2017 Mayoral Candidate Report Card: Diane “Pinky” Harman
Primary Election day: Tuesday, March 7, 7am-8pm
Find your polling place: http://lavote.net/locator
Vision for Livable Communities: C
Prioritization of Safety: B
Commitment to Equity: (not enough info to grade)
Commitment to Collaboration: (not enough info to grade)
Overall Bike The Vote LA Grade: C
Upbeat and effervescent local personality Diane “Pinky” Harman is running a mayoral campaign aimed at bringing attention to noble goals like addressing bullying in schools and changing how LAPD addresses victims of stalking. Though she does not yet display a depth of knowledge regarding safe streets or active transportation, we appreciate the support she expresses in her questionnaire response for making City streets safer for all who use them.
(See below for Diane Harman’s response to Bike The Vote L.A.)
1. In 2015, Los Angeles approved Mobility Plan 2035, the first update to the Transportation Element of its General Plan since 1999. Mobility Plan 2035 puts “safety first” in transportation decisions, and provides a vision for a transportation system composed of safe and quality transit, bicycle, pedestrian, and automotive options. How would you like to see this Plan implemented, and how do you envision Los Angeles’ transportation system in 2022 at the end of the next Mayoral term?
Our infrastructure would be fixed so pipes and roads wouldn’t have pot holds.
People who worked close to their houses would walk or take a bicycle.
Car pools would be the norm rather than a rarity
Traffic and congestion would be reduced.
2. How can Los Angeles catch up to peer cities such as New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and Seattle in terms of quality of roadway infrastructure and bicycle-friendliness?
Seattle in terms of quality of roadway infrastructure and bicycle friendliness.
First of all, we need to make our infrastructure as our first priority. I would look at the
Budget and eliminate waste. In addition, I would look at property Los Angeles owns that
We could sell to get the income needed to fix our infrastructure. People driving autos
Have to be more aware of the people in the bike lanes. We have to lower the speed
In places where bike lanes are prevalent. Bikers have to wear clothing that they can be
Seen in to avoid accidents.
3. On August 24, 2015, Mayor Garcetti signed Executive Directive 10, setting ‘Vision Zero’ as a policy for Los Angeles, with the goal of eliminating traffic-related deaths within 10 years. In order to meet this goal, LADOT identified a “High Injury Network” to prioritize safety improvements on L.A.’s most dangerous streets. However, after a year and a half, we have seen very little concrete action to reduce transportation-related deaths on City streets. What do you see as the critical hurdles for improving safety on Los Angeles streets, and how would you work to address these impediments in reducing speeding in order to save lives?
Reduce cars as far as we can. If you spot someone speeding on the road call 911 if possible and get their
License number. People in cars and pedestrians have to be vigilant in taking responsibility. Too often people look the other way.
4. In 2011 the City of Los Angeles adopted a Bicycle Master Plan identifying a network of bike lanes to make bicycle commuting a safe and comfortable commuting option. However, after most easy-to-install bike lanes were implemented, the City largely stopped pursuing reconfigurations of roads to accommodate bike lanes on streets where the number of travel lanes might be affected. Since Mayor Garcetti took office, implemented bike lane miles have plummeted from 251 in FY2013-14 and 120 in FY2014-15 to 38 in FY2014-15 and a mere 17 in FY2015-16. Do you see a network of bicycle infrastructure as an important component to making Los Angeles a bike-friendly city? If so, what will your administration do within the next Mayoral term to accelerate the development of a comprehensive network of bike lanes in Los Angeles?
Yes. I will cut the waste in the budget, so that it will be possible. In addition, we have a lot of property we can sell. There are ways to fund this.
5. Much emphasis in transportation engineering has been placed in recent years on protected bike lanes and protected intersections. New York City began installing modern parking-protected bicycle lanes in 2007. Los Angeles has started to follow suit, installing short stretches of protected bike lanes in the 2nd Street Tunnel, on Reseda Blvd, on westbound Venice Blvd, on Los Angeles Street, and on southbound Van Nuys Blvd. But with many of these installations limited to ½-mile segments, separated by many miles across a large city, and no protected intersections implemented in Los Angeles; they hardly represent a viable backbone to support bicycle commuting for all ages and skill levels. How do you plan to implement the protected bike lane network envisioned in Mobility Plan 2035, seeing as so far only about 1.1 lane miles of the 300 planned lane miles have been been built in the year and a half since the Plan was adopted? When can Angelenos expect to rely on a system of protected bike lanes to get them around Los Angeles, as commuters now do in New York and Chicago?
The lanes have to be fluorescent so drivers will see the people riding their bicycles in the bicycle lanes. Paint the bike lanes so drivers can see the biker be more visible. Those employees will be part of an expanded Department of Transport workforce, which would have a benefit in increasing jobs.
The system will take time, however, we need to start with baby steps.
6. A 2014 report by the L.A. Times noted a rise in hit & run crimes against people on bikes in Los Angeles. What action will your administration take – both at the local level and in working with State legislators – to reduce hit & run crimes?
I would have people be more observant when this happens and have them write down the license. They can use their cell phones if the car is close enough. Educate the public In terms of responsibility to stop. Everyone will have to take a class once a year before they get their license. I will increase the number of emergency phones on the road.
7. Bike share systems have been implemented across Los Angeles, but as systems expand to different areas of Los Angeles and neighboring cities, experts foresee three major obstacles: stations that are discontinuous/too far apart, stations with unsafe walking conditions that limit access, and systems that are out of reach for low-income residents. What areas would you like to see bike share expanded to within Los Angeles, and what should the City be doing to make these systems more accessible, affordable, and useful to all Angelenos?
I would like to see bike share expanded in the car parking areas for the various stadiums. The more populous places would take priority.