September | 2020 | WeHoBYCO

West Hollywood Bicycle Coalition Candidate Questionnaire
West Hollywood City Council Election — Tuesday, November 3, 2020

On Tuesday, November 3, West Hollywood voters will head to the polls to decide a number of ballot measures and elected offices, among them will be two of the City Council’s five seats. The seats are at-large, meaning each council member represents the entire city.

The West Hollywood Bicycle Coalition crafted a seven-question questionnaire and sent it to all eleven candidates. Their completed questionnaires are linked to below, in alphabetical order.

As a chapter of a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition, we cannot endorse candidates, but we hope you find this information helpful as you educate yourselves about candidates.

For a sample ballot & precinct map, please visit the City’s Election Information Web page.

Completed questionnaires:

Larry Block
Jerome Cleary
John Duran (incumbent)
John Erickson
John Heilman (incumbent)
Christopher McDonald
Sepi Shyne
Mark Farhad Yusupov

We did not receive responses from the following candidates:

Marco Colantonio
Tom Demille (withdrew)
Noemi Torres

Larry Block Responses

1. What mode(s) of transportation do you use, and why?

Walking is my main mode of getting from place to place in our little village. I also use ride-sharing and the Metro bus. I live around the corner from my shop on Santa Monica Blvd and mostly walk to and from. I’m visually impaired and have a driver’s license that does not allow highway or night driving. My carbon footprint is quite small and my car is mostly used for work to pick up deliveries or for my staff to utilize.

2. Would (or do) you feel safe biking as a primary mode of transportation for short and medium-length trips? Why or why not?

This is a hard question for a disabled person. The most honest, upfront answer I can give is to project my feelings about using bikes as a primary mode of transportation.

As an owner of a small business with employees in the heart of West Hollywood, many of the staff need to use bicycles as their primary mode of getting to and from work. We provide a place for them to store their bicycles and we encourage all the staff to not take cars to and from home due to traffic and parking issues. My main concern is my employee’s safety and can reflect on various times that their safety can be compromised by drivers who are not paying attention. I believe that a young person in Los Angeles should be able to utilize biking as their primary mode of transportation. While it’s not for everyone, we must provide the connectivity to make biking a way of life.

3. What do you think the city should do to improve safety and convenience of bicycling in West Hollywood? Is there anywhere you feel the city should add additional bike lanes, greenways, and/or protections to existing bike lanes?

First, we need connectivity into Beverly Hills, on both the eastbound and westbound lanes. We also need to connect eastbound Sweetzer to the east. The number one goal is to make bike lanes clear and safe.

Second, I support moving bike lanes to the inside of the curb and having a safer zone for bikes. I’d go as far as to say I’d support one lane and encourage all other green forms of transportation in a green lane.

4. What do you think the city should do to promote and/or incentivize active transportation (such as bikes, scooters, and walking) in West Hollywood?

I’d answer this with ‘build it and they will come’, providing visually safe bike lanes will create a lifestyle that others will join and enjoy. The best promotion is happy, safe bikers. Scooters on the other hand seem to complicate things (sorry) – when they are left lying on the street all over, and roll on the sidewalks with no discipline. If we expand our bike lanes properly, scooters and bikes will co-exist safely, and that is the goal.

5. What do you think the city’s policy should be on shared scooters, bike-share, and other micro-mobility?

The city policy should be to promote safety first. Find a safe way to include scooters. Promote safe bike lanes and make a long term commitment to connectivity.

6. What are your thoughts on bringing Metro Rail to West Hollywood, and for first-mile, last-mile access to and from a subway stop?

I’m all for the Metro to West Hollywood. I’m not a big fan of the route through West Hollywood. I am not for displacement of residents in transit corridors or ripping up the street and killing the rest of our small businesses. Post pandemic and with more working from home I hope that we can continue to develop safe mass transit that people will use. I prefer Metro to La Brea, and south to Beverly, San Vicente first and the closest possible stop to West Hollywood at Fairfax.

7. Should the City consider adding more barriers to motor vehicle cut-through traffic on residential streets that are often used as thoroughfares?

Yes I support bike lanes on streets such as Willoughby or others. We must have complete connectivity with clear safe lines and lanes.

Jerome Cleary Responses

1. What mode(s) of transportation do you use, and why?

I drive and walk and use my bike. I use all of these because they can be fast and effective.

2. Would (or do) you feel safe biking as a primary mode of transportation for short and medium-length trips? Why or why not?

Yes, I would feel safe biking as my primary mode of transportation for short and medium-length trips because it’s a great way to get around. It’s quicker and faster than driving or walking.

I think the city should do a lot more to improve safety and convenience for all bike riders by making more bike paths in other areas and safeguarding them in a way that makes it more accessible and safer. The city should add additional bike lanes and greenways on main drags like Melrose, Fountain, Fairfax, LaCienega. Yes and protect the existing bike lanes with more pylons and signage and ad campaigns with the city.

4. What do you think the city should do to promote and/or incentivize active transportation (such as bikes, scooters, and walking) in West Hollywood?

I believe the city should promote to incentivize bikes and scooter and walking by creating a specific fun memorable media campaign throughout the city. This could be done simply in some ways with story telling by local residents in the ads and banners. This can also be done additionally by creating reminders that drivers can see as they pass by the streets.

5. What do you think the city’s policy should be on shared scooters, bike-share, and other micro-mobility?

The city’s policy has to be pro-active and specific since some of the failings of the scooters and electric bikes have been problematic. Part of the problem as we know had to do with the business model of encouraging anyone to just ditch and leave the scooter anywhere which including blocking sidewalks. This creates havoc for the elderly and handicap walking on our sidewalks. By illuminating the best assets of this micro-mobility we can specifically re-group in a better way in marketing their mass appeal and safety.

6. What are your thoughts on bringing Metro Rail to West Hollywood, and for first-mile, last-mile access to and from a subway stop?

My thought on this is that I highly encourage it all. My one note is that in the past 5 years no one could have predicted Lyft, Uber and the scooters so my concern is we should have a think tank to develop other ideas for transportation too. This can be done while another decade of Metro Rail construction continues onward.

7. Should the City consider adding more barriers to motor vehicle cut-through traffic on residential streets that are often used as thoroughfares?

Yes I think this would create safer havens especially for bike riders, scooters and people walking.

Councilman John Duran Responses

1. What mode(s) of transportation do you use, and why?

I walk to work. I am fortunate to live 2 blocks from my office. When I have to go to courts (as an attorney), I drive my vehicle.

2. Would (or do) you feel safe biking as a primary mode of transportation for short and medium-length trips? Why or why not?

Yes. I participated in 4 Aids Life Cycle rides from San Francisco to Los Angeles over the years. I think biking is safe in urban areas. However, the cyclist has to be wary of car doors swinging open and drivers not paying attention.

We are looking now at expanding transportation with motorized bikes (which I support) along with traditional bikes. I support shared use of the road.

4. What do you think the city should do to promote and/or incentivize active transportation (such as bikes, scooters, and walking) in West Hollywood?

Think the city has a long record of supporting bikes, walkability and Metro. I did vote against scooters when it was before us a few years ago. However, I would support scooter use in the city if we can find proper docking stations.

5. What do you think the city’s policy should be on shared scooters, bike-share, and other micro-mobility?

I generally support if we can find docking locations.

6. What are your thoughts on bringing Metro Rail to West Hollywood, and for first-mile, last-mile access to and from a subway stop?

I have been a consistent vote on bringing Metro to WeHo over the years. I support walking, bikes and scooters for first and last mile.

7. Should the City consider adding more barriers to motor vehicle cut-through traffic on residential streets that are often used as thoroughfares?

I do not support this concept.

John Erickson Responses

1. What mode(s) of transportation do you use, and why?

When I worked at City Hall, I got to and from work via the #4 or #704 bus because there was a stop right at City Hall. I only use my car when necessary. I will use the Metro Red Line to get to and from my work at Planned Parenthood Los Angeles. But because my job requires quit a bit of travel during the day on routes not serviced by Metro, I frequently have to use my car. In WeHo, I walk.

2. Would (or do) you feel safe biking as a primary mode of transportation for short and medium-length trips? Why or why not?

No. Currently our transportation infrastructure doesn’t prioritize the safety of cyclists on par with cars, and the idea of sharing lanes on roadways with cars moving at 50 mph seems too risky. We need to do more to protect bikers and pedestrians. While the city is making improvements, they are not enough to help individuals feel safe biking as a primary mode of transportation.

The city must invest in creating a network of protected bike lanes, where bicyclists are separated from cars with a physical barrier. And it must be planned with the greater context of regional bikeways in mind to ensure it is part of a broader network, and can be fully utilized as a primary mode of transportation. We need to look at what LADOT is planning for Melrose and how we can do something similar to create greater safety and priority for pedestrians and bikes on both east-west and north-south routes.

4. What do you think the city should do to promote and/or incentivize active transportation (such as bikes, scooters, and walking) in West Hollywood?

The primary work we have to do is safety. We know that the average trip length of cars in the area is well within a reasonable range for bicycles to become a much more heavily utilized mode of transportation. We can educate the public about bike share, increase available bicycle parking in commercial areas, and publicize maps of bike routes and bike parking to members of the community. Once we have strengthened safety for bicyclists and have upgraded our infrastructure, we can look at how we can partner with hotels in the area to encourage use of bikes, like providing information on routes and bike share.

5. What do you think the city’s policy should be on shared scooters, bike-share, and other micro-mobility?

The city must move forward, more quickly, to integrate micro-mobility as a strategic part of our transportation planning. We know that with our present (and even near-future) public transit system, we will continue to have last-mile challenges. West Hollywood has taken good steps with shuttle service, but micro-mobility really closes a lot of gaps. Whether it’s public, public-private partnership, or private, we can figure out the best way to deploy micro-mobility alongside bike share so that residents (and guests) can have safe, easy, and cost-efficient access to transportation options.

6. What are your thoughts on bringing Metro Rail to West Hollywood, and for first-mile, last-mile access to and from a subway stop?

Expanding rail access to West Hollywood will continue to support the success of our small businesses and make it easier for residents to get around. We know there’s huge support for West Hollywood dedicating funds to making sure this happens – and in the 2020’s, not 2046. Regarding last-mile, as mentioned earlier, we should expand our use of bike-share and integrate micro-mobility into our strategic planning to dramatically reduce private vehicle usage, reduce traffic, make our streets safer, our air cleaner, and our residents happier. Fortunately, for most West Hollywood residents, depending on the route chosen, most people in the city will in reality live just a few blocks from a stop.

7. Should the City consider adding more barriers to motor vehicle cut-through traffic on residential streets that are often used as thoroughfares?

I think it’s about how we’re utilizing our streets and how we look at them from a planning perspective in relation to the local context. For example, I live on Fountain Ave., arguably the most dangerous street in West Hollywood to vehicle drivers and passengers. The problem isn’t necessarily that it’s cut-through traffic, it’s the conditions that make it desirable for those driving through. It’s almost entirely residential yet the speed limit is 35 mph and cars routine drive about 50 mph+.

We’ve removed parking and made it two lanes in both direction during rush hour, and it turns practically into a highway. In an area like this, there should be only one lane in either direction to allow both for the parking to be permanent in areas where it is currently time-restricted and to reduce the speed limit to 30 mph, expand sidewalks, and add protected bike lanes. There are probably a few intersections where we should also look at adding stop signs and/or roundabouts. These are upgrades that bring the priority back to local residents, and likely have the side effect of shifting traffic back to routes like Sunset Blvd.

Councilman John Heilman Responses

1. What mode(s) of transportation do you use, and why?

I typically drive to work and walk for short neighborhood trips. If I’m teaching on campus during the summer, I take the bus and Metro Rail to campus and run home.

2. Would (or do) you feel safe biking as a primary mode of transportation for short and medium-length trips? Why or why not?

I would not feel safe with biking as my primary mode of transportation because my primary commute involves a very congested area of Los Angeles. I would feel safe biking for occasional short trips. My principal safety concern with biking is the large volume of vehicular traffic in West Hollywood. I also need to avoid exposure to sunlight during the day and feel less secure with biking at nighttime.

We have already agreed to extend bike lanes on Santa Monica near Doheny to complete the current bike lanes and connect them to the lanes in Beverly Hills. I support the proposal to create a greenway on Willoughby. When we are able to break ground on a Metro rail line through West Hollywood, we should use the construction as an opportunity for creating protected bike lanes along the entire length of Santa Monica either at grade or above grade.

4. What do you think the city should do to promote and/or incentivize active transportation (such as bikes, scooters, and walking) in West Hollywood?

Having a viable bike share program would incentivize bicycle use in the City. Our initial program was not successful. City staff has developed recommendations for a new share program with electric bicycles which seem more user friendly than the previous models. The other initiative I support is the creation of an east-west greenway along Willoughby.

5. What do you think the city’s policy should be on shared scooters, bike-share, and other micro-mobility?

I support implementing a new bike-share program. City staff has a series of recommendations they will be bringing to the City Council. Staff’s recommendations include an electric-bike share program. Staff’s recommendations also include shared scooters. I will listen carefully to the staff analysis and recommendations, but I remain skeptical about shared scooters based on safety concerns.

6. What are your thoughts on bringing Metro Rail to West Hollywood, and for first-mile, last-mile access to and from a subway stop?

I have served on the Council’s subcommittee working to bring the northern extension of the Crenshaw line to West Hollywood. We have been successful in getting service to West Hollywood included in the County tax measure. We then worked to build a coalition and a mechanism to expedite the line instead of waiting for the original time frame of 2040. As a result of our work, Metro has just begun the process of preparing an EIR for the northern extension. We now need to work to ensure that we adopt an alignment which serves the maximum number of West Hollywood residents and businesses. We are also currently working to develop funding mechanisms to build the line. As part of the process, we need to look at how people will connect to Metro Line stations and provide a wide array of mechanisms, including shuttles, bicycles and safe walking routes.

7. Should the City consider adding more barriers to motor vehicle cut-through traffic on residential streets that are often used as thoroughfares?

We have been installing speed humps in various locations in the city to reduce cut-through traffic. We have also installed barriers and turn restrictions in some places to cut down on traffic in residential neighborhoods triggered by apps directing drivers to cut through our neighborhoods. We need to continue to use these mechanisms, but we also need to be cautious about restricting traffic on one neighborhood street and pushing that traffic onto an adjacent neighborhood street. We also need to carefully evaluate the mechanisms we use to ensure that they are effective and not creating unintended consequences.

Christopher McDonald Responses

1. What mode(s) of transportation do you use, and why?

I use my Prius for long distances and for shorter distances I walk whenever I can. I would use a bike locally in West Hollywood on occasion, but predominantly use one along the beach paths in Santa Monica.

2. Would (or do) you feel safe biking as a primary mode of transportation for short and medium-length trips? Why or why not?

I unfortunately do not feel safe riding a bike in West Hollywood most of the time. I think the bike lanes we have are not clearly defined, many of our streets are not well lit and sometimes bike lanes end without warning.

I think West Hollywood should add more bike lanes throughout the city. With traffic getting worse every year there’s no reason not to. Adding more bike lanes is a simple solution that will help not only traffic, but the environment as well. And with residents biking around town locally… that can add a sense of community and could also provide some much needed support to our local small businesses. We first need clearly defined bike lines throughout our city. Lanes should have VERY visible markings painted on the ground and also reflective road markers. Making our streets better lit and our bike lanes more clearly defined will make people feel safer biking in our city.

4. What do you think the city should do to promote and/or incentivize active transportation (such as bikes, scooters, and walking) in West Hollywood?

I want to make West Hollywood a more welcoming and bike friendly city. I think by making people feel safe while biking on the streets will go a long way towards making that happen. I think we saw with CicLAvia last year that the hunger and passion to bike ride in our neighborhood is there, but currently bike lane consistency and safety just isn’t where it needs to be. I understand it’s not always realistic to close down streets at the level of CicLAvia, but the city could set up smaller scale events throughout the year. We can work with local businesses to do bike crawls and stores/ restaurants can provide special offers to bikers. There are lots of fun ways to get people in West Hollywood excited about biking, but again I believe it first starts with making people feel safe.

5. What do you think the city’s policy should be on shared scooters, bike-share, and other micro-mobility?

I think we should support shared scooters, bike-share, and other micro-mobility, but with regulations. We can’t have bikes and scooters piled up along our sidewalks and blocking access for those using wheelchairs. For example with a scooter… one solution is that there needs to be pre-selected areas through the city that a scooter must be placed for the ride to end. And the scooter must also be placed in the upright position for the ride to end. We need to work the GPS technology on the scooters to make it work for everyone in the community. These moods of transportation should add to our city rather than become a hazard or nuisance. Also more clearly defined bike lanes will help with people riding them in the proper areas.

6. What are your thoughts on bringing Metro Rail to West Hollywood, and for first-mile, last-mile access to and from a subway stop?

I fully support bringing the Metro Rail to West Hollywood. And in regards fo first-mile, last-mile access I think we should push for riders to uses bikes and other non automotive modes of transportation getting themselves to and from the Metro station as much as possible. To make that a more appealing option the city should set up secure bike racks and docking stations at the metro entrances/ exits.

7. Should the City consider adding more barriers to motor vehicle cut-through traffic on residential streets that are often used as thoroughfares?

I believe anything that will help cut-through traffic on local streets should absolutely be looked into. Especially when it comes to vehicular speeding down our local streets and creating dangerous situations. I believe speed bumps are a great option and provide much relief to local neighborhood streets… reducing cut-through traffic and also making streets safer.

Sepi Shyne Responses

1. What mode(s) of transportation do you use, and why?

I am a frequent user of public transportation and the mode I use depends on where I am traveling to and how safe I feel. When I am working in Century City, I use public transit or my bicycle. When I work in Downtown LA and working late I use my car. If I am only working for a few hours I use the West Hollywood Shuttles and the Metro.

2. Would (or do) you feel safe biking as a primary mode of transportation for short and medium-length trips? Why or why not?

Sometimes. Personally, I feel safe traveling to Century City because of the designated bike lanes. For short trips within West Hollywood, I usually walk because I feel safer. I don’t feel safe cycling to Downtown LA because that direction does not have enough protected bike lanes.

Bicycle lanes need to be added from City Hall through the Eastside because that area gets dangerous for cyclists. N. Crescent Heights from Sunset to Santa Monica is a wide enough street that could become safer if bike lanes are added especially because cars speed down so fast from Laurel Canyon. A lot of cyclists use N. Crescent Heights. Melrose from La Cienega to Doheny needs to be more bicycle-friendly and it would help the shops as well.

I feel the city should continue to improve bike lanes by transforming them into green bike lanes and add protections where feasible.

4. What do you think the city should do to promote and/or incentivize active transportation (such as bikes, scooters, and walking) in West Hollywood?

The city should partner up more with the Weho Bike coalition to encourage businesses to have themed incentive programs that provide discounts and other incentives to people who use their bikes to get ride to the businesses and also develop a bike and dine month with discounts to patrons who bike to the restaurants/coffee shops and the City can promote this as a cultural shift.

5. What do you think the city’s policy should be on shared scooters, bike-share, and other micro-mobility?

I think as long as there are safety precautions in place to protect people who use them as well as the pedestrians on sidewalks then scooters, bike-share micro-mobility is very helpful for getting people out of their cars.

6. What are your thoughts on bringing Metro Rail to West Hollywood, and for first-mile, last-mile access to and from a subway stop?

I am a supporter of bringing Metro Rail to West Hollywood and excited about the first-mile, last-mile access to and from a subway stop, and all of the improvements that will come with that.

7. Should the City consider adding more barriers to motor vehicle cut-through traffic on residential streets that are often used as thoroughfares?

Yes. 100%. We need to prioritize protecting cyclists and pedestrians.

Mark Farhad Yusupov Responses

1. What mode(s) of transportation do you use, and why?

I live in the Norma Triangle and often on foot to get to local shops, cafes and gym, when it was open. I also own a car. My toddler daughter has kids bike and I take her to Beverly Hills flats, since it’s safer to ride there. I do plan to get a bicycle for myself, so when she grows older we can ride side by side.

2. Would (or do) you feel safe biking as a primary mode of transportation for short and medium-length trips? Why or why not?

Not yet. Unfortunately in West Hollywood bike lanes are only some of the major streets and motorist are not used to driving along with bicyclist. Creating more bike lanes would greatly help.

Additional bike lanes and maybe even greenways where possible. One idea is to have outlined bike lanes in the alleys, right behind buildings along the major boulevards. For example Santa Monica Boulevard.

4. What do you think the city should do to promote and/or incentivize active transportation (such as bikes, scooters, and walking) in West Hollywood?

As mentioned above, additional bike lanes and outlined bike lanes in the alleys, behind buildings along the main streets. Create more options to securely chain the bikes within the city.

5. What do you think the city’s policy should be on shared scooters, bike-share, and other micro-mobility?

Creating more bike lanes would allow bike-share and scooters. Also, those bike-share companies should come up with an option to have shared helmets, maybe.

6. What are your thoughts on bringing Metro Rail to West Hollywood, and for first-mile, last-mile access to and from a subway stop?

Bringing Metro Rail is a great news and bicycles would perfect transportation for the last-first mile access.

7. Should the City consider adding more barriers to motor vehicle cut-through traffic on residential streets that are often used as thoroughfares?

Depends on the street. I live on Cynthia Street, where City had already installed barriers in a couple of locations and that does help. If street is known to have issues with speed limit violators than definitely more barriers to slow them down would be needed.

WeHoBYCO

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Candidate Questionnaire 2020