We asked this year's candidates for Houston City Council what they
think about several transportation policy issues that affect neighborhoods.
Most questions included background information. Our questions and
the candidates' responses are presented in six sections:
|
| Q1a: What transportation issue would you most like to work on? |
Q1b: Your most important initiative to address this issue? |
| Mayor |
| Anthony Dutrow |
No response to date |
|
| Jack Terence |
No response to date |
|
| Bill White |
No response to date |
|
| At large #1 |
| Peter Brown |
Houston lacks a comprehensive transportation plan. We need a well thought out approach that links transportation planning and expansion of multi-modal public transit to future growth, development and redevelopment, based on a shared vision for a great 21st century city and region. |
1. A comprehensive plan to be adopted by 2007. 2. A street and highway classification program, including high capacity boulevards, relating development intensity to street types/capacity. 3. An improved scenic streets and highways program. |
Michael Griffin |
No response to date |
|
Rogelio Morales |
No response to date |
|
| At large #2 |
Hipolito Acosta |
No response to date |
|
Jay Aiyer |
No response to date |
|
John Elford |
Elevating all future mass transit systems |
Giving the Council and other elected officials more control over the future mass transit plans and products |
Sue Lovell |
Public transportation. I believe METRO can do a better job of spending its dollars where they can be most effective. METRO needs to be more accountable to the community it serves. |
First, METRO needs to take community input more seriously - and live up to its promises. It is ironic that METRO's biggest train wreck was on the rail lines it's not building - the lines promised to residents of minority neighborhoods on the East side of Main Street that have been shortchanged by City Hall for generations.I challenge METRO to make a lasting investment in the communities it betrayed by investing in people - not just infrastructure. Specifically, METRO should recruit local neighborhood residents for the thousands of jobs to be created by this multi-billion dollar public works project, and coordinate with local workforce training programs to provide jobs training. By investing in our people, METRO can begin to rebuild broken trust and get back on track with minority communities. |
James B. Neal |
No response to date |
|
| At large #3 |
Shelley Sekula-Gibbs (I) |
The transportation issue facing Houston I would most like to work on is multi-modal transportation in all areas, including freeways, mass transit, and improved freight rail and car intersections. |
During my third term on City Council, I will work with Congressmen and Senators to pursue federal funding for freight rail and people rail corridors. |
James Partsch-Galvan |
No response to date |
|
| At large #4 |
| Ronald Green (I) |
I want to work to reduce commute times to work and implement the next phase of light rail. These are the two most important transportation issues that my constituents relay to me. |
Working with the Mayor Bill White, the City Council has implemented many programs in the Houston area to improve transportation and mobility. The Safe Clear Program was created to increase road safety and improve travel times in the region. Recently, the City received federal funding in future budgets to initiate the next phase of its light rail project and regional mobility programs. In addition, the City has synchronized traffic signals, improved management of street construction projects, and worked to reroute freight trains around the City. These initiatives will help reduce commute times for our citizens. |
| At large #5 |
| Michael Berry (I) |
No response to date |
|
| Michael Stoma |
Short term: Reestablish bus routes in the 3rd, 4th, and 5th Wards that were cut by Metro and deem necessary by resident citizens. Long term: Implementation of light and heavy rail to the suburbs. |
Ask the Mayor for Chairmanship of the Transportation committee then arrange regular meetings between all stakeholders to address the issues outlined in Q1a. This meeting would have established agendas with establish action item outcomes that would be assigned for execution and follow-up. |
| District A |
| Toni Lawrence (I) |
No response to date |
|
| Dennis Carter |
No response to date |
|
| District B |
| Tommie Ruth Allen |
No response to date |
|
| Angle Bush |
No response to date |
|
| Felicia Galloway-Hall |
General Mobility |
Enhanced incentives for commuters and employers such that we create an atmosphere that constantly places Houston's mobility at the forefront of our decisions. |
| Robin German-Curtis |
The transportation issue facing Houston that I would most like to work on is the poor connectivity of underserved communities to major employment centers, i.e. Medical Center, airports, etc… |
The most important initiative to address this problem that I would introduce is the expansion of bus service through the creation of more short run and/or expansion of regular bus service lines. |
| Anna Gray |
No response to date |
|
| Willie J. Hunter |
No response to date |
|
| Charles Ingram |
No response to date |
|
| Jarvis Johnson |
No response to date |
|
| District C |
| Anne Clutterbuck |
Issues relating to traffic and parking in District C residential neighborhoods. |
I will work with regional transportation authorities to advocate for the needs of District C neighborhoods, such as Westbury and Meyerland, and to ensure that traffic from projects such as the Ft. Bend Toll Road are not diverted through our residential neighborhoods. I will have daily, onsite communication with contractors implementing the road repairs and reconstruction on projects such as the Kirby reconstruction to ensure that area residences and merchants are inconvenienced as little as possible and that the project is completed in a swift and timely fashion. I will continue to work on the Permit Parking Ordinance to allow flexibility to adapt to each neighborhood where it is in place. |
| Brian Cweren |
Road congestion. |
Improved road system and examine if public would utilize mass transit systems. |
| George Hittner |
No response to date |
|
| Ray Jones |
No response to date |
|
| Mark Lee |
The transportation issue facing Houston that I would most like to work on is enhancing mobility. |
My most important initiative would be to work with the private sector to encourage flexible work schedules, telecommuting, and car or van pooling. |
| Herman Litt |
No response to date |
|
| Judith Siverson |
Condition of streets and congestion on Houston's freeways |
I would meet with District C residents to identify and prioritize street projects. Many streets in District C require reconstruction and will need to be added to the CIP budget, but many are also in need of immediate repairs. I would work with the Mayor's office and Public Works to see that repairs are completed and that reconstruction projects are scheduled. |
| District D |
| Ada Edwards (I) |
No response to date |
|
| District E |
| Addie Wiseman (I) |
No response to date |
|
| District F |
| Khalid Khan |
No response to date |
|
| M.J. Khan (I) |
No response to date |
|
| John Shike |
No response to date |
|
| District G |
| Pam Holm (I) |
No response to date |
|
| District H |
| Adrian Garcia (I) |
I have several priorities that I wish to focus on including getting the BRT/LRT project started on time, as well as getting consensus on the North Hardy Corridor plan established. Finally to confirm the proposed Intermodal Facility. |
Community input at the decision-making table. Just as at today's HGAC-TPC meeting, I will stand up to ensure the community's voice is heard. |
| Larry Williams |
No response to date |
|
| District I |
| Carol Alvarado (I) |
No response to date |
|
| John Parras |
No response to date |
|
Last updated Fri Nov 4, 2005.
