Steven Johnson
Candidate for: City Council, 6th District
steventjohnson6th.com
Describe your vision of a healthy, safe, and equitable transportation system for Baltimore city and what roles walking, biking, and public transportation play in that vision.
I believe that our city, and the citizens deserve strong multimodal transportation options. In order to have a city that is moving forward, our decision, and ideas also have to be forward thinking. However, forward thinking, doesn't mean without community voice. There is a space & place where everyone can win, and all needs can be met; that will take true conversations from idea to inception, ensuring the process is inclusive of the people, for the people.
To meet Baltimore City’s adopted climate goals, we must shift at least 10% of current automobile vehicle miles traveled to active transportation and public transit. What is your plan to achieve this goal?
At this time, we live in a city, where basic city services are not reliable, from trash pickup to 311 service requests, timely bus service, multimodal transportation options, to accurately billing residents for water usage. If we wish for these goals to occur, we have to make efforts of working together, and executing on these ideas, and not let them get stuck in the cycle of being just another great idea. If we want our city to grow, and people to move in, or move back, we have to have a robust transportation outfit, and it doesn't hurt, that the environment benefits too.
What is your plan to continue to reduce the number of injuries and deaths on Baltimore City roadways each year?
Ensuring we are addressing speed limits, increased signage for drivers to be aware of pedestrians, and responsible enforcement of driving laws, without over policing our communities.
How often do you walk, bike or use public transit to reach daily destinations? If not often (or at all), what would make you more likely to use non-personal vehicle modes of transportation?
I don't bike much, and also use public transportation sparingly. I would use other modes of transportation, if I didn't have small children, and or our transportation system was more reliable, covering more areas of service.
In 2017, Baltimore City adopted the Separated Bike Lane Network Plan Addendum to the Bike Master Plan. This called for connecting 85% of Baltimore’s neighborhoods to safe, all-ages bike infrastructure by 2022. Less than 20% of this network has been built. What would you do to accelerate implementation?
I would first get feedback from community stakeholders as to how these implantations affect and impact them both negatively and positively and come to a compromised solution comprised of the needs, and wants for everyone, inclusive of the needs for our city to grow. Ensuring everyone's voices are heard, is super critical. Compromise can be uncomfortable, but we grow the most in places of discomfort. This means we have to do things different, if we want different results for our fair city.
In 2018, Baltimore City received national recognition for passing the first equity driven Complete Streets ordinance in the country. This legislation contains a modal hierarchy prioritizing vulnerable road users and mandates best practices in roadway configuration and design. Are you committed to retaining this ordinance and the current practices and modal hierarchy it mandates?
As long as the outcome shows true equity, and inclusion of all in the final decision, I can support this.
Traffic analysis by firms hired to study safety improvements surrounding the Poly Western campus show a standard road diet is feasible on Falls Road between Northern Parkway and Coldspring Lane, and will not impede automobile traffic. In concert with the other safety recommendations, do you support a road diet at this location and installation of a walking and biking sidepath between Coldspring Lane and Northern Parkway, connecting schools, Cross Keys, and the coming park space at Baltimore Country Club?
I support smart decisions. Legislation, that is in the best interest of the people. The amount of vehicles that travel this road way daily, is massive, creating more opportunities for school students getting hit by a vehicle. As long as council members decisions are in the best interest of the stakeholders in this area I am all in, this is the only way I support anything.
Agree or disagree?Do you support maintaining the city’s micro-mobility program that provides dockless bikes and scooters?
No
Would you support creation of a government subsidized bike share system?
I think safety is important, and I'd prefer to see a system that's city owned to provide this service. This allows our city to reap the benefits of the purchases and usage of the bike equipment. We can't afford to continue privatization of our resources, if we want to see our city grow.
Would you support local legislation to subsidize the purchase of e-bikes and membership for micro-mobility or bike share systems?
Yes
Are you committed to retaining every piece of separated bike infrastructure in the city that’s been built?
Allotments should be made for multimodal transportation. However, a holistic plan must be created that provides infrastructure supported by the majority of our community. Elected officials should then help facilitate this compromise, and help to see the project through until completion.
Cars are often longer than a single rowhome is wide. Households with multiple vehicles compete for parking in front of other neighbors’ homes. Do you support scaling residential permit parking fees to either the size of or number of vehicles in a household so those with more vehicles parked on city streets pay their fair share?
I live in a neighborhood, where permit parking doesn't exsist, however, I'd like to think tank around a solution, with the community that works for all, and everyone feels their voices are heard,
Do you support a citywide speed limit of 25mph on arterials and 20mph on neighborhood streets?
Yes
Do you support banning turns on red at all intersections that permit pedestrian crossing?
Yes
Do you support expanding automated enforcement to all roads that have high rates of crashes and speeding, not just near school zones?
Yes
Do you support legislation to create income-based traffic enforcement fine reductions or waivers locally?
Yes
Do you support allowing increased density adjacent to high-quality transit, grocery stores, Main Street districts, and in other high-amenity neighborhoods?
Yes
Do you support increasing Transit Oriented Development zoning to include all areas within a quarter mile of high-frequency bus routes and a half-mile of light rail and metro stations?
Development is our fair city, has been historically inequitable, and it's imperative that we ensure perspectives, need, and wants are heard and considered in the development planning process. Inclusivity of our community keeps us above board.
Minimum parking requirements are shown to increase housing costs while limiting potential density and making neighborhoods less walkable. Do you support removing parking minimums from new development?
Parking, as we know is a premium in our city, especially in our downtown and areas alike. I am an advocate for walkable neighborhoods, for every citizen not just those who annual salaries make them "eligible" for safe & walkable communities. If parking options are being lessened in our downtown, that's to be expected of a metropolitan city. However, I feel the strategy has to shift when we are talking about residential neighborhoods and communities; the community should have valued input.
Do you support removing single family residential zoning categories, so that people can choose to build and live in a variety of housing options citywide?
Yes