March 2024 Election 2024 District 4 Supervisor Candidate Questionnaires

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Vision

2. In your own words, describe your vision for the future of transportation in this district and Marin County at large.

Frank Drouillard:
More and better connectivity. Designer of the I-80 Berkeley Pedestrian/Bicycle Overcrossing at University Ave. Currently developing a proposed “stress ribbon” bicycle/pedestrian overcrossing to connect open space in Districts 3 and 4 at Horse Hill.

Dennis Rodoni:
I think that a focus on making alternate modes of transportation easier for our residents, starting with a re-envisoned pulbic transit system

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SChool Commutes

3. Many parents are afraid to let their children travel to school by foot or by bicycle because of the high volume and speeds of car traffic, choosing to drive them to school.

Should efforts to calm traffic focus first on (A) driver education or (B) physical infrastructure, like speed cushions and raised intersections, that slows cars around schools?

Frank Drouillard:
I recall a terrible accident that killed a little girl on a bike near San Marin High. Traffic calming could have spared her life. There are other ways to slow traffic besides speed cushions and raised intersections, such as reducing lane widths. Using barriers to separate bicycles from motorized vehicles is the most reliable approach and should be implemented wherever possible. Safety personal to control vehicular traffic and busy crossings should be employed during school openings and closings.

Dennis Rodoni:
Yes reducing speeds at our schools should be a priority including enforcement and possible speed cameras.

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Safety

4. Traffic deaths and injuries are on the rise, both nationally and in Marin (this includes all road users, not just bicyclists). The Transportation Authority of Marin and the county’s cities/towns are in the process of adopting a Vision Zero policy, namely an explicit goal to eliminate traffic deaths in Marin by 2050. However, some projects that would improve road safety may result in more congestion, at least in the short term.

Do you see prevention of injury and death for all users as the highest priority for Marin’s roads? Or should congestion and delay for drivers be minimized, even if this increases risk for pedestrians and bicyclists?

Frank Drouillard:
Implement safety features incrementally to stagger delays for drivers, starting with high priority locations. This allows planners to learn and implement more effective measures and the projects progress.

Dennis Rodoni:
Our number one goal of any project should be reduce the potential for injuries with every project. Never should we put PED’s or bikers are more risk.

 

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Climate Change

5. The California Air Resources Board has stated that, even with aggressive adoption of electric cars, Californians need to drive 25% less by 2030 to achieve our greenhouse gas reduction goals.

What policies and projects in Marin would support promoting mobility while actually reducing overall driving?

Frank Drouillard:
A reliable and adaptable small bus service is the best choice for service. Better than a fixed train system, which cannot adapt to changing commuter needs.

Dennis Rodoni:
Improved public transportation (with electric buses), making it easier to safely walk ride to your next destination .

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Large Projects

6. While Marin has seen several important active transportation projects advance to completion over the past decade (the Cal Park Hill Tunnel, the Corte Madera Creek Bridge), other crucial projects have been slower (the SMART pathway) or continue to languish (the Alto Tunnel).

Do you support studying the potential environmental impacts and benefits of opening the Alto Tunnel to bicycle/pedestrian access so that the project would be eligible to apply for state and federal construction funding? Why or why not?

Frank Drouillard:
I would support a CEQA Initial Study for the Alto Tunnel for feasibility and engineering studies, but only AFTER a ROW assessment is performed to ensure there are no deed restrictions that proscribe use of the tunnel as a pedestrian/bicycle pathway.

Dennis Rodoni:
Only when all the current gaps are closed. They should be all our priorities.

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Richmond-San Rafael Bridge

7. In 2019, a bicycle/pedestrian pathway was installed on the upper deck of the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, providing access between Marin and Contra Costa County for those traveling outside of buses and motor vehicles. While some believe that the pathway should be left in place permanently, others have called for the pathway to be replaced by a third car lane during peak periods (at a cost of at least $70-90M) or for the bridge to be returned to its pre-2019 state (two car lanes and a shoulder, with no bike/pedestrian access).

Which outcome do you support, and how strongly do you hold that position?

Frank Drouillard:
I recognize the the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge is near the end of its design life and will need to be replaced with a modern bridge that can accommodate the lanes, shoulders and bikepath desired by residents.

Dennis Rodoni:
Strongly support switching the lane from bikes to cars at commute for buses and carpool only.
Providing van for bicycles during this time.

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Wrap-Up

8. Why should people who ride bikes (or those who want to ride bikes but don’t yet) vote for you?

Frank Drouillard:
Because I understand and value the needs and desires of the bicycle community and have worked to create bike paths on all my bridge design projects.

Dennis Rodoni:
Open minded, elected who listens, is accessible and transparent and someone who can get the job done.