2016 District 1 Candidate Richie Greenberg

Candidate Facts

1RG richie greenberg headshot    Name: Richie Greenberg
   Campaign Website: richie2016.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)?

Several times per week, for running errands locally in the richmond district neighborhood, and for leisure over to ocean beach and often through golden gate park. My wife and I ride together as well. We have also put our bikes on muni bus to Crissy Field as well. In the past, I have brought my bike on the ferry up to Sausalito and ridden back into the city over the golden gate bridge. We ride at sunday streets too.

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 love to see the bar set above the quoted 8% goal. We need to approach each neighborhood (district’s) needs and assess how to educate the population as to the benefits to work towards even exceeding the goal. If ever possible, I would ideally find financial incentives for resident to purchase bicycles to help offset the entry into the bike culture. Working in partnership between sponsors and organizations such as bike coalitions, for example.

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 [RESPONSE TRUNCATED]

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?

We can ultimately work through the shortcomings together. The advertising and promoting of vision zero alone doesn’t work- we need a three-pronged approach: serious education program(s), monitoring of policies implemented, and enforcement. This includes addressing vehicles, pedestrians and bicyclists alike, for meaningful results. Moreover, the city has been overrun with vehicles from ride-sharing services, which have thrown a monkey-wrench in the plans. We need to reign in such services, find ways to cap their vehicle numbers in the city and enforce laws against moving violations/double parking by their drivers.

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

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 propose a bike “breezeway” that runs east/west along the northern edge of golden gate park, south side of Fulton, from Stanyan westward to ocean beach. I envision dedicating perhaps 25 feet of the current sidewalk on south side to be widened into the parkland, to create totally separate two-direction bike-only lanes, with bike traffic lights. Relocate the current bike route away from Cabrillo and move to Fulton. Will become a main bicycle artery east/west for nearly all richmond district length for several miles, for residents and tourists alike.

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 

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?

We must implement the 3-prong approach: meaningful education efforts, monitor implementation, and enforcement, of all players (bicyclists, pedestrians, and vehicles). We need to increase traffic-calming strategies, speed bumps, roundabouts, traffic lights and stop signs. We need to address “distraction” behaviors by all, bikes, pedestrians and vehicles. Pedestrians and cyclists need to be visible at all times, especially at night – wear bright and reflective clothing and lighting!

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 [RESPONSE TRUNCATED]

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?

Much of the current problem is due to lack of officers physically on patrol either walking the beat or in patrol cars. I will ensure full funding of SFPD, ensure they hire the maximum number of officers, and separately, I also propose to redirect much of city resources from “low hanging fruit” violations (such as expired parking meter) enforcement, and instead focus on the serious moving violations enforcement.

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 

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?

I agree that the park should be either permanently closed to most through traffic (such as is seen in central park in NYC), or very restricted. Overall, we do need completely protected bike lanes to avoid the “sharing” of a lane by both vehicles and bikes. Another proposal is to also create totally new bike-only lanes and cut-throughs, through portions of the park.

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?

No [RESPONSE TRUNCATED] 

Return to November 2016 Candidate Summaries
 

 

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