2020 Costa Mesa Candidate Questionnaire
This weekend we sent all candidates in the 2020 Costa Mesa City Council and Mayoral election the following questions:
What is your vision for Costa Mesa’s infrastructure in 2050? What are our neighborhoods like? How are people getting around? If elected, what will you do to prepare Costa Mesa for the future?
In light of revenue losses due to the pandemic, what would you prioritize in Costa Mesa’s transportation budget? Do you think anything should be cut? Do you have any ideas for new funding sources or ways to reduce ongoing costs?
From 2010 to 2019, 70 people died, 314 were seriously injured, and more than 10,000 were hurt in traffic crashes in Costa Mesa (data from UC Berkeley’s Transportation Injury Mapping System). What do you think Costa Mesa should do in response?
Many Costa Mesa residents complain of cut-through traffic and speeding on the streets near their homes. Do you think Costa Mesa should increase efforts to address these issues? If so, how can this be done in a cost-effective manner?
Nationally, about a third of all car trips are two miles or less. How do you think Costa Mesa could encourage more people to make these short trips on foot or by bike?
Do you think Costa Mesa’s transportation system serves everyone equitably? Why or why not?
Currently, many restaurants are expanding their dining areas outdoors, into former parking spaces and aisles. What are your thoughts on maintaining this allowance after the pandemic abates?
The idea is to see what the various candidates think about this oft-neglected yet important topic, and share their thoughts to help inform the voting public. We won’t be making any endorsements due to our 501(c)(3) status; all answers will be posted and shared verbatim with no editorializing right here on our website.
Check back in a couple of weeks for the responses.
Our introductory letter to the candidates is below:
The Costa Mesa Alliance for Better Streets (CMABS) would like to invite you to respond to our 2020 Costa Mesa candidate questionnaire. CMABS is a nonprofit, nonpartisan community group working to make our streets and other public spaces better for everyone. As a 501(c)(3) organization, we cannot endorse any candidates for public office, but we look forward to hearing about your thoughts on transportation, infrastructure, and related issues, and sharing them with Costa Mesa voters.
If you would like to participate, please send your answers to the questions below to michelle@cmabs.org, no later than Monday, October 12. We will publish the questions and your answers verbatim on our website (cmabs.org), and share them in our newsletter and social media channels. Please limit your answers to a maximum of 300 words each; in the interest of fairness, we will crop any answers that exceed this limit. If you do not respond, we will state as such.
It can be difficult for voters to find useful information on candidates for local offices, so we hope you will take this opportunity to communicate your views on some of these issues affecting our city’s quality of life and sustainability. Thank you!
