Candidate campaign page: http://newmanforsenate.com/
Senator Bob Huff fas represented Senate District 29 since 2008, and unfortunately has a poor record on active transportation, with a failing 50% grade from the CalBike on his 2015 voting record. There are three candidates vying to succeed the longtime Senator, and with that recent history, the stakes could not be higher for the eastern Los Angeles County communities of West Covina, Diamond Bar, and Walnut. Josh Newman offers a welcome and much needed change for the district, with a strong platform on active transportation that includes sustained funding for bicycle infrastructure, support for Vision Zero, and a focus on the community health benefits of active transportation. We are proud to endorse Josh Newman for California State Senate, and look forward to seeing his leadership in Sacramento to promote a more sustainable Southern California.
(See below for Josh Newman’s full CalBike questionnaire response)
1. Do you ride a bicycle in your district and/or in Sacramento?
Yes
2. If yes, for what purpose(s) and how often? How do you most commonly commute to work?
I use my bike to get around on short errands in Fullerton, as well as for recreation and exercise
3. If no, what would inspire you, and the 60% of people who are interested in riding, but concerned about safety to ride a bike for transportation?
N/A
4. Would you commit to joining a group ride with local advocates along a route that illustrates the bicycle infrastructure conditions of the district you are running for?
Yes
5. Caltrans has established a goal to triple the number of bike trips by 2020. Do you support this goal?
Yes
6. Research has shown that the most effective way to boost the number of people bicycling is to create interconnected “complete bikeway networks” of physically protected bike lanes and traffic-calmed streets. The California Bicycle Coalition is seeking to create a new state program to provide large grants of $25-$50 million to build such networks in the communities which need it most. It will incentivize holistic planning of networks rather than piecemeal planning of one street at a time. Do you support using state funds for a competitive complete bikeway network grant program?
Yes
7. Do you support our complete streets provisions in SBX 1-1 of the special session to mandate the inclusion of “new bicycle and pedestrian safety, access, and mobility improvements” in every non-freeway road project funded by the state? It calls for sidewalks and protected bike lanes or bike paths in transit-dense areas on most roads with a speed limit over 25 miles per hour.
Yes
8. The Active Transportation Program (ATP), the sole state funding source for biking, walking, and safe routes to school improvements, was created by the Brown administration in 2013 with the stated intention to increase it continually. However, the Governor’s latest budget proposes no increase for the third straight year. Current funding levels on a per capita basis place California in the middle of the pack among states who provide dedicated active transportation funding. To reflect Caltrans’ goal to triple biking and double walking trips by 2020, do you support doubling the ATP?
Yes
9. Bike sharing programs are spreading throughout California, but they often do not reach low-income neighborhoods. Do you support providing state funds to allow these programs to serve all Californians who could reasonably benefit, in the same way that public transit serves the public?
Yes
10. About 3,000 people are killed on California streets every year. Do you support a “Vision Zero” goal of zero traffic fatalities by a certain date?
Yes
11. The California Air Resources Board estimates that 38% of California’s 447 million metric tons of carbon emitted every year comes from the transportation sector, which along with other emissions, results in thousands of deaths and millions of dollars in wasted health care spending. What do you feel are the three most important actions the state should take to reduce carbon emissions from transportation?
A. Raise CAFE standards
B. Promote non-automotive modes of transit
C. Promote alternative fuel vehicles
12. Should cap-and-trade funds be used for highway congestion relief projects that expand road capacity?
Yes
13. If you could send out one tweet to the bike community that you think would win over their support, what would it say?
You’re on the right path. Keep leading the way in California! #bikeCA
14. Do you have any other comments or questions about how you have supported or would support the California Bicycle Coalition’s mission of enabling more people to bicycle for healthier, safer, and more prosperous communities for all?
One other necessary element in a comprehensive approach that leads to more people using bicycles as a key mode of transit is an emphasis on public health that promotes better nutrition, exercise, and a non-sedentary lifestyle among Californians of all income levels and demographics.