2016 Bart Board District 9 Candidate Michael Petrelis

Candidate Facts

B9MPhead shot    Name: Michael Petrelis
   Campaign Website: https://www.facebook.com/PetrelisFiles/

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 my bike several times every day to shop and bring home food from farmers’ markets and other items in my baskets, get to political and cultural events, reduce my carbon footprint, enjoy company of other bikers and to maintain personal wellness. As a lifelong rider who has never learned to drive a car, my commitment to riding extends to renting bikes when traveling. To protect myself and promote personal safety by example, I always wear a helmet. At 57, I’m a proud slow biker, so look for me on the right of city bike lanes.

2. Many Bay Area residents depend on being able to bring their bikes on transit, which gives more options for where you live, work, shop and more. Over the next four years, BART will be designing, testing and finalizing the new car designs. This gives a unique opportunity to improve bicycle access on BART. Do you support maintaining or increasing current space allocated for bikes on BART (currently two spaces per car)?

Yes

3. Many of BART’s stations in San Francisco are surrounded by streets on the city’s high-injury network, defined by the Department of Public Health as 12% of the city’s streets where 70% of severe and fatal traffic collisions occur. As BART Director, would you support significant bicycle and pedestrian safety improvements on streets surrounding BART stations to improve multimodal access?

Yes

4. Of the BART stations located in San Francisco in the district that you’re running for, name one station improvement you would prioritize as BART Director to improve bicycle, pedestrian and disability access.

Starting with the 16th Street station, we must install highly visible wayfinding signs directing folks to the plaza level elevator near Walgreens and from the concourse to the platform. Disabled persons especially in wheelchairs, parents traveling with children in strollers, those with luggage or who can’t safely walk their bikes up or down stairs need to know where the elevator is located and it must be clear to the eyes of all and the visually impaired. In June 2015, I lobbied BART to improve wayfinding signage, http://mpetrelis.blogspot.com/2015/06/barts-major-changes-coming-to.html. Unfortunately, the agency failed to keep its wayfinding promises.

5. What are your key priorities in increasing BART access for all in order to improve multimodal connections for all communities and types of BART riders?

Abolish the BART police force or expand accountability and disarm the cops. Local cops should handle security. Guarantee bike parking surveillance cameras are authentic and recording activities, enhance lighting of and space at corrals. Hold board meetings during evening hours and listening sessions at stations. Reopen all public restrooms. Better maintain escalator and elevator operations. Pass this November’s bond measure. Appoint a Rider’s Represenative to act on users’ concerns.

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