Candidate campaign page: https://www.luislopez.org/
Luis Lopez is a progressive community advocate with strong roots in Northeast Los Angeles, and has shown a solid grasp of progressive transportation issues. After a strong showing in the 2012 election for the AD51 seat, Lopez certainly finds himself among the frontrunners to succeed Jimmy Gomez. His response to Bike The Vote L.A. offers thoughtful and promising commitments on equitable transportation funding, Vision Zero, bike share expansion, and California’s adoption of the ‘Idaho Stop.’
Bike The Vote L.A. 2017 Primary Grade: A-
(See below for full candidate questionnaire response)
1. What future do you see for active mobility, and public transit in the daily lives of Angelenos, particularly those who lack access to cars and rely on these other modes as their primary way of getting around?
I believe that with the right leadership, changes in development and further investment in public transit, LA can change from a car-dominant city defined by traffic and millions of lost hours of productivity daily. Fulfilling this policy objective means ensuring that new development is linked to public transit, defined by walkability, complete streets, and is accessible to jobs, schools, hospitals and parks.
2. Do you support Vision Zero, an approach to street safety that treats each fatality as preventable and seeks to eliminate traffic deaths on public roads?
I believe in Mayor Garcetti’s Vision Zero and ending traffic deaths in LA by 2025. The first step, as identified the Los Angeles Department of Transportation, is focusing on the six percent of LA’s streets that account for two-thirds of all deaths and severe injuries. Some of these intersections are in Northeast and Eastside L.A., affecting the lives of residents here, including children and seniors.
3. In Los Angeles, low-income communities of color are disproportionately burdened by the impacts of streets designed primarily for cars, without receiving proportional funding for their mobility modes like walking, biking, and quality mass transit. Would you support legislation to add a ‘complete streets’ policy to SB 1, California’s newly augmented gas tax, to direct revenues to projects and programs that benefit pedestrians, bicyclists and transit-dependent communities?
Yes, I support the inclusion of complete streets in California’s newly augment gas tax. Streets should be designed for multiple modes of transportation and be safe for pedestrians, bicyclists and public transit, along with cars. Complete streets would accomplish this goal and lead the way toward Vision Zero.
4. In 2017, Assembly Members Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) and Jay Obernolte (R-Hesperia) introduced AB1103, a bill to enact an “Idaho Stop” adjustment to traffic code that allows cyclists to safely yield right of way at stop signs. This bill would help to reduce subjective traffic stops by law enforcement for a practice that is common by people on bikes and was endorsed by the L.A. Times Editorial Board. Will you commit to support an “Idaho Stop” bill that allows people on bikes to safely yield at stop signs as it comes up in the 2018 legislative session?
I support adoption of the “Idaho Stop” and if elected, I would vote for its enactment in California. After 30 years of this policy, Idaho has seen a reduction in bicycle injuries and deaths. I believe it is time for California to see if this same policy will reduce bicycle injuries and deaths.
5. Would you support expanding state funding for bike share, and providing incentives for low-income individuals to afford high quality, family-friendly bikes that empower more economical mobility such as electric bikes and cargo bikes?
I support expanding state funding for bike share, as bike share offers individuals an affordable, high quality option for mobility. One problem for low-income communities is their lack of transportation options – increasing the availability of bike shares would increase low-income communities’ transit options.