Democratic candidates for City Council, Dave Norris and Kristin Szakos, and Democratic candidate for City Sheriff James Brown are seeking to promote greater bike and pedestrian access and safety in Charlottesville.
Szakos and Norris held a joint news conference today outside of the IGA Supermarket, where they laid out their bike and pedestrian safety platform.
According to the candidates, enhancing pedestrian traffic will provide substantial health, environmental and economic benefits for the city without necessarily requiring significant funding. Though some proposals will need capital investments, other steps can be taken in terms of education, city government structure and local ordinances to improve bicycle and pedestrian safety.
“These are all things we could do right now,” said Szakos. “It’s a quality of life issue for all of us.”
During today’s press conference, Dave Norris and Kristin Szakos addressed questions from the local press regarding the costs of their proposals. "Ultimately, it’s about saving money," said Szakos.
Charlottesville scored a 7 out of 11 in a recent Virginia Active Transportation Index, whereas Albemarle County scored a 10 out of 11. This study, conducted by BikeWalk Virginia, notes that Charlottesville does not have bicycle, pedestrian, or transportation advisory committees. Additionally, Charlottesville has yet to pass an ordinance requiring bicycle helmets for children under the age of 14, as authorized by the state.
The candidates feel that Charlottesville is an ideal city for bicycle commuting, and as such, more designated bicycle lanes on city streets and off-road paths are needed, specifically for bicycle and pedestrian traffic. There is also a need for better pedestrian protection in crosswalks. For example, road-level flashing lights at some crosswalks downtown and in the University area have been installed; the candidates propose that their use should be expanded.
They also believe that city schools should expand bicycle safety programs for students, such as on-bike safety instruction, and should provide safe routes to walk to all city schools.
“It’s not enough to have ideas. We really need leaders to take these ideas and put them into action,” said Norris. “We need to start now.”
