Ezra Johnson - District 10

Name of Candidate:  Ezra Johnson
Website:  https://ezraforsa.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ezra4SA/
Twitter:  @Ezra4SA.

Position running for: City Council, District 10

 Score:  100% Bicycle Friendly

Question 1: "You're driving along and you encounter a person on a bicycle taking up the entire lane. What is your reaction?  

A, That's illegal and they should be riding on the sidewalk.  

B, Intimidate them so they will learn their place on the roadway.  

C, It's okay to hit them with your car, and it's their fault for being in the way.  

D, None of the above.  

Reason for answer:  A cyclist has the legal right to use the entire lane, and is entitled to use the road free from harassment and intimidation caused by aggressive and unsafe driving.    

Question 2: Running for Council: Will you as a Council Member focus on putting down a Protected Bicycle Lane on the busiest corridor in your district? And what is the busiest corridor in your district?   
Yes.  
Comments:  Protected bike lanes have been shown to increase economic activity and spur the creation of walkable developments.  I honestly don’t know if the Naco-Perrin Corridor is truly the busiest in the district, but it bifurcates D10 and has long been identified as a corridor of interest for transit and future development.  I want to see a fully separated/protected bike lane running from the Alamo to Rolling Oaks Mall via Broadway/Austin Highway/Perrin-Beitel/Nacogdoches until it eventually links up with the proposed Austin to San Antonio trail connection.  Such a protected lane would also conveniently link trailheads on the Salado Creek Greenway and the Museum Reach so that many, many more residents would have safe, direct bicycle access to the trails.  

Question 3:  "How should the Linear Creekways be funded, and on which improvement to the Linear Creekway do you want the funds to be spent?"  
Answer: If the county won’t keep its promise to take over funding responsibilities, trail expansion should continue through the cyclical city bonding process.  For myself, the most important element to focus on is connecting the Salado Creek Greenway through Fort Sam Houston.  I would also like to see a connection between the Salado and Olmos trails with connections to Alamo Quarry Market.   As a matter of equity, the West Side trails have been underfunded and need to catch up with the rest of the system.   

Question 4:  "Do you support increased funds to expand and maintain VIA bus services and routes?"   
Absolutely yes.
Reason for answer:   As the immediate past Vice-Chair of the VIA Metropolitan Transit, I’ve dedicated the last several years to successfully increasing funds to expand and maintain VIA bus services and routes and will continue to do so on council.  I will continue to advocate for maintaining the city’s financial contribution to VIA that ensures greater frequency of service on some of the system’s most important routes.  I will also work on council to support the next phases of the Keep SA Moving Plan through the cyclical bond process and assist VIA in obtaining federal matching funds necessary to construct dedicated bus rapid transit lanes.    

Question 5:  "Should funding for more bicycle lanes and pedestrian safety education be included in the city's annual transportation budget?"  
Yes.
Reason for Answer: I support the Vision Zero initiative and as a past board representative on the AAMPO, I know that we cannot pave our way out of traffic congestion.  Increased mobility options, such as more frequent public transit and the innovative mobility programs I championed at VIA, together with increased measures to ensure pedestrian safety are fundamental to addressing our future transportation needs. In addition, a focus on pedestrian safety must be about more than just education.  It must also be a part of our planning process.     

Back to candidate list:   https://aatblog210.blogspot.com/p/bicycle-voters-guide-2021.html