November 2024 Election 2024 San Rafael City Council Candidate Questionnaire
Nearly all bike infrastructure is planned, designed, and implemented by our local governments. Whether our communities become more bike-friendly or stay the same is largely up to elected leaders and the staff they oversee. As such, local elections, which can be won or lost by just a few votes, are a critical opportunity to push your city or town in a positive direction.
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Marin County Bicycle Coalition cannot endorse candidates for public office, but we are able to conduct questionnaires so that you can arrive at your own conclusion. Below are the 2024 San Rafael City Council candidates’ responses to our questionnaire on bicycling in Marin. We have made no content changes. Thanks to the candidates for their time and thoughtful answers.
Candidates’ campaign websites may be accessed by clicking on those with a highlighted name. Those who did not provide a campaign website are not highlighted.
Here are the candidates on the November ballot for the City of San Rafael:
CANDiDATE Responded to Questionnaire
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Kate Colin – Mayor
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Rachel Kertz – District 4
CANDIDATE DID NOT Respond to Questionnaire
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Mark Galperin – District 4
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Mahmoud Shirazi – Mayor
Personal Travel
1. Do you ride a bicycle? If so, for what purposes and how often? If you don’t ride regularly, when was the last time you rode a bike (on vacation, for example)?
Kate Colin:
I am an avid cyclist and have been my entire life. I grew up in the Bay Area and biked to school for years so it’s been a lifelong activity. Now I bike recreationally – either on a road bike (Alpine Dam is one of my favorite rides) or mountain bike local fire roads.
Rachel Kertz:
I am a casual, fair-weather, fairly flat road bike rider. I have two bikes – my regular bike and my e-bike. I enjoy riding my e-bike to events and meetings in the area. Many times my decision to ride is based on my schedule, the availability of bike parking and security. I so appreciate having a bike valet or secure bike parking areas.
On the other hand, my husband is an avid bike rider (road, mountain, cross) and for the last four years has increased his bike mileage by one mile each year (2020 miles, 2021 miles, 2022 miles, etc.) He rides at least once a week from San Rafael to Corte Madera for work.
We also have gone on multiple Backroads bike trips. I have my e-bike and he has his road bike. I wave to him going up the hill and he waves to me going down the hill. An amazing way to see the world.
Vision
2. In your own words, describe your vision for the future of transportation in your city/town and Marin County at large.
Kate Colin:
Transportation encompasses cars, transit, walking and cycling and as the current Mayor of San Rafael, I recognize that sometimes those mobility options are in conflict and sometimes they can work together. We must continually balance the trade-offs but also focus on the near-term improvements (as outlined in San Rafael’s Bike Ped Master Plan) as we work towards the longer-term goals. New infrastructure needs to include bike lanes that connect people with key routes across and through our cities. I want students to want to ride their bikes like I did when I was a student so that means identifying those safe routes to schools and improving them. Through my participation on both the SMART (Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit) and TAM (Transportation Authority of Marin), I know that the agencies are focused on providing the best service for transit users given funding constraints. We want the entire transit experience – from the transit stop, on the bus/train and reaching the destination – to be as seamless as possible. San Rafael will be building a new transit center downtown so one of my priorities is to ensure that the new center reflects the needs of today’s transit riders. In summary, as a County and a City, we must be future-proofing our transportation networks by ensuring they are responsive and effective.
Rachel Kertz:
We need to expand our network of bike paths so it is safe (and easy) to get from North to South and East to West. After seeing communities and in some cases countries that have fully committed to bike planning and the safety of bike riders, I know we are on the right path but we still have a lot of work to do.
Safety
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 has adopted a “Vision Zero” policy, an explicit goal to eliminate traffic deaths in Marin by 2050. However, some projects that would improve road safety may result in more near-term traffic congestion or less on-street parking.
3. Do you see prevention of injury and death for all road users as the highest priority for Marin’s roads? Or should congestion and delay for drivers be minimized, even where this increases risk for pedestrians and bicyclists? How will you weigh these competing priorities?
Kate Colin:
San Rafael has the highest rate of negative ped/bike vs car interactions which is simply not acceptable. Because of the data and the importance of having our streets be safer for pedestrians and cyclists, I have already publicly supported Vision Zero and San Rafael is working towards incorporating its policies through the current update of our Bike Pedestrian Master Plan. I understand that there will be trade-offs and I’m confident that working with organizations like MCBC and local advocates, we’ll be able to successfully bring along the entire community in support of Vision Zero.
Rachel Kertz:
Prevention of injury for all road users, including pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists, should be the highest priority for San Rafael’s roads. First and foremost, we have a fundamental responsibility to protect the lives of everyone using our roads. While congestion and delays are valid concerns, they cannot take precedence over the safety and well-being of road users. Road designs that prioritize safety, like protected bike lanes, pedestrian-friendly crossings, and reduced speed zones, must always be considered.
While minimizing congestion is important for economic and environmental reasons, this goal should be secondary to ensuring the safety of vulnerable road users. We need to explore strategies that can address both priorities, such as improving public transportation, creating better bike pathways, and implementing traffic calming measures.
Climate Change
The California Air Resources Board has stated that, even with the aggressive adoption of electric cars, Californians need to drive 25% less by 2030 to achieve the state’s greenhouse gas reduction goals.
4. What concrete policies and projects in your city/town would improve mobility for people of all ages and abilities while reducing overall driving?
Kate Colin:
This question focuses on reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions specifically through fewer emissions from cars and we must also recognize that an important part of the solution are all the other choices that residents make that add to GHG. In terms of specific projects, San Rafael’s Bike Pedestrian Plan outlines local priorities that have been identified through lots of community input and the City will continue to complete them. As mentioned already, the new transit center is critical to getting folks out of cars. The new bike share program is rolling out to address that first/last mile for those riding SMART and I’m optimistic we’ll be able to expand it. But reducing GHG must include changing our behavior as consumers and San Rafael has been a leader in identifying policies and programs to reduce our collective carbon footprint. In 2009 when I was a Planning Commissioner, I was a member of the Steering Committee that created San Rafael’s first Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP). The City itself is a small percentage of San Rafael’s greenhouse gas emissions so it’s imperative that our residents are motivated to start making different choices. San Rafael has reduced its emissions 33% since 2005 but there is still a long way to go and as it is through working with community stakeholders that we can amplify our collective efforts. I will continue to prioritize, promote and implement local programs to change resident consumption choices through programs like Resilient Neighborhoods of which I am a graduate so I know firsthand how impactful it is.
Rachel Kertz:
I have advocated for SMART, worked on improving the San Rafael Transit Center, and in my second term I would like to continue to fulfill the promises of San Rafael’s Climate Change Action Plan 2030 and further reduce our reliance on cars.
TRAILS
In the birthplace of mountain biking, there are few legal single-track trails for people who bike. MCBC and our partners at Access4Bikes are working to expand access to trails for people riding mountain bikes.
5. Do you support building new or opening up existing single-track trails on public lands to mountain bikers? Please explain your answer.
Kate Colin:
As a trail runner and a mountain biker, I’m always dismayed when I encounter a mountain biker on a trail where bikes are not allowed because it reflects poorly on all of us when not everyone follows the rules. I would support new single track trails so that there can be mountain bike only single tracks and hopefully that would minimize illegal riding on hiking/running trails. Marin has lots of open space and building new flow trails would be fantastic.
Rachel Kertz:
Yes, I strongly believe that progress in this can be made by working with the bike community and other key stakeholders to find common ground on ways to create single track trails.
Wrap Up
6. Why should people who ride bikes (or those who might want to ride but don’t currently) vote for you?
Kate Colin:
Thank you for taking the time to read through my questionnaire as I’m proud of my history of supporting cyclists and cycling infrastructure in San Rafael over my ten years of being on the Council. And it is – and will continue to be – a work in progress so I am committed to listening to and collaborating with local advocacy groups so San Rafael can continue to improve our mobility infrastructure.
For those who don’t know me, in November 2020, I was elected as the first female Mayor of San Rafael after eight years on the San Rafael City Council. The first part of my Mayoral term was navigating the pandemic and now the City is poised to implement strategies to address the many complex issues – from homelessness to economic vitality – facing our community. I am proud that the City has approved a $212 million balanced budget and that is in addition to the approximately $50 million in direct and indirect grants that has been brought in while I’ve been the Mayor. I am committed to finding those regional, state and federal dollars to enhance our infrastructure which will also benefit cyclists. My leadership is supported by those around me and I’m honored to have the endorsements of Congressman Huffman, Senate President Pro Tempore McGuire, Asssemblymember Connolly, every single one of the Marin County Board of Supervisors and all four of San Rafael’s City Councilmembers.
Rachel Kertz:
I see and have experienced the joy and freedom of bike riding. I helped create bike paths through Safe Routes to Schools and can see how important it is to develop pathways that support bike riding and slow down the car traffic. Additionally I recognize how central the biking community is to the civic life of Marin and I look forward to continuing to work with the biking community.
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