November 2022 Election 2022 Larkspur City Council Candidate Questionnaire

2. If you own a bike, what type of bike(s) do you have and ride? If not, when was the last time you rode a bike, and where (on vacation, for example)?

Kevin Carroll:

Road bike. See above

Kevin Haroff:

I own a 20 year old R600 Cannondale 28 aluminum frame road bike. Currently I us it primarily for local errands and recreational purposes.

Jay Holland: No response

Catherine Way:

When I dropped my daughter off at University of Oregon 10 years ago we bought matching bikes in Eugene. It was a white, “Marin” bike called Sea Drift. I had a wire basket mounted on the back. Three years ago I bought a, new electric bike from The New Wheel called The Gazelle. I love how the pedal assist helps with Marin hills.

Vision

3. In your own words, describe your vision for the future of transportation in Larkspur.

Kevin Carroll:

I would like to see a pedestrian, bike and electric friendly community. By 2030 over 30% of Marin residents will be over 65. While some will need electric vehicles (cars/carts?), because of our topography electric bikes and trikes can play a bigger role. The city will need to provide the charging stations, bike racks and wider bike lanes to accommodate seniors.

Kevin Haroff:

My vision for transportation in the City of Larkspur is multi-model. Larkspur includes a large aging community for whom bicycle transportation may not be particularly viable. The hilly terrain throughout our local neighborhoods also creates challenges to the widespread adoption of bicycles as a primary form of transportation.

I have supported the expansion of multi-modal pathways throughout our community since I was first elected to City Council. Our Measure B sales tax, which I supported publicly several years ago, has allowed the City to significantly improve the quality of our paved streets and roadways, including bicycle paths.

Jay Holland: No response

Catherine Way:

My vision for the future of transportation in Larkspur is one of “Complete Streets” where the options for moving around in our community engages with all the ways that people get about, e.g. Bikes, wheelchairs, strollers, walkers, and cars. As the chair of the Age-Friendly Larkspur Committee I have started to focus on all levels of accessibility for our residents and visitors. I would also like to see better signage and flexible poles that separate traffic from bike lanes.

Traffic

A large proportion of peak hour traffic is made of people driving their children to school. While some people live too far to easily walk or bike to school, many parents are simply afraid to let their children travel by foot or by bicycle because of the high volume and speeds of car traffic.

4. What strategies would make more parents feel safe with their children walking or biking to school, thereby reducing traffic and making everyone else’s trip to school a little safer?

Kevin Carroll:

The city must maximize Class IV and Class I bikeways. We should be widening sidewalks on routes to schools for elementary and middle school riders. Maximize separated street lanes for high schoolers and adults. We should be doing more daylighting of intersections and driveways.

Kevin Haroff:

I believe the City already has done a terrific job in addressing safety concerns for families whose children attend Redwood High School and Hall Middle School. I am very proud of the work we have done during my tenure on City Council in improving safety and traffic flow on Dougherty Drive. As a City Councilmember, I will continue to focus on transportation-related safety issues throughout our community.

Jay Holland: No response

Catherine Way:

The traffic in Larkspur is dramatically different in the summer months when school is out of session. There are seven schools in close proximity to each other in the Twin Cities. Strategies for making parents feel safe with their children walking or biking to school must take a multi-pronged approach.

A few suggestions for younger riders:

1. Parent Ambassadors who ride bikes along with the kids on specific, high traveled routes. They would be identifiable with vests and known to the parent community.

2. Central Marin Police community officer on a bike and riding the paths during peak school travel time.

3. Crossing guards at priority intersections where kids on bikes cross traffic lanes.

4. Organizing neighborhood clusters of students that meet at a specific location and ride together to school. Give them catchy names so that kids would want to “join the club”.

5. MCBC or Central Marin Police could lead “Bike Safety” class at schools and required for students to attend once per year.

A survey from the Transportation Authority of Marin (Figure 18, p. 51) found that over half of Marinites would like to bike more than they currently do. This backs up research that shows that over 50% of adults are interested in biking, but concerned about the threat of fast-moving cars.

5. What concrete steps can be taken to allay these concerns and make people feel safe on bicycles?

Kevin Carroll:

Working with the Park & Recreation department the Bicycle Coalition should develop a program to encourage adult seniors to become riders again. Organize group rides with themes similar to the Larkspur walking tours. Group rides to historic places, flower/nature rides, etc. By starting out as a group ride it can be demonstrated that there is safety in numbers, they might rediscover both the joy of riding and the health benefits. A recent study shows that the over 65 population in Marin is expected to be 30% by 2030. These are the people that vote consistently and should be cultivated by MCBC. The city should be woking with MCBC, the Villages programs, any other senior focused
groups.

Kevin Haroff:

I believe the City already has taken significant efforts to enhance the safety of bicyclists, through (for example) the expansion of bike lanes on Magnolia Avenue and the North-South Greenway project east of Highway 101. I have been a consistent supporter of these projects, and I look forward in particular to completing the Larkspur component of the NSF project in cooperation with the Transportation Authority of Marin (TAM). If reelected to City Council, I anticipate an expanded role in working with TAM on transportation issues generally affecting our local community.

Jay Holland: No response

Catherine Way:

For the adult rider, I understand the hesitation with riding in the roadway with the threat of fast-moving cars. So many of our roads are narrow and the rider is essentially in the vehicle path. Because of this, I try to always use the bike pathways to the greatest extent. For example, I went from my home in Larkspur to the Office Depot in San Rafael almost entirely on a bike path and thru the tunnel. We should create more contiguous pathways like this for the adult rider to feel more secure.

Safety

Traffic deaths and injuries are on the rise, both nationally and in Marin (this includes all road users, not just bicyclists). Many cities in California have enacted so-called Vision Zero
resolutions, setting an explicit goal to eliminate traffic deaths.

6. If elected to town Council, will you support such a resolution? If so, what actions do you see as being needed to improve safety? What are the relative roles of infrastructure, enforcement, and education?

Kevin Carroll:

Larkspur has already passed that resolution. We have a City of Larkspur Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan. The last time the plan was updated was 2017 (it was supposed to be updated in 2020, but I find no results). But it is apparently a dead document. I was disappointed that during the recent discussion of the Magnolia repaving project the primary focus was protecting parking spaces. While widening the sidewalks was mentioned in relation to sidewalk dining and wine walks, there was no serious discussion of accommodating bicycles pathways, racks or
charging stations.

Kevin Haroff:

I have not yet had an opportunity to consider so-called Vision Zero resolutions, but I would be happy to do so if reelected to the Council.

Jay Holland: No response

Catherine Way:

If elected I would support a Vision Zero resolution that has the goal of eliminating traffic deaths. Larkspur can always make improvements to our roads and pathways to enhance safety for cyclists. We take a Complete Streets approach to upgrading travel surfaces but this is always a matter of project funding. In the past decade, Larkspur has passed several sales tax measures specifically to fund road improvements. Because of this, Larkspur has gone from near the bottom of Bay Area cities in road disrepair to near the top with 3⁄4 of our roadways undergoing or completed in resurfacing. This greatly enhances safety for riders. However, we need to continue this process.

Enforcement of traffic and speed laws can always be improved but police resources can be limited. I would support finding out the data on where most infractions occur and increase patrols in those areas. For instance, the huge number of weekend riders that come through the center of Larkspur in large groups which don’t stop at stop signs causes concern to the local residents who might be walking into town or using crosswalks. That unsafe behavior could be a focus in an effort to increase safety.

I would also support road upgrades that those which were recently done in Mill Valley. Bike lanes were created on Blythdale which included white, plastic poles that separate the drivers from the riders. At the highly trafficked areas of Magnolia and Bon Air, I would like to see similar lane separation.

Also, in order to prioritize safety projects I would look for the data on incidents and focus efforts there. According to Bay Area Bicycle Law, most common types of dangers for cyclists
are:

1. Falls Due to Dangerous street conditions

2. Getting Doored

3. Getting sideswiped or pushed off the road.

4. Driveway and side street intersection crashes.

5. Failure to yield to the cyclist

The recently published study called “The Most Dangerous Areas for Cyclists in Marin County”
(https://www.walkuplawoffice.com/2022/08/08/study-the-most-dangerous-areas-for-cyclists-in-marin-county/) has highlighted one intersection in the Larkspur jurisdiction – Bon Air Road and Magnolia. Recently this bridge area has been renovated and new right turn protected bike lanes were put in. This is an example of developing safer infrastructure for bikes when road repairs are made.

Climate Change

The latest IPCC report states clearly that greenhouse gas emissions need to be reduced quickly in order to stave off the worst effects of climate change. According to Larkspur’s most recent Greenhouse Gas Inventory, transportation accounts for a majority (53%) of local greenhouse gas emissions. Given that battery electric cars make up 3% of California’s vehicle
fleet, and only 12% of new cars sold.

7. does reducing overall driving have a role in meeting our climate targets? If so, what policies can support transit, walking, and bicycling in place of driving for short trips?

Kevin Carroll:

Implementation of the current master plan, and updating it to fit in the role electric scooters and bicycles can play in “the last mile” in our hillside community. The recent bankruptcy of BOLT which would have brought electric rental bike to Larkspur SMART station, ferry landing and the downtown is a major blow. Both the city and Transportation Authority of Marin should follow the City of Richmonds lead in reviving this service or establishing a countywide municipal bike rental service.

Kevin Haroff:

If reelected, this will be my third term as a member of the City Council – I was elected first in 2013 after a brief period serving as a City Planning Commissioner. As a Councilmember and former two-term Mayor, I was able to support important local initiatives on public infrastructure, fiscal responsibility, and housing policy.

Involvement on City council has allowed me to engage our community on a range of important environmental and social equity issues. Those include local responses to climate change, sea level rise, and homelessness. I am particularly proud of my involvement with MCE Clean Energy, a joint powers authority for which I currently serve as the chair of the Board of Directors’ Executive Committee.

My continued involvement in these roles is largely dependent on my ability and commitment to serve on Larkspur’s City Council, and that may be the most important reason why I am seeking another term as councilmember.

Jay Holland: No response

Catherine Way:

The reality of climate change is upon us already. Every effort to reduce vehicle driving of non-electric cars will help reduce the risks. Creating safe walking paths that connect key locations is an important measure to get people from their cars for minor errands. I have always thought that government should supplement public transportation so that it is free to ride – thereby
increasing ridership. I know this is being tested in some locations in the Bay Area so perhaps there will be data soon.

Project Delivery

Bicycle/pedestrian plan implementation is notoriously slow with typically fewer than one new bike lane project opening every year.

8. What steps would you take to hasten the project delivery process from inception to ribbon-cutting?

Kevin Carroll:

We need to be actively working with the Marin Transportation Authority Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee to monitor the funds and programs available for the City of Larkspur.

Kevin Haroff:

I believe the City of Larkspur has been among the most progressive communities in Northern California in promoting establishment of bike lanes along virtually all of our principal transportation corridors. I do not believe that work has been materially impaired by our routine admirative processes.

Jay Holland: No response

Catherine Way:

One of my biggest frustrations in governance is the amount of time is takes to see projects completed. Look at how long it took for the Bon Air bridge replacement due to California State
and Federal regulations? Marin is a very small county with a lot of small cities that merge into each other. As an elected person, I would encourage more grouping of bicycle and pedestrian
projects so that they move seamlessly between jurisdictions. That might speed up completion and actually make for more consistency.

In all things, there is a tension between “perfect but slow” and “quick and good enough.” Recent years have seen a move toward so-called “quick-build” infrastructure, allowing reconfiguration of streets to facilitate safer walking/biking without a years-long engineering process. While quick-build projects may be less aesthetically pleasing than the standard process, they are cheaper and happen much faster.

9. How do you rank aesthetic concerns of biking/waking infrastructure in comparison to those of cost and project speed?

Kevin Carroll:

I would be concerned with aesthetics in the downtown Magnolia section of Larkspur. Routes to/from schools should be given the highest priority for implementation.

Kevin Haroff:

I believe all these concerns must be taken into account in a balanced fashion, which is the approach the City of Larkspur has taken throughout my time on City Council.

Jay Holland: No response

Catherine Way:

I think aesthetic concerns of infrastructure are important but shouldn’t weigh down the process to the point of interminable delays. The overall responsibility is to safety of the community and then what it looks like. I regularly attend the League of California Cities annual meeting and participate in workshops about street infrastructure. There was an interesting workshop about “popup” parks and bike paths that showed how these can be implemented in a community quickly. Of course, this was before the COVID-19 pandemic and the parklet phenomenon which changed the dialog completely.

Car Parking

Much of Marin has narrow streets, but on-street parking typically takes up between 30-40% of the street space between the curbs, and is often in tension with the need for dedicated bike lanes.

10. In your mind, are bike lanes ever sufficiently important to justify removing on-street parking, and in what circumstances would you consider that to be the case?

Kevin Carroll:

Safe routes to schools should be given priority over parking spaces.

Kevin Haroff: No response

Jay Holland: No response

Catherine Way:

Larkspur is comprised of five different sections with a variety of streetscapes, curbs, and on-street parking. Developing a plan for the narrow streets will differ from a plan in the Larkspur Landing community. I would consider removing on-street parking for safety of a bike path in a highly trafficked area such as a pathway to a local school.