Mark Arthur Vargas, Jr. - District 3

Name of Candidate:  Mark Arthur Vargas, Jr.r

Website:  https://mark4sa.com/
Facebook:  facebook.com/mark4sa
Twitter:  @mark4sa  

Score:  81.6% Bicycle Friendly 

Position running for: City Council District 3  

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:   My answer is D. I firmly believe in the importance of Bike Riding and sharing the road here in D3. As an avid Bike Rider myself, I often find myself worried about riding along certain roads within my district because of the lack of bike lanes. Because I also do not have a Bike Rack, it makes travelling with the bike difficult, unless I ride it myself, while passing busy roads and traffic.

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:  Yes, I will pledge to increase bike lanes. District 3 has grown immensely over the past decade and that growth will only continue. I think it is important that we expand and grow our protected bike lanes with it. While I do not know the exact busiest corrider, I can say that the Goliad and Military intersection, along with the City Base development area that stretches past South Presa has massively increased in traffic. Now, we cannot simply add bike lanes to these areas overnight, we need to make sure it is done in a smart and safe manner for our riders and drivers. But I will pledge to reviewing such measures


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: Yes, the Linear Creekway project should continue to be funded and can be addressed in a review of the budget. I believe we are at an important junction in our city’s history with the pandemic highlighting various inequities within our city, but especially in D3. We have some of the highest rates of obesity and other health conditions. By making the outdoors recreation easier and more accessible, we can address these issues.


Question 4:  "Do you support increased funds to expand and maintain VIA bus services and routes?"    
Yes
Reason for answer: I do support increasing funding for VIA and transportation services. I think our city needs to prepare to adapt to the changing times, especially if we hope to compete with other cities. An improved and effective bus and mass transportation system can help our city. 


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:  Yes, bikes are a form of transportation that will utilize our city services. I think it would mean a great deal if our city put that commitment to safe bike travel for all citizens. We need to start treating this, as a valid option for our citizens to utilize. The Vision Zero Initiative is such a proposal that can help us educate every driver, rider, and pedestrian to make sure that people are safely traversing our roads.

 

 

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

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