When candidates refer to safety, accessibility, and quality of life for Eureka’s citizens, who do they consider a citizen? Does someone who commutes to work by bicycle count? Does someone who rides the bus count? Does a child who walks to school count? Does a senior who uses a mobility scooter to get around count? Who should have more input regarding “quality of life” on a given street, the residents who live on it, or the motorists who use it as a quick short-cut to get from one arterial street to another?

— Big Al

Responses

Casey Dresser

A citizen is defined as “a resident of a city or town” and I believe every law abiding citizen and business owner in Eureka should have their voice heard.

Anil Dwivedi

Everyone counts.

The person driving to work counts. The person riding a bicycle counts. The person waiting for the bus counts. The child walking to school counts. The senior using a mobility scooter counts. And the family living on that street counts.

To me, safety and dignity are not privileges reserved for people who own a car. Our streets and public spaces belong to the entire community, and everyone should be able to move around Eureka safely and accessibly.

When we’re talking about a residential street, I believe the people who actually live there deserve a particularly strong voice. Their children play there, they walk their dogs there, they hear the traffic every day, and they live with the consequences of the decisions City Hall makes. A driver’s desire to save a minute or two should not automatically outweigh the safety and quality of life of a neighborhood.

But I also don’t believe good transportation policy requires us to choose between residents, motorists, pedestrians, bicyclists and transit riders. Good planning should make our streets safer without unnecessarily making them less functional.

That means listening to residents, hearing from all users, looking at traffic and safety data, and then making practical decisions based on what actually works.

Whether you travel on four wheels, two wheels, or two feet, you count. Eureka belongs to all of us.

Anil Dwivedi

 

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