2016 District 9 Candidate Iswari España

Candidate Facts

9IE espana_prof    Name: Iswari España
   Campaign Website: iswariespana.com

Candidate Questionnaire

All official candidates were contacted and given the opportunity to answer our Candidate Questionnaire. Any candidate responses edited for length and clarity have been marked as such.

1. Do you ride a bicycle in the city?

Yes

If “Yes,” how often do you ride and for what purpose(s)?

I use my bike to commute to and from work, and for recreational purposes.

2. The City has established a goal to at least double the number of bike trips in the next 3 years. Do you support this goal?

Yes

If yes, what would you do as Supervisor to help the city realize it?

As supervisor, I plan to support a model of community advocacy for the use of bicycles and cooperatives. I would encourage community space devoted to educate on safety and transportation options.

3. Our City has embraced and adopted Vision Zero, the goal to eliminate all fatalities and serious injuries on our streets by 2024. Do you support Vision Zero?

Yes

If “Yes,” the city has yet to make significant progress since the introduction of Vision Zero in 2014. In fact, fatalities are on the rise. What would you do as Supervisor to help the city achieve Vision Zero?

I would expedite the delineation of bike lanes in our neighborhoods without the elimination of parking spaces and I would advocate for the enforcement of traffic laws that Law Enforcement has ignored that could prevent injuries and fatalities.

4. Research and data has shown that building high-quality protected bike infrastructure is the most effective way to increase the number of people who bike. Despite this, there remain very few streets and corridors in San Francisco with protected bike lanes. Do you support the significant expansion of protected bike infrastructure, recognizing that this is often achieved by reallocating space on our streets that may decrease on-street car parking or vehicle travel lanes?

No

5. The SF Bicycle Coalition participated in the Mayor’s Transportation 2030 Task Force, which identified significant funding gaps for a safe, reliable transportation system. To continue building out the bike network, the original need until 2030 was $360 million, which has now increased to $660 million, by City estimates. Do you support increased allocation and funding for bike projects to at least match the percentage of San Franciscans who bike?

Yes

6. The Department of Public Health has used data to develop the “high-injury network” to show the 12% of city streets where over 70% of the collisions occur. This map has also shown that low-income communities are disproportionately affected by traffic collisions. If Supervisor, what would you do to prevent collisions in your District at these known locations?

As supervisor, I would support and allocate funds for traffic delineations and DPT staff to enforce rules and regulations in the area.

7. Market Street is San Francisco’s most-biked street, with nearly 7,000 trips by bike counted here every day. The City is working on the Better Market Street project, which calls for limiting private automobiles, creating a continuous, protected bike lane for the full length of the project from the Embarcadero to Octavia Boulevard and significantly advancing transit and pedestrian-friendly street design. Do you support this plan?

Yes [RESPONSE TRUNCATED] 

8. Data has shown that the five most dangerous behaviors are all driver-related offenses: speeding, failure to yield to pedestrians, improper right-hand turns, running red lights and failure to stop at stop signs. The San Francisco Police Department has committed to maintaining 50% of their traffic citations to “Focus on the Five,” a goal they have yet to meet citywide. Do you support Focus on the Five and smart, data-driven enforcement?

Yes 

9. As Supervisor, what will you do to ensure SFPD focuses enforcement on Focus on the Five or other known issues that make our streets unwelcome to bike on, such as double-parking in bike lanes, rather than ad hoc, complaint-driven enforcement?

I would leverage services between SFPD and DPT to create a specific dedicated task force to focus on street safety and the enforcement of traffic laws. This team will consistently patrol the most affected areas.

10. Bay Area Bike Share is in the middle of a game-changing, tenfold expansion of its system to become one of the densest bike share networks in the United States. Do you support the expansion and placement of bike share stations in your District, even if this may mean repurposing of on-street vehicle parking?

No

If “No,” why not?

Europe runs a very successful Bike program that all their citizens love and enjoy. Their success is attributed to an advocacy and education campaign. They learned to internalize the benefits of alternative transportation. San Franciscan’s have not reached that level of consciousness. I do not believe pitting the community against each other, especially around the issue of street parking, will create allies. I am a big advocate of the share stations but not at the expense of vehicle parking.

District-Specific Questions

1. In December 2015, Franklin Ling was hit and killed while biking at Woolsey and Goettingen Streets, an area that was known for high vehicle speeds through a residential neighborhood. What would you do as Supervisor to prevent such tragedies and ensure people driving through your District slow down in residential neighborhoods?

I will fight for the careful delineation of the streets and signage enforced by DPT with the support of SFPD.

2. District 9 is home to Valencia Street. Despite being one of the city’s most-biked streets with a dedicated bike lane, it remains as one of the most complained about streets given the non-stop issue of double-parking in bike lanes. Do you support the next generation of biking on Valencia Street to plan and design protected bike lanes here?

Yes

What would you do as Supervisor to enforce this known issue of vehicles double-parking and dropping passengers off in the bike lane?

We have to share the road, if these vehicles are illegally parked, we need enforce the law and cite them. We also need to dedicate drop off zones for seniors and businesses that also need the street.

3. As San Francisco becomes a more expensive city to live in, we know that biking provides an affordable and sustainable way to get around. To increase access to bikes, the SF Bicycle Coalition organizes and leads the Bike it Forward program. We reclaim unclaimed and abandoned bikes from the SFMTA, BART, the SFPD and other agencies, which are then repaired with the help of our volunteers. Neighborhood residents sign up with our partner organizations in advance to participate and receive a bike. As Supervisor, do you support this program and its expansion?

Yes

4. Do you agree that biking is an affordable mode of transportation?

Yes

If “Yes,” what would you do as Supervisor to increase biking in your District?

I plan to support a model of community advocacy for the use of bicycles and cooperatives. I would support Bike Share and Bicis Del Pueblo cooperative programs. I would encourage community space devoted to educate on safety and transportation options.

Return to November 2016 Candidate Summaries
 

 

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