What a Question Reveals – Is the Candidate Listening or t more signatures for this petition
Congratulations Coalition Superstars. You helped us reach a new high of 2387 signatures on our way to the next milestone of 2500 by this weekend. Please share. Someone you know wants to sign.
What a Question Reveals –
The top candidate for Mayor has set up listening sessions in each Ward to hear from voters. But the questions she asks to guide discussions clearly show a bias as Candidate Janeese Lewis George strives to justify her own program.
In the session ‘Transportation for All’ George asks participants: What would you do to make walking, riding a bike and taking the bus better? Forgetting that a lot of us drive or rely on being driven in a car and we don’t want to be left out of traffic planning any more. The city is in an economic slump as federal workers have lost jobs, and the DC budget suffers major constraints. Driving is key to DC’s economic recovery. Yet DC frustrates driving with bike lanes, road diets, subsidizing e-bikes and encouraging children to bike in the streets.
Another question: In what imaginative ways can we use streets? Here’s a thought. Clear the streets so they can be used for their intended purpose to benefit commerce and to get us where we are going. Some of us have had enough of repurposing our streets as pedestrian plazas, playgrounds, and restaurants. Some of us have to get to work. Some of us have errands to run. Some of us would like to drive to our destination and not fear that children riding bikes are going to run a stop sign. Fear and confusion do not make the streets safer.
A frequent request from participants at the listening sessions was to regulate e-bikes and scooters which have become a menace. If we’re going to allow e-bikes, there should be rules to govern their use. That is the responsibility of city government. But it is also our responsibility. Please sign and share a petition started by DC Safe Streets Coalition https://c.org/GVFzcRN8kP This is something we can do - something the city will not do on their own without us.
The final listening sessions will be held today and tomorrow. DC is accepting comments on rulemaking for dockless bike sharing at publicspace.policy@dc.gov
Nick DelleDonne
DC Safe Streets Coalition
703 929 6656