Chris Pelly Primary Answers
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1. Are you planning to attend “The Step Right Up” on Sept. 22nd?
Yes, I plan to attend “The Step Right Up” candidates forum.
2. Tell us something about your transportation habits. How do you get around Asheville?
Primary mode of transportation is private vehicle although with established home office, I’ve been able to reduce driving. For neighborhood errands, recreation and exercise, I walk.
3. What recent advancement in Asheville’s transportation infrastructure do you think has had the greatest impact on our community? Why?
While much more still needs to be done, improved access to safe biking options and increased availability of sidewalks are two important infrastructure improvements.
4. Even if you haven’t held elected office, you’ve likely been an active member of Asheville’s community. Please describe one thing you’ve done to make our city friendlier to pedestrians, cyclists and/or bus riders.
I was a leader in the east Asheville campaign which is bringing four miles of sidewalk to Tunnel Road from the Asheville Mall area east to Oteen. This will provide safer walking options to the residential neighborhoods bordering Tunnel Rd. As president of the Haw Creek Community Association, I also led the campaign to bring sidewalks to New Haw Creek, Avon, and Trinity Chapel Roads.
5. As a council member, would you advocate for the implementation of the city’s Bicycle Master Plan? If so, in what specific ways? If not, why not?
I will support the city’s Bicycle Master Plan by urging its elements to be factored in whenever public or large-scale private infrastructure improvements are under consideration.
6. As a council member, would you advocate for the implementation of theTransit Master Plan? If you’d advocate for the plan, how would you encourage increasing ridership? If you wouldn’t advocate for the plan, why not?
I support the Transit Master Plan and would be an active advocate for its recommendations. To increase ridership, the most obvious way is implement as many fiscally possible the suggestions submitted by existing riders.
7. What role do you think greenways play in Asheville’s future?
In Asheville’s future, greenways will be a vital component of our transportation network. I will support a bond referendum in which one important component will be land acquisition for greenway linkages.
8. Past City Councils invested in planning efforts. Our city has a Sustainability Management Plan, a Greenway Master Plan, a Bicycle Master Plan, a Transit Master Plan, and a Pedestrian Thoroughfare Plan. The next step is to fund the implementation of these plans. In these hard economic times, how would you propose to fund these plans? Or, do these plans need to be cut? If you think the plans need to be trimmed, what plans or pieces of plans should be cut?
For all the plans mentioned, I support creating an overlay map to identify areas of multiple identified uses. I will argue that a recession is exactly the time to fund these plans. Land prices are down and contractors are working cheaper thereby stretching funding to allow us to do more. And with the City of Asheville’s AAA credit rating, borrowing costs are low. Asheville voters deserve the chance to consider a balanced bond referendum offering the opportunity to increase greenways, sidewalks, safe biking options and open space preservation.
9. What is the most compelling reason to improve transportation options in Asheville?
The most compelling reason to increase transportation options is the survival of our species. Rapid global warming impels us to actively seek safe and healthy transportation alternatives.
