TJ Thomasson Primary Answers

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1.  Are you planning to attend “The Step Right Up” on Sept. 22nd?

Yes, I plan to participate in this forum.

2.  Tell us something about your transportation habits. How do you get around Asheville?

As an avid runner, I try to limit my time in my car as much as possible. I live just a couple miles from work, so I do enjoy strolling to work on occasion. However, I do strive not do it more often in addition to riding my bike to work more. I am an infrequent bus rider due to the nature of our bus service. In the past, I have taken the bus to work, but I do find using it all the time can prove to be quite a challenge. I do generally drive around town, but I enjoy leaving my car parked at home whenever possible.

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

I believe the greatest impact to our transportation infrastructure is the addition of the hybird buses. I can’t wait until the entire fleet has been replaced. This is a huge step toward reducing our carbon footprint and doing our part to minimize climate change.

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.

As a runner and community activist, I have organized The Gay 5K footrace as a fundraiser for Blue Ridge Pride. By putting my resources to pull off this event, I gave the community a chance to compete in a fun race and get some exercise while enjoying the beauty of Carrier Park. As a runner, I also keep my eyes on where I am going as to no run over a pedestrian or get in the way of a cyclist.

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 would push to have the city’s Bicycle Master Plan put in place as quickly as possible. I will advocate for more bike lanes in high density areas that they are needed. We must have more bike lanes, so our cyclists will be safer on the roads. In addition, I would push for a bike helmet ordinance that would require the use of a helmet when riding a bike on our city streets. This will save lives and prevent head injuries. I would also implement a helmet donor program to assist those riders that do not have the money to purchase their own helmets.

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?

This is a no-brainer. My goal is for the complete implementation of the Transit Master Plan. I personally want to see the time table of implementation sped up. I believe the biggest piece of the puzzle to increase ridership is Sunday bus service and more frequent routes in areas that already have high ridership. If the service is easier and efficient to use, then the people will ride the bus.

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

Greenways are not just a place to run, walk or bike for recreation, we must pust forward with the Greenway Master Plan and link all of Asheville to the greenway. This is a great tool to allow people to get out of their cars and get around town on foot or bike. Greenways can be a vital piece of our infrastructure and make Asheville healthier and help to make our environment just that much more greener.

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?

We need a comprehensive approach to funding this projects. We need to treat these projects like our streets, because this is the wave of the future – travel outside of the automobile. It is time that America divorced and the car and fell back in love with their feet or pedals. We need to look at public-private partnerships to fund this project. If businesses and private individuals take an active role in funding these plans, they will be more of a treasured part of the community. Also, we need to look at the County funding these plans as once they are complete, all of Buncombe County will reep the rewards. I would also consider a bond referendum to assist in the funding. I don’t believe that cuts need to be made, we must continue to prioritize which pieces should be completed and implemented first.

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

The most compelling reason to improve transportation in Asheville is our environment. If we can encourage people to take the bus, ride their bikes or walk to where they need to travel, then our environment will benefit with less pollution in the air. Asheville can be a leader in the fight against climate change by taking these steps to give people a greater opportunity to get around town without using their car. The secondary benefit is a healthier core of citizens. Research has proven that the more walkable a city is, the healthier its citizens are. Sadly, Asheville has a weak walkablity score of 50. We must work together to improve this in the very near future.