Jan Davis Primary Answers
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1. Are you planning to attend “The Step Right Up” on Sept. 22nd?
Yes
2. Tell us something about your transportation habits. How do you get around Asheville?
Automobile and walking
3. What recent advancement in Asheville’s transportation infrastructure do you think has had the greatest impact on our community? Why?
The intentional consideration during rehab or street construction of a Complete Street program. Pedestrian, automobile, bike and pedestrian uses are all included in the upgrades. This has been greatly enhanced by the City’s use of a new allocation of Water System revenues and recent ARRA funding.
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 have long supported intermodal transportation initiatives. My single most important recent initiative is chairmanship of the French Broad River Planning Organization, the group of elected officials from a three county area doing transportation planning with DOT.
5. If you are a current council member, have you advocated for the implementation of the city’s Bicycle Master Plan? In what specific ways?
I have advocated through continued support of funding incremental parts of the Plan with the general fund and grants.
6. If you are a current council member, in what specific ways have you advocated for the passage and/or implementation of the Transit Master Plan? What are some of thechallenges with the implementation of the transit plan?
I have been supportive of the Transit Master Plan through funding incremental parts. The greatest challenge is funding. There will always be a very difficult challenge of a highly efficient transit system in a City of 80,000 and a metro area of 250,000. There are some opportunities for partnerships with neighboring municipalities and counties.
To me, the best encouragement for increased ridership is through more bus frequency and longer hours of service. Both are difficult with the budget constraints of this economy. Hopefully, the planned incremental implementation of the Plan will work toward those goals.
7. What role do you think green-ways play in Asheville’s future?
Greenways are very desired by the community and add greatly to quality of life through connectivity, recreation and land use. Regrettably, it is very challenging to invest in a complete greenway system; they to, have to be done incrementally unless the community is willing to step forward.
8. Past City Councils invested in planning efforts. Our city has a Sustainability Management Plan, a Green-way 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 conomic 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?
I have been supportive of most of our adopted plans; however, a plan is a vision until it is funded. Most of those visions are great but in a difficult economy will have to be funded incrementally. There will be parts that will not become realities because needs and desires change over periods of time. Advisory boards, the community and Council will have to make those decisions as we go forward. The community may express that desire through a bond referendum.
9. What is the most compelling reason to improve transportation options in Asheville?
It is the right thing to do! The environment, economy and quality of life dictate it.
