Lael Gray Primary Answers

Visit Her Website

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?

I am committed to limiting my use of fossil fuels, but like most of us, I do still rely on my car more than I’d like to. My family lives walking distance to downtown, and my husband and I telecommute for work. We are able to limit our car travel to short distances for shopping trips and to driving one of our daughters to and from school (her school doesn’t offer bus transport). We participate in a carpool for the school driving, so that helps us to further limit our need to drive. Otherwise, when I’m not running completely late, I try to walk or ride my bike whenever possible.

3. What recent advancement in Asheville’s transportation infrastructure do you think has had the greatest impact on our community? Why?

I think the implementation of bike lanes has had a great impact on making it safer for people to get where they need to go on a bicycle. In addition, this effort has helped to raise awareness that people really want to commute by bike – which is an important part of moving our community forward on this.

At the same time, since not everyone is able to commute by bicycle, I feel very strongly that we need to improve our public transit system in order to make this more accessible and attractive to substantially more users.

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.

Our state needs a serious paradigm shift on transportation, and I have never missed an opportunity to bend the ear of anyone who might help shift dollars out of road and highway projects into public transit, rail, sidewalks, and bicycle lanes. In my view, the Department of Transportation needs to come around to prioritizing its role as the steward of all transportation options, not just automobile transport. When I was working as a neighborhood advocate on the I-26 Connector issue, I had the opportunity to meet with and communicate regularly with North Carolina Department of Transportation staff and elected officials. I frequently expressed to them our community’s desire to build and use alternative transportation modes. I also organized Montford residents to contact MPO members to encourage funding for alternative transportation rather than directing more dollars into highway projects.

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 definitely advocate for the implementation of the Bicycle Master Plan by continuing to prioritize the plan and helping to identify funding to see it completed. I believe that the ultimate success of the plan will rely heavily on perception in the community and among funding sources that bicycle commuting is increasing and viable due to the improvements in our bikeways system. I will work to ensure that the city is encouraging bicycle commuting through public education and marketing efforts. I’d also like to initiate a bicycle donation and restoration program to provide bicycles for people who can’t afford to purchase them. This would encourage more people to ride to work and school, and would make bicycle transportation more accessible.

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 think the Transit Master Plan is on the right track, and I would like to be involved in its evolution as these steps are implemented and reviewed for efficacy. The challenge I see to increasing ridership is that until our transit system is substantially improved, people who are able to drive a car – particularly those who can’t ride a bicycle or walk for great distances – will rightfully continue to view the automobile as their best and possibly only option. I am hopeful that due to the short-term goals of the TMP, there will be some incremental increases in ridership among people who already rely on public transportation, those that will ride the bus out of principle, and those that will be convinced of the benefits due to marketing. However, if we want to see a significant change in people’s travel habits, we must provide an attractive, comprehensive, and reliable transit system that meets a much larger group of travelers’ needs. I would like to see a more aggressive and creative approach to meeting this goal more quickly.

7. What role do you think greenways play in Asheville’s future?

I think Greenways will contribute greatly to Asheville’s economy, the health of our residents, and to our transportation options. I am particularly excited about the Wilma Dykeman Riverway plan, which includes links to major destinations in Asheville through a series of greenways, as well as clean-up and economic development of the riverfront. I’d like to see Asheville accomplish something similar to Boulder, Colorado, where it’s possible to travel throughout the city by bicycle or on foot via the city’s well-integrated system of green-ways.

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?

This is exactly why I have decided to run for City Council at this juncture. I believe that I have the skills and energy that will be required to help Asheville see these plans come to fruition. I want to put my ability to communicate, research, and build consensus to work on bringing the right people and resources together. I am a tireless believer that where there’s a will there’s a way. Money is out there; we just need to demonstrate to the right people and agencies that it is in their best interests to direct that money into these projects.

9. What is the most compelling reason to improve transportation options in Asheville?

There are several reasons to improve transportation options in Asheville:

• To reduce carbon emissions, thereby improving air quality and reducing our contribution to global climate change
• To empower people who have limited ability to drive and those who would rather not incur the cost of owning and operating an automobile to travel comfortably and efficiently to their jobs, schools, shopping, dining, etc.
• To give visitors to Asheville a convenient and pleasant option for getting around the city because a significant portion of Asheville residents wants alternative transportation options