodically and incrementally over the coming months and years and beyond my time on the Council.  While I wholeheartedly support these efforts, I remain constantly mindful of the many Bloomington residents who, for a variety of reasons, are unable to use bicycles for their daily commutes and personal travel.  With all due respect for these individuals who require climate-controlled and convenient modes of transportation, we must also maintain a diverse continuum of energy efficient transportation options to meet the needs of all Bloomington travelers.  It’s all about balance and accommodation of a wide range of community need!

6. What mode(s) of transportation do you use for your daily or weekly routine?  How often do you use modes other than a car?

I travel almost exclusively by car.  My work schedule is extremely hectic going from early morning into the night on most days. My house in Matlock Heights is not conveniently located near public transit.  I rarely have personal time to exercise, but when I can grab a few private moments for myself I walk in my neighborhood.