West Hollywood's City Council candidates and the Public Transit Questions I Sent Them

According to the City of West Hollywood website, here are the ten "qualified candidates" for City Council in the March 8, 2011, General Municipal Election:

Mito Aviles

John D'Amico

Mark Gonzaga

Mayor John Heilman (incumbent)

Councilwoman Lindsey Horvath (incumbent)

Lucas John

Councilwoman Abbe Land (incumbent)

Steve Martin

Scott Schmidt

Martin Topp

Voters will be allowed to vote for no more than three (3) of these candidates. Incumbents have a natural advantage in most elections and fortunately all of the incumbents running for City Council are pro-transit and seem to "get" these issues. I hope their challengers do too. Below are the questions I sent all of the qualified City Council candidates. When I receive their answers, I will post them for your perusal. You, of course, will then be free to comment on and share any of their answers.

I would imagine most candidates for office in Southern California are asked questions about traffic, parking and the welfare of someone's single-occupancy automobile, so I imagine this might be a refreshing change for them. After all, this is a post-Measure R, 86% vote in favor, multi-modal transportation world in which we are now living, working and playing.

Let's hope as many as possible think about these issues seriously and give intelligent thoughtful answers. You, as citizens who live, work, play and/or vote in West Hollywood deserve nothing less.

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QUESTIONS FOR WEST HOLLYWOOD CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATES ON PUBLIC TRANSIT ISSUES:

(1) Do you support continuing efforts to bring Metrorail to West Hollywood, and if so, with what alignment?

(2) Do you support extending the proposed Crenshaw/LAX light rail line up San Vicente and then on Santa Monica Blvd. to the Red Line in Hollywood? (Note: This could potentially be a light-rail subway and would provide West Hollywood with a one-seat ride to LAX.)

(3) As modern streetcars are coming to downtown Los Angeles by 2015, would you support bringing modern streetcars to West Hollywood on Santa Monica Blvd, Sunset Blvd. and/or San Vicente Blvd?

(4) Do you support transit-only lanes on Santa Monica Blvd.?

(5) What are your proposals for improving bus service in West Hollywood, including Metro, DASH and West Hollywood's City Line?

(6) What is your platform for bicycles in West Hollywood?

(7) What is your platform for pedestrians in West Hollywood?

(8) Have you read Donald Shoup's, "The High Cost of Free Parking", and what do you think about it?

(9) How would you pursue additional funding for public transit in West Hollywood?

(10) What else is in your public transit platform that would you like the voters and everyone else who lives, works and plays in West Hollywood to know?

Thank you!