November 2022 Election 2022 Sausalito 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)?

Jeff Chase:

I ride a Gary Fisher bicycle I bought at the Recyclery in San Rafael. I rode it to the library today, where I am now.

Joan Cox:

I own two bikes:  a Specialized mountain bike that I ride on local bicycle trails, and an Aventon Aventure electric bike that I take on offroad camping trips as an alternative to a car.

Jill Hoffman:

We have 3 three bikes, one electric, one mountain bike, and one road bike.  I mainly ride the electric bike.  As you know Sausalito has many hills and I find the pedal assist an amazing enabler for me to use my bike to get around town, and also ride up into the headlands.

Timothy McCloud:

Bike: Jetson Electric; Last ride: Labor Day weekend to Tennessee beach  

Vision

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

Jeff Chase:

More bicycle lanes, less bicycle locks put on by the police, less cars and trucks, more carpools and community rides, a shuttle bus for local rides, moratoriums on new parking lots unless connected with mass transportation, skiff and boat rides for tourists and locals, carless streets with the buy-in of citizens and businesses.

Joan Cox:

I endorse the California Department of Transportation’s Bikeway Guidance (available on the City of Sausalito’s website) that has a goal of increasing the number of trips Californians take by bicycling, walking, and other forms of active transportation in order to help meet the State’s greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals, improve Californians’ health by helping more people be active, and stimulate the economy.  I support increased subsidies for e-bikes in California. Expanding this program, and the availability of grants to buy e-bikes, should be included in city and county transition plans toward environmentally-friendly transportation.

Jill Hoffman:

Sausalito is already a wonderful walkable community, with non-motorized access to almost all areas, through our system of stairs and lanes.  The difficulty for some residents is the ability to go back uphill to their homes.  The challenge is that we generally have one main road through town, Bridgeway, that we all must share.  My vision is that as technology improves and public transportation becomes more reliable and frequent, the necessity for people to utilize individual cars will decrease and will be less convenient and far more expensive than using alternate methods of commuting for both work and leisure.  This trend will contribute to lessen motorized congestion and transportation load on our streets, and increase safety for pedestrians and bicyclists.

Timothy McCloud:

While others would choose to ignore the fact that Sausalito is the gateway for residents,  neighbors, and visitors, I would start with pulling usage data and layering simple surveys which, I gather would help guide the prioritization of a clear multi-use strategy. 

At key locations and intersections along Bridgeway, I would determine the appropriate usage designation for vehicle (car and motorcycle), bicycle, and pedestrian traffic (resident, neighbor, and visitor). I would also re-evaluate the lane designations along Bridgeway (southern waterfront). 

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?

Jeff Chase:

Signage on every school route alerting motorists of children, crossing guards, more stop signs around schools and lower speed limits, loaner bicycles for students, a “bicycle bus,” multi-person bike for smaller children.

Joan Cox:

I endorse Marin County’s Safe Routes to School Program and the several projects it proposed to improve bicycle access to and from local schools (e.g., Lycee Francais de San Francisco, New Village School, Willow Creek Academy, and Montessori Sparrow Creek School) including the Ebbtide pedestrian refuge improvements, the Coloma Street sidewalk, the Bridgeway pedestrian crossing, the northbound Bridgeway bus stop relocation with pullout, and improvements to provide an all-weather pedestrian path linking Coloma with Tomales and across the MLK campus to Ebbtide.

As a City Councilmember in 2020, I supported the plan to install a two-way bike path on the north side of Nevada Street, creating a safe zone for children and adults to bike to and from Bridgeway and the campus of Willow Creek Academy.  While on the City Council, I supported the project to improve safety for cyclists, cars, and pedestrians at the intersection of Gate 6 Road and Bridgeway, including the addition of bicycle-detention sensors so that southbound cyclists approaching the intersection via the multi-use path are given a green light to safely cross over to the southbound lane of Bridgeway.

Jill Hoffman:

Parents will become increasingly comfortable with their children walking or biking to school as dedicated, safe pathways become more plentiful.  During my 8 years on the City Council, I have consistently supported the Safe Routes to School efforts in Sausalito, and improved safety for kids walking or biking to/from school, by increasing bike lanes along Bridgeway. I supported using a mixture of grant funds and city funds for improvements at Gate 6 and Bridgeway intersection to make that major gateway to the city safer for pedestrians, bicycles, and motor vehicles, and to add bike lanes.  I am pleased that anyone out and about in Sausalito during the school year will see kids walking and biking to our four K-8 elementary schools and high schoolers on their way to Tam High School on the beautiful bike path along the marsh.  I will continue to advocate for safer streets for bicyclists and pedestrians and encourage my colleagues on the City Council to do the same. We are extremely lucky here in Sausalito that our schools can be accessed along routes that for most of the way have dedicated bike lanes.

Timothy McCloud:

• Sausalito doesn’t have many schools, however, I would start by understanding if there are concerns around Marin City.  

• Within proximity of the school and at major intersections, provide traffic guards during the before/after school rush.

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?

Jeff Chase:

Lower speed limits, wider bicycle lanes and narrower car lanes, more stop signs, carless streets at least one day a week, bicycle festivals, more bicycle racks and signs.

Joan Cox:

40% of Sausalito’s population is age 60 or older. Older individuals are more at risk for a serious injury from a fall, by being startled or possibly sideswiped by an unruly or unaware cyclist. An additional safety challenge stems from the differing experience-levels among the riders traveling in the same bike lanes or sharing the road with automobiles. Many rental bike riders wobble along the street, while speedy bike commuters and impatient automobiles weave their way through the same single lanes. 

I am in favor of installing stop signs or traffic signals on Caledonia Street and along the Bridgeway corridor where many of the marked crosswalks are not supported and therefore don’t always catch the attention of motorists. I endorse other traffic calming measures recommended by State Walking College Fellows (and Sausalito and Marin City residents) Sybil Boutilier, Juanita Edwards and Vicki Nichols:

• Advocate for policies and programs to reduce and avoid the occurrence of bicycle/pedestrian near-misses and collisions along routes to school and on the Bridgeway traffic corridor

• Advocate for smart speed limits

• Advocate for improved crosswalk visibility and safe crosswalk timing for all ages 

• Advocate for improved compliance with traffic laws

• Explore innovative incentives for compliance as alternatives to ticketing enforcement

While on the City Council, I voted in favor of a plan to allow free bicycle parking for residents in Sausalito.  

One of the most dangerous areas for bicyclists in Sausalito is the Alexander Avenue corridor between the Golden Gate Bridge and downtown Sausalito.  While on the City Council, I lobbied the County of Marin and the Golden Gate Bridge District for Vista Point Trail Improvements, which entails a 15-foot wide trail that would provide a safer alternative for bicyclists than the Alexander Avenue corridor.

Jill Hoffman:

Education and training are the best ways to address issues relating to safety concerns and confidence in riding.  As a City Councilmember, I was at the forefront of developing a system for better management and safety of the many bicycle tourists we have in town during the summer season.  One thing we should do is establish classes for residents on bicycle safety for all age groups, that teach the basics and then also provide an opportunity to ride with a group to get out on our beautiful bike routes and increase confidence. Once you start using a bike for regular commuting and exercise the benefits are exponential, for everyone.

Timothy McCloud:

• Much better signage alerting vehicle drivers of parallel bike lanes, especially around key intersections. 

• At least a minimum level of enforcement at locations of particular concern or previous incident

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?

Jeff Chase:

Lower the speed limit, more stop signs and bicycle signs, more public transportation and less single-driver cars, carless streets, loaner bicycles, bicycle-friendly police force.

Joan Cox:

In one month earlier this year, at least three people were killed on roads in unincorporated Marin alone: Pastor Greg Chisholm on Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, Zach Wilhelm on Novato Boulevard, and a solo bicycle crash on Redwood Highway near Strawberry.  If elected to the City Council, I will support the approval of a Vision Zero resolution.  While education is important, actions to improve safety should also include better plans for physically separating cars from vulnerable road users where possible, lowering speed limits, and improving pedestrian crossings, particularly along the Alexander, Bridgeway, and Caledonia corridors.  I support Sausalito’s prior and future periodic assignment of patrol officers to enforce vehicle and bicycle safety throughout town including enforcement of speed limits and traffic signals.

Dangerous roads have a chilling effect on walking and biking.  To reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, we need people of all ages and abilities to feel comfortable riding a bicycle in Sausalito.

Jill Hoffman:

Yes, I would support a Zero Vision resolution here in Sausalito. As stated above education and training are key aspects of improving safety and reducing injury.  Sausalito has contributed to this by establishing dedicated bike lanes along our main roads, adding pedestrian crossing lights, and making enforcement of safety standards a priority.  Infrastructure, enforcement, and education are all equally important in improving safety and eliminating traffic deaths and vehicular injuries.

Timothy McCloud:

• I would support any resolution that seeks to inform drivers, riders, and pedestrians on statistics. 

• As a Chief Marketing Officer, I lead teams building educational content for specific groups including the appropriate distribution channels, educational hooks, and adoption tracking and measurement.

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 Sausalito’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?

Jeff Chase:

These would be the same policies I described above. Discourage the use of fossil fuels by every means necessary, and encourage bicycle and pedestrian and scooter and skateboard and horse and donkey riding and carpools and roller skating the same way.

Joan Cox:

I believe that reducing the use of cars and increasing the use of electric vehicles including bicycles is one way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as we strive to meet our climate targets.  I support increased subsidies for e-bikes in California.  Expanding this program, and the availability of grants to buy e-bikes, should be included in city and county transition plans toward environmentally-friendly transportation.  I also support providing City employees with incentives to use alternatives to single occupancy auto commuting, including bicycle facilities.  And I support various traffic calming measures to support walking and bicycling in place of driving for short trips.

Jill Hoffman:

Reducing the use of fossil fuels across all sectors will support efforts to address our climate targets.  We have instituted the use of solar power for our City Hall as well as recently approved an ordinance to prohibit the use of gas-powered landscape equipment.  I am in favor of transitioning our city-owned vehicles to electric, and the insertion of electric vehicle charging stations which were recently approved by the City Council. Continuing our efforts to have easily accessible access to reliable public transit and safe pedestrian and bike paths is essential.

Timothy McCloud:

• A key component of my platform is proposing immediate steps to help reduce Marin’s carbon missions which, is higher than most neighboring counties (including San Francisco). 

• To-date, Sausalito has been unable to agree on even reducing gas power tools the city crews use (leaf blowers, etc), so I am not confident in the actual prioritization of short-term measure to dramatically reduce emissions. 

• My platform includes several options both the city and residents should consider to help Marin reduce emissions – this includes incentives to transition away from gas-powered vehicles, equipment, and tools.  

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?

Jeff Chase:

Let the Department of Public Works communicate with residents and business people in the affected areas, and begin work the day after a Council “yes” vote.

Joan Cox:

As we look at implementing Sausalito’s complete streets resolution enacted while I was on the City Council, bicyclists and pedestrians must be included in the planning.  When we replace and repair infrastructure, including roads and sidewalks, and underground pipes and conduit, we must look at opportunities for bicycle and pedestrian improvements.  Accomplishing these economies of scale will assist in hastening project delivery.

Jill Hoffman:

The prioritization of these projects is easier if it is just Sausalito. Multi-jurisdictional projects obviously take more time as other government agencies also need to coordinate on their timelines.  For projects in Sausalito, I believe re-configuration and insertion of bike lanes is fairly quick from approval to implementation, as was seen most recently on Caledonia street with the insertion of a large parklet area and the creation of one-way traffic and a bike lane.

Timothy McCloud:

• The pace within local municipalities and especially Sausalito, is concerning. One recent example is the almost, two years it took to address, resolve, and finally settle with a homeless encampment for $540,000. 

• Within regulatory compliance, I would seek to automate components of the city council agenda process. Layering stage-appropriate automation (processes, tools/software, and structure), has been a unique differentiation in my product marketing / project management career.

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?

Jeff Chase:

I don’t think there is a contradiction between beauty and efficiency, and we can have both. Make sure the project’s costs are low and transparent, and the work goes quickly. Hire artists and architects for great aesthetics!

Joan Cox:

Safety is more important than speed but cost is always a factor.  Just as we did when we approved the several projects proposed as part of Marin County’s Safe Routes to School Program to improve bicycle access to and from local schools, Sausalito needs to continue to have multiple projects identified, so that when funding opportunities arise, we can put the project most likely to be funded forward.

Jill Hoffman:

I believe biking/walking infrastructure increases aesthetics, certainly for those who gain access to our spectacular natural resource areas through these pathways.  The aesthetics go hand in hand with any plan in Sausalito and integration of the two is always a top priority.  Luckily in Sausalito, we have many residents who are design experts, as well as a substantial non-profit, Sausalito Beautiful, who devote hundreds of hours to projects to supplement the aesthetics of a given plan to create beautiful and inviting pathways for all to enjoy.

Timothy McCloud:

While other communities can possibly worry less about aesthetics, the reality is we’re a tourist destination and it should factor into infrastructure plans; however, not at the cost of public safety or maintaining the quality of life for Sausalito and Marin county residents.

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?

Jeff Chase:

Removing parking places is a sensitive subject, so should only be done with neighborhood approval. If the neighborhood approves, it should be done in every case possible!

Joan Cox:

In several towns, including Ross, there have been decisions made to only allow parking on one side of the street.  I believe that can be an answer for many narrow streets for many reasons, including biking.  Businesses and residents impacted by the loss of parking must be part of the process.  Studies show that increasing foot traffic improves and benefits businesses.

Jill Hoffman:

Bike lanes and on-street parking are obviously a necessary balance.  Safely analysis and traffic pattern metrics, as well as resident input are all important in determining the best way forward on this issue.

Timothy McCloud:

Yes, in areas where on-street parking for local business customers can be moved (within a reasonable proximity) to lots or structures. Some folks on the current city council want to replace existing parking lots with parks, so, in specific areas (downtown/Ferry landing), that could require keeping and expanding on-street parking.