2016 District 1 Candidate Sandra Lee Fewer

Candidate Facts

1SLF Sandra Lee Fewer    Name: Sandra Lee Fewer
   Campaign Website: www.sandrafewer.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 ride occasionally, for recreation and exercise. But my husband more so—he has ridden for years, founding the SFPD Bicycle Unit as an officer and taking my daughters to ride in Critical Mass when they were younger.

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?

I would be interested in looking at increased funding for transportation, especially for cycling infrastructure, and in alignment with the Transportation 2030 task force work. As a school board commissioner, I know that many of our families struggle with the cost of transportation and while there are great organizations like PODER and the Bike Coalition working to address accessibility to bicycles, I think there could be increased investment in educational programs for families, low-income residents and communities of color. As a Transit Authority Commissioner, I would support stronger oversight from SFCTA and better coordination with SFMTA and key departments. [RESPONSE TRUNCATED]

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?

As a School Board Commissioner, I authored the resolution in support of Vision Zero– this is clearly a priority but we have some work to do to make the goal realized. I would work to strengthen the role of the SFCTA’s Vision Zero committee in terms of oversight and metric tracking to ensure we are evaluating our progress. I think that we need to expediate any funds focusing on key safety improvements, and develop accountability measures for any delays in such safety projects.

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?

Yes [RESPONSE TRUNCATED]

If “Yes,” what is at least one street or corridor in your District that you think would most benefit from a protected bike facility and why?

I think Golden Gate Park, especially JFK Drive, would be a great place to start. With thirteen million annual visitors, Golden Gate Park must be a safe and inviting place for everyone, particularly people walking and biking. It is unacceptable that people like Heather Miller lose their lives due to half-measures.

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 [RESPONSE TRUNCATED]

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?

In the Richmond District, safety is a priority concern for many residents, for both cyclists and pedestrians. My husband, a former police officer, retired as a traffic cop out of Richmond Station after 35 years on the force. I have discussed with him at length the measures used for traffic calming and the level of effectiveness for each. I believe that the primary method of traffic calming must be traffic signage and traffic devices, focusing SFPD resources on the most dangerous streets and intersections. These measures will benefit not just people biking, but also pedestrians, families and seniors. [RESPONSE TRUNCATED]

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 

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?

My husband, a 35 year veteran of SFPD, not only served as a traffic cop but also started the SFPD Bicycle Patrol, writing the first grant and training officers. He knows well the importance of coordinated efforts within the police department to ensure street safety for our residents. The Focus on the Five is a critical program and in order for SFPD to be aligned, we must ensure station accountability and transparency around citation data collected, and that is there is a comprehensive program in place to train and support rank and file officers on the model.

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?

Yes [RESPONSE TRUNCATED]

District-Specific Questions

1. A recent tragedy occurred on June 22, where a person biking was hit and killed by a driver on JFK Drive near 30th Avenue, which is located in District 1. The SF Bicycle Coalition is advocating for protected bike lanes for the western half of JFK Drive to make Golden Gate Park a place for people rather than vehicle through traffic or on-street parking. As Supervisor, would you support our ask, and what would you do to prevent such crashes on JFK Drive?

Yes, I think would be in support of an extension of the protected bike lane, but would also want to assess the impact of that expansion where the lanes narrow on drivers with disabilities, etc. Heather Miller’s death was tragic and we should absolutely take necessary measures to prevent more fatalities. Traffic calming measures, as mentioned above, are necessary to slow down cars and protect cyclists and pedestrians both in bike lanes and crosswalks.

2. In addition to improved infrastructure, we are advocating for an expansion of car-free, open streets space in Golden Gate Park, similar to Car-Free Sundays or Healthy Saturdays. As Supervisor, would you support this ask?

Yes 

3. We support a recommendation from the Ocean Beach Master Plan, which calls for a road diet of Great Highway, given the high levels of sand erosion. The result would be to repurpose two lanes of travel to become open streets for people biking and walking. Do you support this recommendation?

Yes [RESPONSE TRUNCATED]

Return to November 2016 Candidate Summaries
 

 

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