2017 Los Angeles CD9 Primary Endorsements: Jorge Nuño and Adriana Cabrera

Primary Election day: Tuesday, March 7, 7am-8pm
Find your Council District: http://neighborhoodinfo.lacity.org/
Find your polling place: http://lavote.net/locator

Los Angeles’ 9th Council District comprises areas of South Los Angeles and Historic South Central, the areas of Los Angeles most negatively affected by a long history of divestment, disenfranchisement through redlining, and repressive policing. Not surprisingly, the 9th District includes the communities facing the highest rates of extreme poverty and economic hardship, among the highest rates of childhood obesity, and some of the lowest rates of vehicle ownership in the City. Access to quality mobility options is but one of many challenges facing the District.

Two home-grown community advocates offer a cause of optimism for South LA: Jorge Nuño and Adriana Cabrera. Each candidate offers a thoughtful and bold vision for transportation in the 9th District and beyond, and each recognizes the importance of active transportation as a component of household economics for those without access to cars.

Under Councilmember Curren Price Jr., the 9th District has languished. The District has been a flashpoint for protests over community and police relations after the shooting death of Ezell Ford in 2014. Much needed development across the District’s vacant lots has been limited to isolated projects unfocused on the needs of current residents. Due to the City’s failure to address outdated and dangerous street design, a large proportion of the District’s streets are on the City’s High Injury Network.

From unnecessary delay of the MyFigueroa project, to shutting community members out of the decision making process for Central Avenue’s Great Street project, to upending the quality of the recently-adopted Mobility Plan 2035 by eliminating inclusion of the street with the highest amount of bicycle travel in the City, Price has done just about everything in his power to ensure a lack of progress in improving safety on South L.A. streets (Note: Price did not respond to Bike The Vote L.A.’s candidate questionnaire).

The contrast between Price’s inaction and the bold determination to improve the quality of life for South LA residents by Nuño and Cabrera is striking. In his response to Bike The Vote L.A.’s questions, Nuño promises to “introduce a plan to make sure that Central Avenue is placed back into the Mobility plan 2035 and that it is designated as an avenue that requires bicycle safety improvements.” Nuño recognizes that many residents of South L.A. use bikes as a primary mode of transport to get to work, and deserve a dignified option to do so. Cabrera shared an equally strong commitment to prioritizing safety, saying “Central Avenue must be one of the streets designated for bicycle safety improvements.”

Nuño and Cabrera also made it clear that street design alone will not accommodate safe and equitable use of public space, each recognizing the role of law enforcement as a critical issue to address. Cabrera argues that heavy-handed policing has failed to make residents feel safer in their neighborhood, and calls for an enforcement approach based on engagement and education rather than ticketing. Nuño joins Cabrera in calling for stronger civilian oversight of the L.A. Police Department, and supports expanding the L.A.P.D.’s Community Safety Partnership Division and placing a 9th District resident on the Police Commission.

Nuño and Cabrera each offer a fresh and much needed perspective to improve the quality of life and opportunities available for 9th District residents. Bike The Vote L.A. is proud to endorse Jorge Nuño and Adriana Cabrera for Los Angeles City Council District 9.

 

For Jorge Nuño’s response to Bike The Vote L.A., click HERE
For Adriana Cabrera’s response to Bike The Vote L.A., click HERE

Below is 2017 City Council District 9 endorsement

Jorge Nuño’s full questionnaire response to Bike The Vote L.A.:

1. What role do you see for walking, transit, and biking 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?

It is no secret that the City of Los Angeles leads the world in traffic congestion. It is essential that we build development that encourages pedestrian walkability, that we update our existing transportation infrastructure to make our transportation system more safe and reliable, and that we increase safe bike lanes across the city that is accessible to points of interest, jobs, schools, and community gathering spaces.

2. Disenfranchisement and insecurity in the public space push many youth of color to seek safety and community in gang membership. How will you address these issues so that the area’s youth can play a participatory role in building a community that is safer and stronger for all?

The lack of safe gathering spaces in South Los Angeles was a major factor in the opening of the Big House. I created the Big House so the neighborhood kids could have a safe space from the gang culture that prevails in our neighborhoods, whether they use the space for homework or just to use the wifi. I want to take this model and replicate it throughout our public spaces, we can do this at our recreation centers and we can do this at our local libraries and schools. We can also partner with local business and create private-public partnerships that will maximize and leverage City funds to give our youth access to sorely needed resources.  

3. A longstanding lack of trust between law enforcement and the community has made passage through public space and on city streets rather fraught for many, especially teens and young men of color. What will you do to repair this relationship between law enforcement and the community they serve such that law enforcement can become a broadly trusted partner for CD9 residents?

We need to engage and invest in our youth, expand community policing and empower neighborhood organizations. Body cameras for example, have provided a new level of accountability and transparency between the public and the police. I believe that community policing is a strong tool in mending relationships. The Community Safety Partnership division of the LAPD is a fantastic model of community policing and as Councilmember I will advocate for the expansion of this program throughout CD 9 and South Los Angeles. A CD9 resident on the Police Commission is key in ensuring our concerns are heard.

4. Many residents in South Los Angeles lack access to cars. Of these, a large percentage, especially immigrants, depend on bikes as a way to get to work and school, but lack safe options to commute thanks to a host of factors, including prevalent speeding on city streets. Mobility Plan 2035 established “safety first” as the City’s top priority in transportation decisions. Do you support prioritizing the safety of Los Angeles’ most vulnerable commuters in implementing Mobility Plan 2035, both in CD9 and throughout Los Angeles?

So far the bicycle infrastructure expansion across the City seems to be aimed towards recreational uses, the multi-million dollar L.A. River bike path for example. I applaud the local elected officials that have championed that bike path and I am in support of safe, cycling infrastructure throughout the City but we cannot ignore the communities that use cycling as a main source of transportation to jobs. You are correct in stating that a large percentage of South Los Angeles residents depend on bikes to get to work but the build-out of the infrastructure network currently does not reflect that. A safe cycling network in South Los Angeles must be prioritized not just for recreational purposes but also for economic justice. Unfortunately, we do not have local elected officials in South Los Angeles that fight as hard for those bike lanes as other parts of the City do. I will fight my hardest to ensure that the Mobility Plan is implemented in an equitable and just way for the residents of South L.A.

5. Central Avenue has been the site of an increasing number of tragic fatal crashes over the past month, including Jorge Alvarez on December 19th and another unidentified man on December 7th. Despite high rates of injuries and deaths among people who commute by bike, Central was removed from Mobility Plan 2035’s network of streets designated for bicycle safety improvements, with the suggestion that people commuting by bike be steered towards Avalon Boulevard instead. Given that Central Avenue boasts the highest number of bicycle commuters of any street in Los Angeles, what will you do as Councilmember to ensure that people who currently commute on Central are able to do so safely?

I will introduce a plan to make sure that Central Avenue is placed back into the Mobility plan 2035 and that it is designated as an avenue that requires bicycle safety improvements. But, there is no reason why Avalon and Central cannot both be designated corridors for cycling commuters. These two avenues run through the most densely populated zip code in the country. In fact the only way we are going to ensure our cyclists and pedestrians are safe is to create a network of safe, multi-modal streets through South L.A. Multi-million dollar projects such as the ones proposed for Central Avenue, MyFig and the Slauson Active Transportation Corridor are big wins for the community but we must continue to make sure every street in our network is safe.

6. Los Angeles is beginning to employ bike share as a new transportation option, but many barriers to access remain, particularly the cost of riding and the fact that a credit card is needed to use the system. Some cities have offered subsidies to low-income riders and cash payment options to address these issues. What can the City of Los Angeles do to help as many residents as possible enjoy the benefits that bike share will bring?

Just like the rollout of bicycle lanes, the implementation of bike share in Los Angeles has largely been focused in downtown for recreational purposes. The communities of color can not participate in bike share if there is no station south of Martin Luther King Blvd. Because many of our communities live paycheck to paycheck, we must have subsidies to low-income residents.

Below is 2017 City Council District 9 endorsement Adriana Cabrera’s full questionnaire response to Bike The Vote L.A.:

1. What role do you see for walking, transit, and biking 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?

As a long-time commuter, I understand the importance of reliable public transportation and street safety while biking or walking to get around. We must provide and promote an affordable & environmentally friendly alternative for our stakeholders to commute. Notably, we see that African-American, Latin-American and Asian- Americans are leading the highest growth rate in the nation when it comes to cycling as their preferred method of transportation. Thus any decision made by the City of Los Angeles to create a bike friendly community needs to consider the impact that socioeconomic status has on people who rely on public transportation as a primary mode to get around.

2. Disenfranchisement and insecurity in the public space push many youth of color to seek safety and community in gang membership. How will you address these issues so that the area’s youth can play a participatory role in building a community that is safer and stronger for all?

One of my campaign goals is to empower young people to become confident, committed, and engaged leaders in our city. Currently, 53% of our city’s budget is going towards the LAPD which limits the amount of money spend on public programs for youth. As a councilmember, I will advocate for the reallocation of five percent of LAPD’s funding to our local libraries and after-school programs to create an active environment that promotes community, culture, and places an importance on education. I support the LA For Youth Campaign’s efforts to build the following: an L.A. City Youth Development Department; the establishment of a Youth Leadership Board; and the development of 15,000 youth jobs and paid internships.

3. A longstanding lack of trust between law enforcement and the community has made passage through public space and on city streets rather fraught for many, especially teens and young men of color. What will you do to repair this relationship between law enforcement and the community they serve such that law enforcement can become a broadly trusted partner for CD9 residents?

LAUSD has established a board of education to oversee our school district. Similarly, I propose an all community control over the police elected board which will have hiring and firing power over the police. Community members have lost faith and trust in our local law enforcement due to the several fatal shootings and traumatic violence carried out by officers.

4. Many residents in South Los Angeles lack access to cars. Of these, a large percentage, especially immigrants, depend on bikes as a way to get to work and school, but lack safe options to commute thanks to a host of factors, including prevalent speeding on city streets. Mobility Plan 2035 established “safety first” as the City’s top priority in transportation decisions. Do you support prioritizing the safety of Los Angeles’ most vulnerable commuters in implementing Mobility Plan 2035, both in CD9 and throughout Los Angeles?

We will support the Mobility Plan 2035 under two conditions. First, Central Avenue must be one of the streets designated for bicycle safety improvements. Secondly, enforcement on safety first for the plan must be backed not by police ticketing but by engaging community members about the laws on the road for both cyclists and drivers. A safety first initiative supported by policing will only harm our low-income residents who rely on cycling as a primary means of transportation. Many of our residents in the 9th district are in poverty, and so ticketing is not an option for our community.

5. Central Avenue has been the site of an increasing number of tragic fatal crashes over the past month, including Jorge Alvarez on December 19th and another unidentified man on December 7th. Despite high rates of injuries and deaths among people who commute by bike, Central was removed from Mobility Plan 2035’s network of streets designated for bicycle safety improvements, with the suggestion that people commuting by bike be steered towards Avalon Boulevard instead. Given that Central Avenue boasts the highest number of bicycle commuters of any street in Los Angeles, what will you do as Councilmember to ensure that people who currently commute on Central are able to do so safely?

The current model to increase safety along Central Avenue has been based on enforcement through the LAPD and has failed to bring about any tangible results. We seek to create a model not based on enforcement but trough educational, preventive measures led by community groups in public spaces and schools. As a councilmember, I will seek to educate both cyclists and car drivers about the proper way to share the road. I will work in close collaboration with the Department of Motor Vehicles to ensure that rules such as the 3 feet for safety act (CVC 21600) become normalized as we drive around our city.

6. Los Angeles is beginning to employ bike share as a new transportation option, but many barriers to access remain, particularly the cost of riding and the fact that a credit card is needed to use the system. Some cities have offered subsidies to low-income riders and cash payment options to address these issues. What can the City of Los Angeles do to help as many residents as possible enjoy the benefits that bike share will bring?

If elected I will work with our local bike shops in my district to create their unique bike share program that stores will utilize without the requirement of having a credit card. We are mindful of the effects that Metro’s bike share program may have on small bike businesses across the district. We seek to empower local business owners by stimulating new business ideas that will increase their revenue – this is a win-win situation. As a result, bike shop owners will increase their viability in the community and residents will have access to an affordable means of transportation.