Getting to Know Our 2026 City Council Candidates

by Bike Walk Alamedain Electionson Posted on

UPDATED 10/7/2026

Our Questions, Their Answers

This election, Alameda voters have three candidates running for Mayor and six candidates competing for two open City Council seats.

Mayor:

City Council:

Candidates have been busy participating in forums, attending community events, and responding to voter questionnaires. In this post, we’re sharing responses to two questionnaires we think our members will be especially interested in.

The first is Bike Walk Alameda’s own questionnaire, featuring five questions focused on Alameda. The second is the 2026 Sustainable Transportation Questionnaire, developed by a coalition of Bay Area organizations, with ten questions focused on regional issues.

Together, these questionnaires provide a substantive look at where most of the candidates stand on a range of mobility issues. Completing them takes time, especially during an active campaign season. Given that, we’re very grateful to the candidates who responded to one or both questionnaires, and we hope their responses help voters understand their perspectives and leadership styles.

UPDATE:

Mayoral candidate Tracy Jensen contacted us after our September 27 deadline to let us know that she had not received our original invitation to participate. We allowed her to submit responses after the deadline and have included them below, following the Mayoral responses received by the deadline.

BWA’s 2026 City Council Candidate Survey

#1. Getting Around Without Driving
Many Alameda residents — including children, people with disabilities, people who have aged out of driving, and people who cannot afford or choose not to drive for other reasons — depend on walking, rolling, biking, transit, or assistance from others.
What experience do you have getting around Alameda without driving, and how has it shaped your perspective? What should the city do differently to better serve people who cannot or do not drive? Would you be open to participating in Week Without Driving to better understand those experiences?

Malia Vella (Mayoral Candidate)
I grew up walking and biking in Alameda. My lola didn’t drive and we would often walk with her all over Alameda and got to know the bus routes well since we spent a lot of time with her. When I moved back to Alameda after law school, I relied on AC Transit buses and biking to get around town. Postpartum, I would walk to the farmers market and parks since it was a way to get time outside. Now my kids bike to school and we bike and walk as a family. We are so fortunate in Alameda to have so many wonderful neighborhood parks with lots of recreation options for people of all ages – it’s one of the things I love about Alameda. As a family we make use of them since they are so easy to access by foot or bike. We are also fortunate to have our amazing business districts and neighborhood shops. When I lived in the West End, we loved walking to Webster to grab meals or get coffee. Now on the East End, we often walk to Park Street. I appreciate that we have a walkable and bike-able city – where we can really get to know our neighbors and neighborhoods. As a councilmember, I saw firsthand how some of our bus routes serve some of our most vulnerable community members. That’s why I supported efforts to keep routes like line 19 that serves Alameda Point and connects Alamedans with our food bank and the 51A and O which help connect Alamedans with services at City Hall, our libraries, the Veterans Hall, our Senior Center, and COA and our Head Start Program in addition to helping so many commuters get to their jobs outside of Alameda. I also saw the need for cross town connectors and protected cycle tracks, which have helped expand safe access to our schools, shopping centers and shoreline. My hope is to continue our north-south connectors and to keep designing in ways that support safe, multimodal transit options.

I welcome the opportunity to participate in a week without driving.

Tracy Jensen (Mayoral Candidate)
My experience biking and taking public transit in Alameda began as a student riding to Edison Elementary, Lincoln Middle, and Alameda High School. Although roadway bike safety infrastructure was limited in the ‘70s and ‘80s I benefited from Alameda’s 25 mph speed limits. When I was 17, while riding on the Bay Farm Island Bridge before a dedicated bike path existed, I was struck by a truck upon turning onto Island Drive, resulting in a skull fracture and profound hearing loss.

That crash not only changed my life physically, but it also sparked my lifelong commitment to pedestrian and cyclist safety. My passion grew further while working for the City of Oakland, where I regularly commuted by bike from Alameda’s East End across the Fruitvale and Park Street bridges. Experiencing the hazards along the Oakland Embarcadero prior to safety improvements—and seeing how much safer it became after adding protected lanes and the Embarcadero Bridge replacement, reinforced my strong belief in dedicated, protected bike infrastructure.  In my role as Oakland Senior Services Administrator, I successfully advocated for a new stoplight and crosswalk on Harrison Street adjacent to the Downtown Oakland senior center and several senior living facilities following a fatal collision.  What I learned then was that being proactive is critical and we must never ignore known traffic safety issues until a casualty happens.  

In my full-time role as an Alameda city councilmember, I continue to ride my bike regularly to community events and around town. While the Cross Alameda Trail provides an outstanding east-west connection, north-south travel remains significantly less safe. To better serve residents who do not or cannot drive, the city must focus on building a connected, low-stress network from the Estuary to the Bay, prioritizing safer north-south corridors, improving pedestrian crossings, and advocating for restored AC Transit service frequencies on key lines like the 51, O, and W.  As someone who frequently commutes on two wheels and via public transit, I am fully committed to centering non-drivers in our city planning.

While I deeply appreciate the value of the Week Without Driving Challenge, my tightly packed schedule of campaign and city commitments means that I must postpone participation until the first week of November. 

Thushan Amarasiriwardena (Council Candidate)
We’re a one-car family. Our other vehicle is a family bike with 2,500 miles on it. During the pandemic, my daughters and I walked every street and block of Alameda. How has it shaped my perspective?: As a flat island, we can, should, and must be a model for life beyond car-centrism. That means building on what we’re already doing: the Cross Alameda Trail, bike lanes, slow streets, north-south connections, and road diets that slow cars to safe speeds. It also means the basics for people who can’t drive, like accessible curb ramps, crossing times that work for seniors and young kids, bus stops with shelter and seating, and more ferries and buses. I’m the only candidate that has a whole section on transportation on their platform: https://www.thushanforalameda.com/#transportation I want to bloom pocket neighborhoods where daily errands are a short walk from home, not just in major shopping areas or downtowns. Yes, I would participate in Week Without Driving.

#2. Safety and Climate Plans
Alameda has adopted ambitious street safety and climate goals through its Vision Zero Action Plan, Active Transportation Plan, and Climate Action and Resiliency Plan. These goals include eliminating fatal and severe crashes by 2035, creating a low-stress bicycle backbone network by 2030, and reducing vehicle miles traveled (VMT) per capita 25% below 2019 levels by 2030. Implementing these plans will also help Alameda manage the traffic and parking impacts of meeting its housing goals by providing safe, convenient alternatives to driving. The Vision Zero and Active Transportation plans are now due for updates, but staff capacity and funding challenges may constrain that work.
Do you support these plans, and if so, what would you do to ensure they are sufficiently resourced to keep them up to date and make continued progress toward their goals?

Malia Vella (Mayoral Candidate)
I voted to enact all of these plans, including a supporting language that pushed the plans to where they are today. In addition to voting to establish the plans, I have held to the priorities and goals we set within them by supporting their implementation through projects across the city and will continue to do so. For 8 years on council, I advocated for and funded the implementation of these plans and supported projects that were tied to the priorities we set as a council to ensure safer streets, reduce vehicle emissions and single rider trips by creating safe and convenient alternatives. I have been supportive of the progress we have made on Otis Drive, Central Avenue and Clement Street in the last two years, as well as the Cross Alameda Trail (including fixing the Atlantic Gap and opening substantial portions on Appezzato Parkway). During the pandemic, I supported and voted for the use and expansion of “slow streets” to provide safe spaces for people to be outside and walk/bike near their homes. I during my two terms in Council, I also supported a number of traffic calming measures and policies – including daylighting, road diets, roundabouts, bulb outs, changing our pedestrian lights (from on demand to timed), lowering speeds near schools, and actually voting for the Vision Zero Policy which will inform our future traffic planning measures and design as we continue to focus on mode shifting as called for in our CARP and TCP. After a number of collisions occurred on Lincoln, I made a point to meet with concerned parents and residents and to personally watch the school drop off. While we have taken some steps, including reducing one lane of traffic, more needs to be done to ensure better safety on Lincoln near Love Elementary. We will need to continue creating a space for thoughtful community engagement from conception to implementation (and all along the way), and continue to work with regional bodies like ACTC and to ensure plans by developers incorporate our priorities and help fund them. We will also need to create space for community feedback, while prioritizing projects that are focused on our greatest areas of need to allow for transit equity. And, as we work to continue progress towards goals set in our vision zero, Active Transportation Plan and CARP, we will need to leverage one time/CIP funds and, hopefully bond measure funds to invest in safe, multimodal design that will serve us for years to come. Finally, as we approach our goal deadlines, we will also need to agendize priority setting meetings to set new goals and build on our work.

Tracy Jensen (Mayoral Candidate)
Yes, I absolutely support Alameda’s adopted street safety and climate goals, and I have consistently voted to implement and expand the Vision Zero Action Plan, the Active Transportation Plan, and the Climate Action and Resiliency Plan.

Since joining the City Council in 2023, I have used every tool available to prevent pedestrian and bicyclist crashes, including leveraging technology to enforce illegal right turns and reconfiguring roadways to reduce collisions like the pending changes at the Walnut Street and Lincoln Avenue intersection.  I lobbied Caltrans to make Otis Drive safer through a road diet; while that full project remains pending, Caltrans did agree to install safety improvements at two dangerous, uncontrolled intersections.  I am also the only Alameda elected official ever selected to chair StopWaste (Alameda County Waste Management Authority), bringing essential regional funding to support Alameda climate projects. 

While we are making great progress toward creating a low-stress bike network, reducing VMT remains a tougher challenge. That is why expanding ferry service and supporting AC Transit are critical. The Alameda Point Transit Management Authority is an effective way to leverage business support for transportation priorities, and I will make that partnership a priority.  As we move forward with Alameda Point development, I will work to establish city guidelines that restrict the lease or sale of municipal property unless proposed businesses generate substantial local jobs for Alameda residents to reduce the need to commute off the island.

I am deeply aware of the staffing constraints facing our transportation and building departments as key leaders leave for other opportunities. To ensure these plans are properly resourced and prioritized, one of my first actions as Mayor will be to develop and adopt a strategic plan focused on traffic safety, giving our staff clear direction on priorities. Making our streets safer and addressing environmental challenges will always be my top focus, and as the only candidate with the capacity to serve as a full-time Mayor, I will have the time and dedication needed to deliver on these goals.

Thushan Amarasiriwardena (Council Candidate)
Yes, I support all three plans, and I want to be judged on whether they get built and if we deliver on those goals. Cars account for about 70% of our emissions, and we’re behind on our climate goals, so we have to drive less. To get there, I’d fund these plans as real budget priorities, even if it means doing fewer projects well. When Measure L passes, I’d build safety improvements into every road we repave. I’d also invest in grant-writing to draw in outside funding, and keep the plan updates tight, focused on the next projects with owners and dates. I want measurement and metrics as a big part of standard operating procedures: building strong baseline data that we can refer to and observe if our plans are having the intended effects, and if not, rework them and iterate till they do.

#3. Community Engagement and Moving Forward
Change can be difficult, and projects designed to make streets safer, greener, and more accessible — consistent with adopted city plans —sometimes face strong opposition from nearby residents or businesses. Thoughtful community engagement can strengthen projects by identifying legitimate concerns and opportunities for improvement. At the same time, there is a point at which continued opposition — particularly to concerns that have already been addressed or trade-offs that have been acknowledged — can consume significant staff time, lead to repeated reconsideration, and make it harder to implement broader citywide priorities and long-term goals. We’ve seen projects derailed or made considerably more expensive as a result.
With significant changes and difficult decisions ahead, how would you lead the city toward its goals when strong local opposition to individual projects persists?

Malia Vella (Mayoral Candidate)
Good governing is doing so in a way that invites early input and thoughtful feedback and creates space for the community to understand the costs and benefits of different options or decisions so that we can have an informed discussion. It also requires that a decision ultimately be made, and that the decision is predicated on what is going to best serve the public. There have been projects like Grand Street and Central Avenue where we did considerable outreach and weighed the impact of different options and concluded that the tradeoffs (loss of some street parking) were worth the improved bike/ped safety and traffic calming. We should ground the work in the priorities set forth in our existing plans and allocate staff time to those priorities with deadlines for final decision making so that projects don’t become unnecessarily cumbersome or draining. We also need to focus our efforts on high impact corridors, school routes and important connectors throughout the city rather than revisiting projects that have been proposed multiple times in areas that are not high impact corridors, school routes or important north/south connectors for our bike lanes.

Tracy Jensen (Mayoral Candidate)
No one understands better than me the role community members play in shaping legislative policy and the passion that concerned people can bring to be when facing change. As a School Board member in 2010, I stood firm in my leadership to adopt an inclusive anti-bullying curriculum supporting LGBTQ+ students, teachers, and families, even in the face of a high-profile recall effort. I know what it takes to stick to core values and protect vulnerable community members when doing the right thing isn’t immediately popular.

I live this reality every day. For more than 20 years, I have resided on a street that is currently at the center of a controversial traffic-calming and pedestrian safety project. I see firsthand both the legitimate everyday concerns of my neighbors and the urgent, life-saving need for safer bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure.

As Mayor, I will lead through opposition by establishing a balanced, decisive approach to community engagement. First, we must listen early and respectfully, ensuring community feedback happens early enough in the design process to address valid neighborhood concerns—such as local access, loading zones, or emergency vehicle entry—before plans are locked in. However, once trade-offs have been acknowledged and technical safety solutions have addressed core issues, leadership requires moving forward. We cannot allow perpetual debate to derail adopted safety goals or inflate project costs. Ultimately, I will ensure Council decisions remain firmly anchored in our citywide Vision Zero and Active Transportation goals, communicating clearly to the community why these safety trade-offs are necessary to protect lives across Alameda.

Thushan Amarasiriwardena (Council Candidate)
I build software products, and I know success comes from iteration: identify the problem, try a solution, gather feedback, improve, and repeat. I want us to test real changes and measure them, instead of studying hypotheticals. Things rarely turn out as bad as we fear, or as perfect as we hope. I’m passionate about building faster, and I’ve written more about it on my website at thushanforalameda.com/fast. With speed to try and speed to pull back, we can show rather than hypothesize. I’d engage early, tell residents what we heard and what we changed, and stay anchored to the “why” of each project. Once a concern has been heard and addressed, it shouldn’t reopen the whole project. I’d like to see the City Council not have to further review what’s already passed in the Transportation Commission and Planning Boards, making these decisions quicker. Almost universally, people want safe streets, especially their own, so I think we’re actually building on common ground. But we also need to take people along for the journey to understand how changes aren’t zero sum.

#4. Prioritizing Public Street Space
Alameda’s limited curb and street space must accommodate many competing needs, particularly along our “Main Streets.” Our General Plan establishes priorities for allocating this space in various contexts.
Do you support using the General Plan’s adopted priorities to guide these decisions? Would you support higher prices for high-demand city-owned parking to ease pressure on parking availability, or new residential parking permit zones where demand exceeds supply? What other changes to the way we use and manage public street space would you consider?

Malia Vella (Mayoral Candidate)
I do and was part of passing it. We want to prioritize bus access, bike facilities, accessible parking, and loading on our Main Streets. We have also worked to update our general plan so it incorporates the priorities set in our CARP and Active Transportation Plans. I have supported charging for parking at the ferry terminal and for increases to city owned parking lots and have supported exploration into residential permit parking zones. We also need to work on incorporating bulb out designs, expanding daylighting to improve sight lines and make sure that we re-stripe our cross walks and bike lines to make clear delineations. I would also like to see more enforcement of our policies so that we discourage double parking and blocking bike lanes, especially on our Main Streets. We also need to think about the placement of the outdoor dining spaces on park street so that they don’t interfere with sight lines, especially since it has significantly limited loading zones on several blocks. 

Tracy Jensen (Mayoral Candidate)
Given the City’s express authority over public right-of-way and parking the General Plan is an appropriate and valuable framework for street and sidewalk allocation. Using the General Plan and public parking authority to manage curb space effectively and reduce street congestion, Alameda could evaluate demand-based pricing for high-demand city-owned parking.  Another option to support residential street parking in some commercial-adjacent neighborhoods may be the establishment of residential permit zones.  

I will continue to support demand-based parking strategies such as pai parking at ferry terminals.  I will also make sure that Alameda optimizes public street space to serve all road users safely and efficiently. I will continue to search for ways to improve parking availability and reduce double parking, including designating commercial loading zones on commercial corridors. 

Alameda can and should use existing authority to improve bike lane safety and ensure compliance with other parking restrictions by fully resourcing Alameda parking control programs.  Finally, we are prioritizing daylighting and curb extensions when pavement upgrades are done because these treatments make a huge difference.  Removing parked cars close to crosswalks dramatically improves sightlines for pedestrians at school crossings and busy intersections while advancing our stormwater management goals.

Thushan Amarasiriwardena (Council Candidate)
Yes, I support using the General Plan’s priorities to guide these decisions. I’d also support pricing high-demand city-owned parking based on actual demand, so a few spaces stay open on each block. Revenue should stay in the district to fund crossings, lighting, and street trees. Where residential demand exceeds supply, I’d be open to permit zones with an equity lens. One idea is one permit per residence by default, with steeply rising permit fees for each additional car. That could also let us approve housing with fewer than one permit per household, attracting car-free residents. I’d also look at more loading zones and simplifying streets like Park, where too many uses compete for the same space (like moving bikelanes onto Oak). I’d be open to more permitted parking at the ferry stops, but increasing the charged rate and earmarking the funds generated for enabling connecting public transit (AC Transit line to the ferries, or active transportation infrastructure (bike lockers) to increase active transit options. Free parking isn’t free. Someone’s paying for it, usually renters, small businesses, and people who don’t even own a car. Donald Shoup wrote a whole book on this, and I’d like to be the councilmember who acts on it (but maybe not have read the whole thing: it’s a tome).

#5. School Zones
Children should not have to navigate streets designed primarily around moving and parking cars in order to get to school safely. School zones provide an opportunity to prioritize much slower vehicle speeds, safe crossings, walking and biking, and predictable pickup and drop-off operations.
What would you do to make school zones safer? What would you want the city to measure to determine whether a school zone is actually safe? As schools are renovated or rebuilt, how should the city ensure that transportation safety improvements are incorporated into those projects rather than compromised by them?

Malia Vella (Mayoral Candidate)
City transportation staff should be proactively working and coordinating with AUSD staff and site leaders, PTA, families/parents and neighbors. As a councilmember, I spent time meeting with parents, school PTAs and school leaders to discuss ways we could partner to improve safety in our school zones. 

We have worked together on improvements at Love school, coordinated crossing guards for the temporary Otis campus, met to address concerns raised by Edison families during the construction at Tilden to work on re-routing signs away from the school, and improving safe bike access to Bay Farm School. As a parent, I’ve seen the impact of having an active parent group who can advocate for safety in our school zones. But, we can do more and do better for all of our schools to improve safety in our school zones. 

We should be incorporating traffic calming designs around all of our schools, lowering speed limits in school zones, and ensuring our school routes include bike connectors with safe designs including protected bike lanes and cycle tracks, increased daylighting at intersections and regular restriping of lanes so that they are clear and visible. We can also work to improve and coordinate crossing guard locations when routes are extended and help build collaborations for things like parent-led bike buses, like we have at Otis. We should also be working together to sponsor and support equitable access to bike rodeos, bike safety training for students, and tune-ups beyond just bike to school week and other campaigns. Schools that have expanded access to these trainings and supports have shown increased bike/walk/roll numbers for school commutes. The city can also share out and publicize information on our safe routes and drop off areas so that Alamedans beyond the school community are aware and can prioritize student safety.

Finally, the city should be measuring all collisions – not just those resulting in death or severe injury, as well as near misses in school zones.

Tracy Jensen (Mayoral Candidate)
As a former Alameda Board of Education member, I partnered directly with the City to establish initial safety zones around our schools. On the City Council, I have consistently voted to expand bike lanes near schools, lower vehicle speeds through road diets, and implement targeted traffic calming, such as citing Alameda County Safe Routes to School research to support the Gibbons Drive traffic-calming roundabout. To make school zones safer immediately, the city must enforce existing traffic and parking ordinances during arrival and dismissal, while expanding visible infrastructure like enhanced signage, rapid rectangular flashing beacons, and physical speed management measures. 

To determine whether a school zone is truly safe, the city must measure concrete outcomes rather than relying on assumptions. Key metrics should include 85th-percentile vehicle speeds during drop-off and pick-up hours, driver compliance rates at marked crosswalks, near-miss and crash data, and the percentage of students actively walking, rolling, or biking to school. Tracking these indicators will give us clear, data-driven insight into where infrastructure or enforcement needs further refinement.

Finally, as schools are rebuilt or renovated, the City and the District must integrate transportation safety from day one through joint master planning rather than treating it as an afterthought. We demonstrated this at Wood Middle School, where drop-off and pick-up zones were intentionally designed alongside broader municipal infrastructure—such as the Grand Street and Central Avenue safety improvements—to ensure safe student access. As Mayor, I will institutionalize early inter-agency coordination between City traffic engineers and District planners, ensuring that safe routes, off-street loading, and active transportation connections are required components of every school reconstruction project and never compromised for budget or convenience. 

Thushan Amarasiriwardena (Council Candidate)
Our neighborhood schools are designed to easily enable kids to walk and bike to school. But families have changed. More parents work and commute farther, and cars have gotten much bigger. We need to make walking and biking easier and more comfortable for families who can. Safe Routes to Schools projects should be at the top of the city’s list. Fewer cars at drop-off also means less peak-hour traffic for everyone. Ironically, it’s often parents driving their kids who make school zones unsafe. At Love, one side of the building has a drop-off zone and the other doesn’t, and that’s where cars double-park in the bike lane. To know if a school zone is safe, I’d measure how many kids walk and bike, vehicle speeds, crashes and near misses, and how safe families feel, and what the tipping points would be for parents to drive less, and then enable that. When schools are rebuilt, the city and AUSD should collaborate transportation together at the earliest of stages, so safety is designed in from day one.

Sustainable Transportation Questionnaire

This questionnaire was co-sponsored by Seamless Bay Area and a coalition of 28 organizations throughout the region. We included only the responses from Alameda’s candidates here, but more than 250 candidates across the 9-County Bay Area responded to these same questions about transit, street safety, and bike/pedestrian infrastructure. To see what candidates in other races have to say about transportation issues, visit seamlessbayarea.org/candidate-questionnaire. Check back there later, too, for possible submissions that arrive after this post is published.

#1. Which forms of transit and active transportation (bicycling, walking, scooters, wheelchair) do you use on a regular basis? For what types of trips and why transit?

Tony Daysog (Mayoral Candidate)
walking

Malia Vella (Mayoral Candidate)
Bicycling and walking – Alameda is a very bikable and walkable city – we are only a  couple of miles big, our roads and sidewalks are flat, the weather is nice, and as a  councilmember I worked hard to support safer streets designs and a more extensive  active transportation plan. My kids bike to and from school everyday. We also prefer to  walk or bike as a family when grabbing a meal on Park street or going to play dates at  one of our many local parks. I grew up walking and biking everywhere and it really helps  connect us to our neighbors and neighborhood – you can stop to chat with folks in  passing and you’re able to appreciate the details of your community. 

Maria Bondonno (Council Candidate)
Walking – Alameda is a flat island. I can walk to the post office, stores, restaurants, and  the shoreline for exercise. 

Marcie Soslau Johnson (Council Candidate)
I mainly walk. I am located in a high density, wealthy area of the island, about two blocks away from the main public library and downtown business district. Second, I bike. Third,  I drive. I have an electric car. And fourth, I take public transportation when traveling  outside of my community specifically to the city (SF). 

Tyler Savage (Council Candidate)
Alameda is just a great place to walk and ride a bike. It helps that it’s so flat! I often walk  or ride my bike around town to get to local markets and restaurants. Our family does not  live far from Park St. so it’s convenient to walk to the library or movie theater. The other night I road my bike to have dinner with friends along the estuary and I just love using  the Cross Alameda trail! I also use the SF Bay Ferry multiple days a week as I commute  into the San Francisco for work. I’m a big fan of the Ferry system and definitely want to  expand the Ferry service around the Bay Area. 

Amos White (Council Candidate)
I walk and bike here in Alameda, particularly along our beach sidewalks. Having a town  with fairly well paved and shaded streets makes it also a very bikable city too. 

#2. Transportation is the largest single source of carbon emissions in California and in the Bay Area. The largest share of transportation emissions come from single occupancy vehicles. If elected, what will you do to help substantially reduce transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions via shifting trips from being done via car to being done via transit, biking and walking?  

Tony Daysog (Mayoral Candidate)
Encourage taking AC Transit 

Malia Vella (Mayoral Candidate)
As a councilmember I supported reducing/removing parking minimums, expanding our  network of protected bike lanes across town and into Oakland, adding more bike parking at our ferry terminals and business districts, narrowing streets (and adding bike lanes),  improving timing for traffic signals for safer bike/per crossings, expanding ferry service,  supporting safe routes to school and much more. I will continue to do this as Mayor to  ensure we have full connectivity for our cyclists and pedestrians- including continued  advocacy and work on adding a safe west end crossing into Oakland from Alameda. 

Maria Bondonno (Council Candidate)
I am an advocate for “Smart Housing,” which means housing and commercial (small  businesses) will be located together. People will be able to work, shop, etc., in the same neighborhood instead of having to drive. Smart Housing will cut down on traffic  congestion and pollution, and will also create communities. Also, Alameda is bike  friendly. 

Marcie Soslau Johnson (Council Candidate)
Yes.

Tyler Savage (Council Candidate)
The City has already made tremendous progress on expanding bike lanes in Alameda,  and I applaud those efforts! There are still many who rely on cars to move around the  island, which is for various reasons…feeling crunched for time, physically unable or the  weather just isn’t cooperating. I’d like to work with our friends at AC Transit to preserve  the bus routes we have today, and expand routes to make it as convenient as possible  for residents to move around the island. Realizing that AC Transit may not have the  resources I’d like to consider adding a City funded transportation system that can help  people move around the Island. Specifically connecting Bay Farm to Park St. to Webster and to Alameda Point. Having a dedicated Island transit system similar to Emeryville’s  Emery Go-Around to help with last mile service could make a big difference. One other  item of note is that many parents still drive their high school and middle school children  to school. AC Transit is already helping so many students from Bay Farm access Lincoln Middle School which is fantastic! I’d want to make sure we can thoughtfully expand AC  Transit service specific to morning and afternoon hours and drop students off within one  block of their school. Much of that may already be happening but we need to increase  the awareness of these buses for students. 

Amos White (Council Candidate)
Getting people out of fossil fuel burning vehicles that largely are taking single occupancy trips would be my number one priority. If elected, I would actively promote a citywide  campaign to restart our Carpool program. It completely died during covid and was never  actively promoted to start again. I would also seek to have the city offer incentives for  transit passes purchases and would actively support Bike Walk Alameda mobility  advocates calls for safer streets with more protected bike lanes for bike riders and  pedestrians that are linked to transit. 

#3. What do you think are the biggest mobility barriers and unmet needs for disadvantaged populations in your district, especially people with disabilities, seniors, and people with low incomes, and how would you propose to solve them?  

Tony Daysog (Mayoral Candidate)
Available infrastructure such as ADA-accessible raised platforms and ADA-accessible  listening tools 

Malia Vella (Mayoral Candidate)
As a councilmember I supported efforts to update our traffic signals to help with timing  and allow more time for pedestrian crossing and account for bike lane protect from  vehicle turn lanes. The updates also helped with better signaling for our community  members with disabilities. Our first and last mile connectors to public transit continue to  be a major barrier and felt hardest by disadvantaged populations in Alameda. Working  with AC transit we have tried to maintain routes that support these communities, and  have continued to support programs to help with these connectors including senior  shuttles from our senior center to our major shopping center and transit hubs. It is also why it’s critical as we build more housing we take a transit oriented approach and we  continue to follow safe streets designs to ensure connectivity throughout the city for all. 

Maria Bondonno (Council Candidate)
I think that Para-Transit services should be available to such people. 

Marcie Soslau Johnson (Council Candidate)
Lack of public transportation options. Cost of public transportation. Frequency of public  transportation. Fear of loss of autonomy and safety. 

Tyler Savage (Council Candidate)
For the most part, Alameda is doing pretty well. However there are still a significant  number sidewalks that do not meet ADA compliance. That is why it’s important that  Measure L passes as it will provide funding to make those necessary improvements.  Also, there are many seniors in our community who walk to the grocery store, library or  doctor’s appointment. However, there are many busy streets where cars speed and  intersections are unsafe to cross. We need to make investments in slowing drivers in  these high traffic areas along with adding infrastructure like stop signs or flashing  pedestrian lights to ensure seniors can cross safely. 

Amos White (Council Candidate)
I hear from local persons who are disabled, in a wheelchair and who are seniors that the  quality of our sidewalks greatly determines their sense of security and freedom to move  about our city. As council member, I would seek to have our public works department  conduct an audit of our city sidewalks and crosswalks to assure that they are safe and  well maintained and to offer us a benchmark upon which we can build upon in increase  safe access to our neighborhoods and to transit. 

#4. In 2023, car crashes killed 4,061 people and seriously injured at least 16,760 in California. If elected, what will you do to reduce traffic fatalities, increase street safety, save lives and reduce injuries in our community? What policies or specific projects would make the greatest impact?  

Tony Daysog (Mayoral Candidate)
Increase police traffic division to 5 dedicated officers 

Malia Vella (Mayoral Candidate)
As a councilmember I voted to implement plans, support projects (like the cross  Alameda Trail and shoreline cycle tracks), and supported policies that incorporated safe  streets designs – road diets, roundabouts, bulb outs, protected cycle tracks, and newer  traffic signals that include bike signals and funded the construction of these elements. I  supported our active transportation plan, climate action resiliency plan, and our  transportation demand management plans which all focused on reducing emissions,  while reducing injuries and fatalities in Alameda. I am the only candidate for mayor who  has a 100% voting record with Bike Walk Alameda because of this.

Maria Bondonno (Council Candidate)
Reduce traffic congestion through “Smart Housing” discussed above; include clearly  marked bike lanes; improve public transportation by increasing bus routes, etc.,  strengthen community policing; invest in resilient infrastructure prioritizing flood  abatement, drainage improvements, seismic resiliance, and emergency preparedness. 

Marcie Soslau Johnson (Council Candidate)
I would look at specific places in my community where there are hazardous conditions. I  would vote for traffic plans and traffic abatement measures like speed bumps to ensure  safety. Policies would be following through on Alameda’s Vision Zero Action Plan in a  coordinated way that encouraged a change in driving habits and use of alternative  transportation methods like public transportation and bikes. 

Tyler Savage (Council Candidate)
Alameda enacted Vision Zero some years ago as a result of too many pedestrian  fatalities. We need to continue to make progress on those initiatives outlined in V0. Part  of that means we need to improve signage at intersections, improve visibility of those  signs at intersections. One example is the Gibbons / High St / Fernside 5-way  intersection. The signal layout is outdated and not enough signage directing drivers. This also means that we need to improve existing bike lanes that are not protected. For  example, the bike lanes on Shore Line Drive are just 2ft from where cars open doors and where families load of their beach gear. They often block a bike line which pushes bikes  into the oncoming bike lane. As a somewhat avid bike rider who feels very comfortable  on a bike this doesn’t bother me, but I can imagine it’s a big obstacle for others who  would otherwise take advantage of taking a bike to SouthShore Center. 

Amos White (Council Candidate)
Traffic across our city and communities is not equal nor is it equitable. Tree lined streets  reduce traffic speeds. However, our West End neighborhoods have one third the number of trees and tree canopy than our East End neighborhoods. The car shows and tire marks are largely marking West End streets, particularly as you get closer to the naval  base at Alameda Point. Deterring speeding and slowing traffic must be a majority priority across our city, and we must seek to direct city funding to where both the problem is  greatest and the resources lacking the most. Installing large rounda-bouts in  intersections to deter spinouts, increase the number of trees per yard along the tree  medians along our broad streets of Lincoln Ave, Ralph Appozado and Willie Stargel  Ways to slow vehicle sppeds. 

#5. What do you think are the most important actions that can be taken to make public transit comfortable, safe and accessible for all communities? E.g. more bus shelters & benches; lighting; community resource agents, armed police, etc.  

Tony Daysog (Mayoral Candidate)
covered bus shelters and benches 

Malia Vella (Mayoral Candidate)
We need to pass the Connect Bay Area Measure so that we can keep routes and  headways especially to our underserved communities. Lighting and signage, and  cleanliness also help, but if we don’t maintain the routes and transportation options,  many communities will lose accessible public transit. 

Maria Bondonno (Council Candidate)
More bus stogps with well lit bus shelters; getting BART to build out into the island of  Alameda; community policing particularly around hot spot areas, educating and  informing the public more about public transportation. Overall, making it easier to take. 

Marcie Soslau Johnson (Council Candidate)
Alameda has had a lot of service cut due to ridership issues. I think the most important  action is to be reasonably accommodated in conversations about public transportation.  As an elected official, it is important that I have an understanding of where routes are  being cut, how populations relying on public transportation are impacted, and where  there are opportunities to encourage use. 

Tyler Savage (Council Candidate)
Yes all good suggestions! There are a still a number of bus stops in the business  districts that do not have covered shelters. And they are often too small. I see at times 4- 6 people waiting for the bus but the shelters are not meant to cover that many people. I  can imagine on those rainy days people may just avoid riding the bus. Overall the  accessibility is ok, but there are parts of Alameda that we can certainly benefit from  improved access. For example, there are a significant number of households who rely  on Food Bank services. There are two busses the 19 and the 96 which service that area  at the Point. Unfortunately those two lines only go so far as Park Street so much of the  east end and entire shore line drive area is under serviced, and it also appears that most families on Bay Farm would rely on a limited bus service which would need to connect to the 19 or 96 making it an obstacle to get access to food assistance. 

Amos White (Council Candidate)
More bus shelters with actual benches and shelters that are deeper with sidewalls for  shelter against the wind and elements.   

#6. Public transit in the Bay Area is run by 27 transit agencies – that historically have had separate fares, schedules, branding, and customer information – which creates barriers for riders. Polling indicates that 89% of the public supports legislation to create ‘“one seamless, multimodal transit system.” As an elected leader, how would you support efforts that advance a more integrated, high-ridership network that meets the needs of riders?  

Tony Daysog (Mayoral Candidate)
The clipper card is pretty seamless no? I us it for BART, AC, Muni – I think I can use it on ferries: my frustration with my clipper card is I cant use a credit card or debit card to  increasee the amount when at the Transbay bus terminal. 

Malia Vella (Mayoral Candidate)
Getting the transit cards to work with various agencies has been a good start and has  helped with this, and our work on regional bodies like ACTC and our shared public  meetings with WETA and AC transit have also helped for our city staff to communicate  integration needs and efficiencies based on our transportation demand management  studies that looked at where our residents are working/traveling. We have worked with  AC transit to reorient routes based on service needs and changing ridership as we have  built housing. As Councilmember, I also advocated for and got developers and our  largest employers to support transit expansion and connectivity – including help funding  the new ferry at seaplane lagoon and adding stops for AC transit near business districts  and big housing developments that included affordable and senior housing. We also  worked to get companies and developers to support funding new routes or headways or  purchase transit cards for their residents and employees.

Maria Bondonno (Council Candidate)
I would support legislation and municipal measures to unify the transit systems in this  regard. 

Marcie Soslau Johnson (Council Candidate):
I was born in South Korea and the country has one transit card for the entire country!  Overall, I am for as much collaboration as possible. I have done the hard work of  building relationships for a common goal and would lend my skills and time to an effort to improve public transportation for all. 


Tyler Savage (Council Candidate)
Yes

Amos White (Council Candidate)
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#7. Do you support changes that make transit faster, more reliable, with lower operating costs? E.g. bus-only lanes, bus bulb outs, and signal prioritization. Most transit agencies don’t have authority over what happens on streets and roads and need approval by local governments, and often counties and the state (CalTrans). What policies would you support to make street-running transit faster and more reliable?  

Tony Daysog (Mayoral Candidate)
Yes: I would like to championing dedicating right-most SF-bound lane on the Bay Bridge  to transbay busses — cars can use it temporarily to pass but it will be mostly for busses 

Malia Vella (Mayoral Candidate)
Yes. I supported bus bulb outs and signal prioritization in Alameda and worked with staff  on route design that maintained access by reorienting stops to meet ridership needs  while eliminating unused or low usage stops. This work helps keep transit running faster. 

Maria Bondonno (Council Candidate)
I support bus only lanes, bus bulb outs, and signal prioritization. 

Marcie Soslau Johnson (Council Candidate)
Yes. I would support coordination of efforts within our region abd beyond. I have friends  and colleagues in Alameda who commute to and from farflung areas like Fremont, San  Jose, and Antioch. A long commute contributes negatively to quality of life. If we are able to offer sustainable and competitive public transportation options, time spent commuting  could be used for reading, sleeping, working, wandering thinking, etc. 

Tyler Savage
Yes. Alameda is may not be suitable for dedicated bus-only lanes but would be in favor  of exploring signal prioritization and dedicated lanes where it makes sense like on  Webster and Lincoln. As for policies, I would work with local transit agencies to identify  corridors / roadways where we can adopt dedicated bus-lanes and even funding last mile bus service to connect to AC transit bus routes. 

Amos White (Council Candidate)
Yes, I absolutely support changes that make transit faster, more reliable, with lower  operating costs.   

#8. Occasionally, changes that make roads safer and more convenient for pedestrians, people on bikes and transit riders require repurposing vehicle travel lanes or parking spots. What are situations in which you would support such changes and when would you not support such changes?  

Tony Daysog (Mayoral Candidate
If Mayor, I will once again try to impose a 15 MPH speed limit on users of city-owned  paths: I have seen far too many Class I and II EV bikes well exceeding 25 MPH — these  lanes are too narrow: pople in my City did NOT like this proposal — but there is no other  way too slow people down. If you wanna go 25 . . use the regular street. Besides: the  EBRPD has a 15 MPH limit on tir paths. 

Malia Vella (Mayoral Candidate)
As a councilmember I supported these changes on Shoreline, Central Avenue, Grand  Avenue, Stargell, for the cross alameda trail, and many more Projects. I have supported complete streets and traffic calming efforts that included road  diets and loss of parking. I have always focused on what we can do to make our streets  safer and looked for options that take into account best practices for reducing speed and increase visibility. We try to build community buy in through community outreach and  process as we make these changes – if we explain the how and why and keep people  updated they are much more supportive. 

Maria Bondonno (Council Candidate)
I support such changes on main roads used by both pedestrains, bicylists, and drivers.  On smaller narrower neighborhood roads, I do not think they would work. 

Marcie Soslau Johnson (Council Candidate)
I would support changes where there has been thoughtful planning under the umbrella of a larger plan. As a council member, I would ask for public input and education as part of  the process. I would also be open to shifting underutilized or under performing spaces  back to traditional road use, again, with proven planning that involves considerations for  safety and a larger traffic flow goal. 

Tyler Savage (Council Candidate)
I would make sure to support these types of efforts near schools and business centers.  These are areas where we would want to encourage public transit oriented mobility. I  would not support such changes in residential neighborhoods with small narrow streets. 

Amos White (Council Candidate)
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#9. How would you support transit-oriented development in your community that promotes sustainable and equitable mobility? Are there any specific planned TOD projects in your community/district that you have opinions about? 

Tony Daysog (Mayoral Candidate)
I will continue to encourage even more new housing development in Alameda’s West  End in walking distance of the Seaplane Lagoon ferry system, and simultaneously near  future bus routes traversing Appezatto Way or Stargell Way to downtown Oakland. 

Malia Vella (Mayoral Candidate)
As a councilmember I supported TOD projects Alameda Point Site A and West  Midway/RESHAP as well as Encinal Terminals and Star Harbor. These projects are  transit oriented and include hundreds of units of affordable housing as well as supportive housing in addition to market rate. I continue to advocate for and support these projects  and projects like them. 

Maria Bondonno (Council Candidate)
I support Alameda’s 2040 General Plan, whicih has an explicit policy – LU 16 – for climate friendly, transit-oriented mixeduse development: higher denity housing and commercial  near transit rich corridors like Park and Webster Streets, plus zoning changes to allow it. It includes transit oriented incentives – density and open space waivers within a quarter  mile of high-quality transit routes, and a forty foot height floor for smaller units. 

Marcie Soslau Johnson (Council Candidate)
Community education and input. Finding a common denominator for all residents, like  working together as a community to ensure youth may commute safely and independently to school, is necessary to this process of changing behaviors and  prioritizing sustainable solutions. Alameda is undergoing growth and transition. It is an  opportunity to think about the long term sustainable future and safety concerns. As a  council member, my focus as a trained social worker will be looking out for members of  the community that are not typically represented in political conversations – minorities,  the disabled, food and financially insecure, working poor, and people experiencing  homelessness. 

Tyler Savage (Council Candidate)
I would certainly want to expand the last-mile public transit options so that residents can  have greater access to business districts. Also would like to see expanded ferry service  to the south bay, far beyond south san francisco. Also, I would like to pursue expanded  estuary watter shuttle service that can move people between Alameda and Oakland. 

Amos White (Council Candidate)
I would support a transit-oriented development in the form of a transit village at  Alameda’s Seaplane Lagoon Ferry. Th parking lot there presents a prime opportunity to develop and mixed used housing development that serves San Francisco workers and  gets them to reduce their vehicles. 

#10. Do you support Connect Bay Area, the 5-county regional transit funding ballot measure that will raise $1 billion per year for public transit over 14 years through a 0.5% sales tax (1% in San Francisco) to prevent service cuts to BART, Muni, Caltrain, and AC Transit and fund rider-improvements to make taking transit easier, faster, and more reliable? How have you supported it?  

Tony Daysog (Mayoral Candidate)
Yes

Malia Vella (Mayoral Candidate)
Yes. I endorsed it and have been advocating for it.

Maria Bondonno (Council Candidate)
Yes, I support Connect Bay Area and will vote “yes” on it.

Marcie Soslau Johnson (Council Candidate)
Yes. While campaigning for my seat, making individuals and groups aware of the  importance, listening to constituents’ concerns, and reflecting back to the community  what I have heard and explainging (education) what is at stake. 

Tyler Savage (Council Candidate)
yes. I have supported it by advocating for it during the campaign. 

Amos White (Council Candidate)
Yes, I support this measure and I am asking others to do so also.