Whether on foot or on a bicycle, you should be safe on the city’s streets. The city has made great strides in making our streets safer. Unfortunately, every week we see that pedestrians and cyclists are injured and sometimes killed in Longmont. Sarah supports plans such as Vision Zero.
Sarah believes that we can reach the goal of reducing injuries and fatalities to zero. Every neighborhood built needs to be connected by accessible, safe sidewalks in order for residents to choose to walk or bike.
If elected, Sarah will align the city’s Capital Improvement Program, CIP to build missing sidewalks, pedestrian walkways and bike paths. Sarah wants every Longmont resident to work with the city to identify improvements that are needed.
• Cars are not the enemy
Poor street and road design are. Sarah is a big fan of the think tank, Strong Towns. She has attended Chuck Marohn’s workshops. Sarah knows how your city’s policy on road and street design and development patterns creates great mobility for cars, pedestrians and cyclists or makes life miserable and unsafe for all users of streets, roads and highways.
While many want to eliminate all car use, Sarah takes a more practical approach – given our wild fall, winter, and spring weather, many people of all ages and walks of life rely on a car for comfortable transportation.
If elected, Sarah will work to create streets and roads that are safe for pedestrians, bicycles and cars.
• Less Congestion
Have you ever driven Hover, Ken Pratt, Main Street, Nelson or Airport road in from 7 am to 9 am or 3 pm to 7 pm? Longmont has a real rush hour!
Sarah believes that congestion can be lessened by adjusting the timing of traffic lights and better planning.
The city needs to require traffic studies for new and infill developments that take into account both the current traffic and future developments.
What are the congestion impacts if there is only one way out of a multifamily apartment neighborhood?
Did the city design the street and roads so that people can walk or ride short distances to shop, work and school?
Do we have real options for using the local bus routes?
If elected, Sarah will initiate a “congestion misery index” so that residents can report where the worst congestion is so she can get to work on a solution.
