Mayoral Candidates - Who Is Bike Savvy? Thoughts?

When asking around, I heard these three candidates are some potential good bike-friendly options:

Mendoza

Lightfoot

Eniya

Let's use this thread to discuss, bring in articles, quotations, and proof of bike-savviness. Cool?

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by curt(is) locke on March 22, 2019 at 8:44am

Eye rolls! Dear me (clutching pearls.) 

I have no patience with all this feigned fragility.

Permalink Reply by V W on March 22, 2019 at 8:59am

Exhibit A.

Permalink Reply by curt(is) locke on March 22, 2019 at 9:21am

Why, thank you, Exhibit B.

Permalink Reply by curt(is) locke on March 22, 2019 at 8:58am

Was that a snark?! Have you no decency, sir?

Permalink Reply by Tom A.K. on March 22, 2019 at 9:36am
Permalink Reply by Tom A.K. on March 22, 2019 at 9:46am

yes, that's what this discussion thread is about

lori

lori

exhibit a & b

Permalink Reply by V W on March 22, 2019 at 10:21am

Not sure if those are supposed to be hyperlinks but they arent working on my end.

But yeah I'm all for staying on topic.

Permalink Reply by V W on March 22, 2019 at 10:10am

Lightfoot seems like she does the occasional bike trail, whereas Toni seems like she has never ridden a bike in her life. So Lightfoot would likely be more interested in issues specific to biking.

However I think Toni would be better for the biking community because:

- she would be a stronger proponent of police accountability given their respective track records, and as I mentioned, Toni actually wants to restructure things to give a citizen oversight board power to appoint the police board vs Lori who wants to have the city council create a commission to oversee the police board. As I mentioned, the police community themselves see Lori as the lesser evil for a reason- not that they see her as an ally by any means. And there is a clear interplay between police accountability and the biking community, as police enforcement of laws protecting cyclists has been pathetic.

- Toni Preckwinkle also has a track record of getting things done in government including the county's first long range transportation plan in 75 years, which included accommodations for biking throughout the county. She is also very pro environmental and biking is inherently part of most pushes for sustainability. She also wants to bring back the Chicago department of environment.

- Toni Preckwinkle has a track record of advocacy for the underprivileged. One of the issues the biking community has faced is a disparity in the treatment of African American bikers including a disproportionate amount of tickets being given to cyclists in south side communities.

I think we have enough millionaire elected officials in this country. Toni Preckwinkle hasnt gotten rich off government,  I think the cyclist community is better off with someone who has a track record of inclusivity and advocacy of economic equity.

Permalink Reply by V W on March 23, 2019 at 4:19am

They both demonstrated a general lack of bike advocacy and bike savvyness in that debate and they both said basically that bikers should follow the law. But saying bikers should follow the law isnt the same as calling for increased enforcement. 

Permalink Reply by Yasmeen on March 25, 2019 at 6:00am

The candidates have been hotly debated on this thread. After doing some reading on my own and reading this thread, it's been a reminder that we don't really ever get the "perfect candidate". The perfect candidate is a myth. 

What we do have is an opportunity to educate the future mayor in areas they don't understand e.g. cycling and the myths about cyclists being law breakers and forcing helmets on people. Non-issues like these are a distraction provided by motorists (car industry?) and keeps kicking a can down the street rather than committing to a change in culture, infrastructure, infrastructure enforcement, and support. It also redirects the discussion away from where we really should be focusing - DISTRACTED DRIVING. Yes, I am shouting. I am tired of the finger pointing in the wrong direction. Tired of reading of distracted drivers, be it DUI, smart phones, etc. they are the problem. That and the speeding, impatient drivers that seem to think getting to their job a minute earlier is worth putting vulnerable users of the same roads at risk. 

Ok, soap box ended. I hope this conversation is had. Again. And. Again. Until it finally sinks in. This is the issue, everything else is an attempt to avoid responsibility. 

Permalink Reply by Tom A.K. on March 25, 2019 at 7:26am

I have emailed the Lightfoot campaign a few weeks ago and had taken the opportunity to express the concerns of our community to them. I urge others here now to do the same at  info@lightfootforchicago.com . I also gave them a link to this discussion and a staff member said that they would be following it. They also mentioned of campaign staff and volunteers who were avid cyclists and promised to tweet as many cycling related pics as possible. They further relayed they would try to get a pic of Lori and Vivian, 11, on their bikes if time allows. (as per my request)

Permalink Reply by Tom A.K. on April 1, 2019 at 6:24am

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