1. Do you bike in New Mexico? Describe your experience biking for transportation and/or recreation.
Yes. I bike with a group on the weekends. We mostly bike along the river on the bosque trail, but we sometimes bike on other trails in Albuquerque or Santa Fe. I also bike to meetings and to run errands when it is feasible to do so.
2. Describe your vision of a healthy, safe, equitable transportation system for the Greater Albuquerque Region and the roles walking, biking, and public transportation play in that vision.
I envision streets in Albuquerque that are safe for individuals on bikes. In Germany there are many roads with a lane for pedestrians, a lane for bikes next to that lane and a lane for cars. And, you feel safe on the bike lane, and the pedestrian lane because they were designed to protect users. I think biking could be another small contribution to help solve our climate crisis.
3. What are the biggest barriers to getting people to choose walking, biking, and public transit instead of personal vehicles for daily trips, and what would you do to address these impediments?
Safety on the streets and roads is the biggest barrier. I am working on legislation to improve bike safety and will continue to do so in collaboration with the biking communities.
4. New Mexico consistently has the deadliest streets of any state in the US, with approximately 400 people killed by vehicles each year while walking, biking, or driving, and another 12,000 people injured. What should New Mexico, and in particular the New Mexico Department of Transportation, do to improve traffic safety?
Pass bicycle protection regulations and update roads and streets with bicycle safety as a prominent consideration.
5. The New Mexico DOT is currently pursuing a pair of projects related to Interstate 25, following the South I-25 Corridor Study that calls for the widening of Interstate 25 in Albuquerque from Sunport to the Big I, to 8 lanes from the current 6. Do you support urban freeway widenings, or how would you prefer NMDOT enhance transportation options in this corridor?
Accommodating cars without simultaneously accommodating bikes is short sighted. I would prefer that they ensure the plan supports bicycle commuters