Massachusetts Vision Zero Coalition

Boston City Council District 2

Candidates

†Will proceed to the municipal elections on Nov. 7

Sections

About the Candidates

Do you personally walk to destinations in your community? If yes, how often do you do so?

Corey Dinopoulos Edward M. Flynn Kora Vakil
Yes Yes Yes
I walk in my community daily, whether it’s to the bus stop or to/from work in Copley Square or the Seaport. Walking is my primary mode of transportation around the district. Prior to taking a leave from my job as a probation officer, I walked to work most days. My wife, Kristen, and I are avid walkers, and we walk whenever possible.  

Do you personally travel by/ use public transit to get around? If yes, which trains and buses do you routinely use?

Corey Dinopoulos Edward M. Flynn Kora Vakil
Yes Yes Yes
I rely on public transportation daily to get to and from work. Having worked in the Seaport for 9 years, I had been accustomed to taking the 7 bus from South Boston to the World Trade Center but realized it was faster for me to bike to work rather than wait for a bus that was either too full or didn’t show up. Currently, I take the 9 bus from K Street to Copley Square. Occasionally I take the 11 bus to Broadway Station or to Downtown. In addition to walking, I frequently use the #11 bus, Red Line, and Silver Line bus to get around the district. I HAVE LIVED IN BOSTON WITHOUT A CAR FOR OVER 5 YEARS

Do you personally bike in your community or commute by bike to other communities? If no, would you be willing to give it a try periodically, e.g. once or twice per month?

Corey Dinopoulos Edward M. Flynn Kora Vakil
Yes No No
I do bike in my community but have some serious concerns about safe connectivity from South Boston to the South End/Back Bay or from South Boston to Downtown. South Boston has been resistant to change and implementation of stress-free and protected bike infrastructure. I will be a strong advocate for low-stress, protected bike lanes on key routes to offer city-wide connectivity throughout district 2 and I’m committed to making this happen whether I become councillor or not. Walking has always been my preferred mode of transit, but I am very supportive of cyclists, and I would look forward to having an opportunity to work with cyclists and have first-hand experience cycling around District 2 to better understand their needs. it is still too unsafe to bike in Boston. there is little safety for bikes to go from one end of the city to the other. I have been injured three times on a bike, through the severe reckless endangerment of drivers, most recently costing me the full use of my right and dominate hand. I am further angered by my use of adaptive software that makes me MORE PROFICIENT WITHOUT using two hands pejoratively triggering my PTSD when other put me down for being "too efficient" using only only hand. I can do it all with one hand and that is very intimidating and its been 15 years now and I am so grateful to know people's true character. That other's who hate a competent differently abled person project their own insecurities on someone who is innocent and done nothing wrong. I have driven over 15 years with one hand. I hide my ability incredibly well and I doubt anyone notices the lack of my full usage. I can say a lot more but you know you are dealing with someone who is VERY SERIOUS about personal pedestrian and biker safety. I have over 1 million miles put on my car. I HAVE NEVER EVEN ONCE ABSOLUTELY FOR SURE NEVER HIT A PEDESTRIAN OR A BIKER. I have come close as I'm sure we all have but that doesn't count. Only an impact does. I have NEVER EVEN ONCE HAD A CAR THAT I WAS THE DRIVER IN BEEN HIT FOR ANY REASON INCLUDING AN ACCIDENT THAT WAS NOT MY FAULT WHILE OUT OF PARK. That is because I value human life so infinity that I think people who hit pedestrians, bikers, and have injured people while driving need to be taken out back and shot. I'm not joking because people die and drivers face NO CONSEQUENCES so vigilanteism remains. But I'm not a vigilante. I've been injured also as a pedestrian while walking from a driver who faced no consequence. From all my injuries that would place a normal person in the victim mode for the rest of their lives I'm not a victim I'm a warrior. And I am here to say that there is never any excuse for hitting a pedestrian or biker, and that includes when bikers hit and inure pedestrians. Its about valuing human life, facing consequences, and not letting Boston become a sanctuary city for drivers who hit pedestrians. I give you permission to shoot me if I hit a pedestrian or biker; I value living berating human life and would never be so careless. I take this issue very seriously and Marty's vision zero sucks. I do NOT support revenue from traffic tickets at all. Only consequences for when a driver hits a bike or pedestrian and when a biker hits a pedestrian. I have a lot of data on the ways we can improve traffic safety like warning zones, lights etc. But this is not the correct format since its about policy and when I want more done the city makes excuses. You need a candidate who will get the job done in office. I'll update my site with a bill I'm working on about public safety WRT traffic safety as I am able since once I publish online its already outdates and I've new information. This is a very dynamic issue since it needs action, not surveys and questionnaires.

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Policy Proposals

How will you work to establish funding for the infrastructure changes needed to slow traffic on your community’s streets, and improve crosswalks and intersections to make them safer for people who are walking and using mobility assistive devices?

Corey Dinopoulos Edward M. Flynn Kora Vakil
I was proud of the Chinatown slow streets program for being awarded the funding needed to improve the quality of life and calm traffic on local streets. It was the only neighborhood in District 2 that was awarded funding and I’d be an advocate for all of District 2 moving forward. Each year the mayor creates a proposed budget for all of the city’s needs, and as city councillor, it would be my role to inform the mayor and the entire council that there needs to be a sense of urgency and priority when it comes to improving the conditions of our streets. I would explore developing partnerships with District 2 businesses to help defray some of these costs. Their employees deserve to arrive at work safely and on time. I also think we could look to the PILOT program working with our larger non-profit institutions and holding them accountable to pay their fair share. That revenue can only benefit the hospitals and universities in the long run, brining bring traffic calming improvements and connected, city-wide cycle infrastructure. Vision Zero is a top priority for me. We cannot have people dying on our city’s streets, Boston needs to reduce traffic injuries & fatalities and we need to do it now. Traffic calming measures are important as we seek to make District 2 and the entire city a safer place to walk, bike, and travel. I will use my role on the Council, specifically in the City’s budget process, to advocate for meaningful investments in new technologies that effectively make our streets safer. This is not my answer, just the summery: lights in crosswalks, warning zones, pedestrian right of way, consequences for drivers who actually injure and kill as involuntary manslaughter and reckless endangerment etc.

How will you improve the reach, frequency, and quality of public transit in your city/town?

Corey Dinopoulos Edward M. Flynn Kora Vakil
South Boston, the South End and Chinatown have all experienced rapid growth over the years, and we need to make sure our public transportation system is able to keep up with the increased demand. As a resident who takes the bus to work, I see how our system struggles to serve our growing neighborhoods. I’ll work with all community groups, whether they get around on two, four, or no wheels at all, to make navigating Boston easy, safe, and enjoyable. Besides the recent developments with the launch of Boston2030, I don’t see the City of Boston looking at the big picture. District 2 hasn’t been represented well by someone with transportation priorities like I have. Two weeks ago, I testified at the MBTA Fiscal Control Board hearing on Overnight Service and spoke in support of the proposal. I was the only council candidate to attend the meeting. I understand that Overnight Service is all about supporting the people who work late shifts in our hospitals, restaurants, and other late night venues. If we are to ensure that no resident is left behind in Boston’s building boom, we’ll need safe, affordable, and convenient transportation—whether it’s a broker at 2 p.m. or a bartender at 2 a.m.—I believe the Overnight Service pilot is the best way to achieve this transit equity. I believe that increasing funding for public transportation is one of the most critical issues facing our city, the Greater Boston area, and the Commonwealth as a whole. To make meaningful investments in public transportation, I support the Fair Share Amendment. Currently, public transportation in Boston is unpredictable and unreliable. As a region, we must prioritize this being fixed. By making it more attractive than the alternative. And you already know MBTA is a state agency, I've had to educate a lot of voter on this since other candidates give misinformation, make far out promises, and campaign like they have anything other than influential power over MBTA etc. Also get the fucking horses off the street! What a joke even the Amish and Mennonites know that you NEVER share a motor vehicle road with horses, EVER, obviously! Working on a bill for that also. Mounted Patrol is effective at approximately 10:1 ratio of foot patrol officers so Mounted Patrol is great for crowd control at parks, etc.

How will you ensure fast-tracked implementation of a city-/town-wide network of off-street paths and protected bike lanes* on major thoroughfares and connecting streets that are comfortable for people of all ages and abilities?

Corey Dinopoulos Edward M. Flynn Kora Vakil
I will be a strong advocate for low-stress, protected bike lanes on key routes to offer city-wide connectivity and emphasize the sense of urgency in doing so. I believe we can ease traffic & parking problems by making bicycling appealing to more people which can only be achieved by improving safety. Currently District 2 is not fully utilizing the amount of available road space, and I will work with our city planners to create a safe & connected bike network without reducing the number of existing on-street parking spaces our residents need. On the evening of May 10th, I joined hundreds of bike advocates at City Hall to advocate for a commitment for more funding for neighborhood slow streets and vision zero initiatives city-wide. That evening was also a somber memorial to a 29 year old we lost on Commonwealth Ave because of our lack of safe cycle infrastructure. For over two hours, I listened to testimony from members of the Boston Cyclists Union, Livable Streets Alliance, avid cyclists and more. Lastly, I’ve attended all public meetings for the South Bay Harbor Trail project which will safely connect the South Boston waterfront to the South End and eventually Roxbury. I wholeheartedly support this project and have been involved in giving feedback to Design Consultants, Inc, the City of Boston and MassDot as well as hearing the concerns of cyclists that bike these streets on a daily basis. I will continue to be a champion for this project and other bike & pedestrian friendly connections. My hope is that one day, Boston too can consider herself as the Amsterdam or Copenhagen of North America but we have a lot of work and advocacy to do! Mayor Walsh has taken important steps to make Boston safer and better connected for cyclists. As City Councilor, I will work with the Administration, cyclists, and transportation experts to ensure that we are implementing a truly citywide network of cycling infrastructure. Off-street paths and protected bike lanes keep Bostonians safe, and we need to ensure they are being created in a timely manner. Critical mass type activism is fine with me. And also breaking the law by putting up alerts that the City opposes anyway. I feel like I'm the only one to notice the disability lack of access, and I also want to wheel with those who don't let this lack of accommodation stop them. I frequently have wheels to adapt myself also so this is nothing new that the sidewalks suck. Its a balance between historic districts being upgraded with BEAUTIFUL HISTORICALLY BLENDED accessibility not just ugly slab concrete that actually can be just as bad if not worse. When we live in a city that has disability access, everyone benefits because we all may have periods of time that we need it and we all grow and change our abilities over time. And I want to be clear that disability access MUST NEVER decrease the accessibility to a "standard user" because this is then reverse discrimination. I feel strongly that those who are innocent should never suffer or be forced to give up a privilege when they have done nothing wrong; being a standard user is not a crime and there is no reason that stairs and other tools for standard users need to be removed or limited to burden people who are otherwise good and here to be in alliance with the differently abled and adaptable individuals. I know I don't have anything wrong with me also, its just another type of being an interactive participating member of society: that I will understand more than most.

How will you increase access to biking in every neighborhood equally? What do you see as the major obstacles to encouraging ridership, and how will you address them?

Corey Dinopoulos Edward M. Flynn Kora Vakil
Transit equity doesn’t just apply to our public transportation but also our lower income neighborhoods and their access to safe bike routes. If I represent the neighborhoods of Bay Village, Chinatown, Downtown, South Boston and the South End, I would work with the council as a whole to ensure the entire city is safely connected with equal access to bikes. I’m thrilled about Boston-metro’s bike share program through Hubway but there’s a stark inequality when it comes to the placement of these stations. When you look at the system map, you’ll clearly see that communities such as Dorchester, Mattapan, Roxbury, and Hyde Park are underserved by Hubway. We need to ensure that communities that have been historically disenfranchised have access to safe and affordable transit options like biking. Up to this point, the installation of bike facilities in Boston has been piecemeal, creating unconnected stretches of bike lanes scattered throughout the city. Because of this, residents don’t feel safe and comfortable biking to work or across town to where they need to go. I personally tend to stay hyper-local with my own bike because I’m too nervous to cross neighborhoods where there are few safe connections. I will work with the Walsh Administration, BTD, cyclist groups, and community groups to ensure that we are enacting a comprehensive plan that enables cyclists to travel throughout the city on protected lanes. As a member of my local civic association, I know how important it is to have community input. I look forward to working with stakeholders to ensure cycling infrastructure is happening in an equitable and comprehensive manner throughout Boston’s neighborhoods. It should NOT be equal! There need to be roads and areas that are special for bikers so bikers have areas that use increased safety and part of a "bike zone."

How will you increase funding for biking infrastructure?

Corey Dinopoulos Edward M. Flynn Kora Vakil
We can increase funding for bike infrastructure though a number of mixed options such as private/public partnerships, holding our developers accountable and also tapping into PILOT funds. It’s clear we need to fund better infrastructure and demand safer, more equatable streets now. I will be a champion for cyclists not just in District 2, but city-wide. As previously stated, I view the City’s budget process as the most effective way to increase funding for biking infrastructure. Furthermore, I think that there are creative partnerships we can explore to better involve institutions in biking infrastructure expansion. "Civil prosecution of insurance companies of drivers who injure and kill bicker, pedestrians and passengers since that is what insurance is for. It pays for the damages caused by the driver and needs includes preventative measures to ensure future collisions don't happen. There are no ""accidents"" only collisions from hurting others. Actually don't take them out back and shoot them, instead work with drivers in alliance to make our roads safer. Both recent pedestrian injuries (one involve a child on a tricycle, very difficult to observe) had drivers that were ""very sorry."" The drivers were sorry but I want to go a step further, use these drivers as our allies because they will not face any actually driving consequences. Its a minimum 5 year suspension and 10 years suspension for hitting a ped. and killing a per respectively... but this is a state agency, obviously. On a final note the young adult who hit another adult was a student at my father's alum college. It was easily the worst thing this kid had ever done and he was very sorry. If there is a matching consequence for ""feeling sorry"" like a 5 year suspension then he will experience more pedestrian time himself and learn a greater attention to the safety of human life that he has not already learned yet unfortunately. He is a good kid and he also deserves to learn the value and PRIVILEGE of driving. Driving is NOT a right; it is a privilege that can be revoked with equal due process if it is a privilege that has been broken or abused."

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Yes/No Questions

Do you support the adoption of Vision Zero and funding for its rapid implementation? Vision Zero is an approach which aims to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries by 2030 and has been adopted by several communities, including Boston and Cambridge.

Corey Dinopoulos Edward M. Flynn Kora Vakil
Yes Yes No
Given the tragedies we’ve had in our city this year with a pedestrian being fatally hit in the South End and a cyclist fatally hit on Commonwealth Ave, we need action and need it now. Between 2010 and 2015, the City of Boston had 13 bicyclist fatalities and it’s because we aren’t building safe infrastructure or investing in best practices to achieve Vision Zero. As a councillor and as someone who rides my bike each week on our roads, I will be a strong advocate for more Vision Zero funding and implementing best practices to our communities. This year, the South End has seen multiple tragic traffic fatalities on Tremont Street and there have been other terrible accidents throughout District 2. With more cars on the street and new traffic-avoidance applications steering drivers through unfamiliar residential neighborhoods, we can expect to see continued tragedies if something is not done. The adoption of Vision Zero and its expedited implementation will save lives and make our neighborhoods more livable. Its not enough. Vision Zero is too slow and we need dynamic master plan that is more quickly up-dateable and the moment its in print or online it becomes outdated. Using a static plan is wrong if it just places one human life in danger and just one person is injured. But using Vision Zero as more of an open skeleton template and open blueprint we can use targeting injury prevention in specific zones to prevent unnecessary harm. Marty is great at giving speeches and this may place him busy and too slow to respond and that's what I feel is happening. Bike lanes need to be more separated from cars. I'll be the only one to put this out there: I'm the big skywalk proponent also! The skywalk gives more than just pedestrian safety. It is also warm in winter and provides an indoor community.

Do you support lowering design speeds through traffic calming measures on downtown and neighborhood streets as a means of enhancing the safety of people walking, using mobility assistive devices, biking, and driving? This may involve the expansion and enhancement of programs like Neighborhood Slow Streets (Boston) and Neighborways (Somerville).

Corey Dinopoulos Edward M. Flynn Kora Vakil
Yes Yes No
I would love if more of our neighborhoods could receive funding for the expansion of the slow streets program. Fortunately this year, Chinatown in District 2 was one of five neighborhoods selected this year to work with the Boston Transportation and Public Works Departments to plan and implement their Neighborhood Slow Streets. Associations in the South End and South Boston also applied for these funds but there’s no reason why every neighborhood in Boston shouldn’t be supported in lowering traffic speeds. In South End, motorists treat Tremont Street like an Indycar Speedway and we have much work to do to enforce the new 25MPH speed limit. Same goes for Columbia Road and William J Day Blvd in South Boston where motorists treat the streets like freeways while children, elderly and families are trying to safely cross at pedestrian crosswalks. I support the Neighborhood Slow Street program and would push for it’s expansion not only to my District but to the entire City of Boston.   This may need more explanation. Yes and no; that there need to be streets that are less safe for pedestrians, expressway zones. etc I need to show support for the goal of this and it is about planning correctly from the beginning not doing damage control. This is still a damage control issue. Where vision zero has worked it may have other correlation data that is not shown. No matter what there needs to be progress hat cannot be limited by a static master plan.

One key strategy that has been proven to effectively reduce speeding, improve safety, and remove racial bias in traffic enforcement in other states and countries is automated enforcement (i.e. speed cameras and red light cameras). Do you support state legislation that authorizes the use of automated enforcement in Massachusetts, per the July 2017 recommendation of the National Transportation Safety Board?

Corey Dinopoulos Edward M. Flynn Kora Vakil
Yes No No
Initially, I would say yes, I support this measure but I would like to be more informed about automated enforcement and see how it’s been implemented in other cities and states across the country. Boston Police officers doing community policing in Boston’s neighborhoods is the most effective way to keep our communities safe. Explanation is that no tickets and lights especially if you're wealthy and its a minor nusicne

Do you support redesigning space on the street in order to improve safety for people biking by creating protected bike lanes?

Corey Dinopoulos Edward M. Flynn Kora Vakil
Yes Yes Yes
Boston has made significant progress for improved cycling, but unfortunately our city still has critical gaps in our bicycle transportation network. We need to bridge these gaps by designing low-stress bicycle infrastructure that will minimize conflicts between people who bike, drive, and walk. There is a direct correlation between the percentage of people who choose to bike, and how complete the bicycle network is. To help us reach our GoBoston2030 goals, we need to invest in bike paths that feel safe. Although many of Boston’s streets are narrow and not conducive for bike AND vehicular lanes, we need to examine how we create an end to end network rather than a handful of disconnected cycle tracks and protected lanes. Like I mentioned in previous comments, I’ve been very close to the discussions around the South Bay Harbor Trail. Working with the different stakeholders and associations, there were compromises made such as the removal of a nicely landscaped median strip to accommodate bike lanes on Dorchester Ave. We may lose a pretty median strip but it will be worth making the roads safer for cyclists, vehicles and pedestrians alike. I would support redesigning other roadways to ensure that we have parking protected bike lanes where we can locate the separated bike lane between the parked cars and the curb.   These are all questions that are matriculated to disguise the actual problem, that bike and pedestrian safety is not enough of a priority. Because I need to address before continuing any further that there are many cars on the road that are causing more crashes (there are no "accidents" for those who truly value human life and are not careless and distracted) because of the LACK OF PARKING. Is is impossible to force people out of cars and onto bikes, alternative must be attractive. So its less attractive and more accidents and this is a cycle that keeps alt trans out of the reach of many people. So while we can say increased parking only causes more cars to come on the roads, it also can say that it takes more cars off the roads since people then see an easily parked car as convenient way to store it and be able to walk; forced driving from street cleaning and moving to avoid tickets are an INCENTIVE to drive not a deterrent. And there is a lag time. I need to address this in a less matriculated way since the questions involve a breeder issue.

Do you support the increased use of curb extensions to improve safety and visibility at intersections, even if it requires the removal of one to two parking spaces?

Corey Dinopoulos Edward M. Flynn Kora Vakil
Yes Yes Yes
Yes and this goes for bus bulbs as well so that pedestrians have improved safety while boarding MBTA buses. As we all know, we have serious issues around parking and that won’t be an issue going away anytime soon. Working with our planners and the city, we need to do our best to improve safety and visibility without reducing too many existing on-street parking spaces our residents need. The City of Boston should be prioritizing the study and analysis of unsafe and problematic intersections to determine if redesign or other measures would improve their safety. I am a huge proponent of parking access

Do you support implementation of all of the Better Bike Corridors and other bike projects in the Go Boston 2030 Plan, and commit to making sure all short-term projects are planned and implemented within three years, and long-term projects are implemented by or before 2030?

Corey Dinopoulos Edward M. Flynn Kora Vakil
Yes Yes Yes
I would support an increase in funding that would enable the city to complete ALL of GoBoston2030’s five year plan action items within my first two years in office. Back in 2013, the Boston Globe published an article about the City of Boston wanting 20 miles of cycle tracks by 2018. When asked how many miles of protected cycle tracks exist at the May City Council hearing, Boston Department of Transportation and MassDOT did not know. The answer is 3 miles. Painting some lines on the road and saying that we have safe bike infrastructure is ludicrous and we need to be doing more to redesign our streets to create separated, protected bike infrastructure.   Only because your format demotivates my ability to answer holistically. You somehow assume your matriculation is the best to answer and it may not be. Just open minded to possibilities of a better solution because even one pedestrian or bike injury is one too many.

Will you address age-friendly walking in your community — an issue raised by many seniors as critical to their ability to “age in community”? If yes, how?

Corey Dinopoulos Edward M. Flynn Kora Vakil
Yes Yes Yes
In the last 5 weeks, I’ve visited 5 senior housing complexes in District 2 for coffee and to chat about issues affecting them in their neighborhoods. Issues brought up were some dangerous blind corners, speeding vehicles and pedestrian crossing signals that don’t work. Issues I’ve seen on my own are sidewalks across the city that aren’t ADA compliant for wheelchairs and strollers. These aren’t issues only pertaining to our aging population but to all residents in the city regardless of age. The residents were complaining about the 311 app not being an effective way of reporting issues and seeing results from the City of Boston. We need better methods like a direct line to my council office to take on issues raised by our seniors and making sure they’re addressed. My parents are in their mid- to late seventies, and they walk everywhere. While individual communities may be walkable, one of the greatest challenges exists when traveling from one neighborhood to another – especially in District 2. The existence of major highways (I–93 and the Mass Pike), railroad routes, and routes closed off to walking has made interconnectivity in District 2 challenging. I want to be sure that all residents of all ages are able to walk safely in their communities and access amenities in other neighborhoods.  

Boston has many traffic signals that do not work well for pedestrians. Will you work to make signal timing safer, easier, and more convenient for people walking and using mobility assistive devices at all paces?

Corey Dinopoulos Edward M. Flynn Kora Vakil
Yes Yes Yes
I was shocked to learn in the Boston Globe one month ago that a vast majority of traffic signals downtown do not actually respond to walk buttons. I take issue with that and believe we need to take a holistic look at our traffic signals so they better serve pedestrians at dangerous crossings. Lets take a look at an example in my district. Over by Chinatown, we have a very messy 8 way intersection of Surface Road, Lincoln St and Essex St. There is no way to cross as a pedestrian that doesn’t involve crossing two streets, and waiting in multiple light changes. With it’s close proximity to South Station, thousands of people cross to get from Downtown to Commuter rail, train, and bus services. This would be a great location to pilot better signals and traffic improvements. A second example where I’ve heard from residents is the crossing at Columbia Road and G Street in South Boston. During a recent visit to Compass by the Bay, a senior assisted living facility, residents were complaining about pedestrian crossing buttons not working to cross Columbia Road and William J Day Blvd to walk along the beach. We need to be mindful of areas with both children, families and elderly to ensure that people of all ages can cross safely and navigate their neighborhoods with responsive signaling.   Use DATA DRIVEN mechanisms to make signal timing safer, easier, and more convenient for people walking and using mobility assistive devices at all paces.

Do you support the restriction of on-street parking during rush hour on major thoroughfares in order to provide lanes for the exclusive use of buses?

Corey Dinopoulos Edward M. Flynn Kora Vakil
Yes No Yes
YES! I take the 9 bus inbound every morning and on-street parking on East Berkeley Street is restricted between 7AM–9:30AM, 4–5PM Monday–Friday to open the street to traffic and busses. Currently, this open lane is open to all traffic, not exclusively busses but I would like to pilot Bus Rapid Transit lanes in District 2 and throughout the City of Boston. Over the past 5–6 months, I’ve participated in discussions with Transit Matters and Yankee Bus Lines to examine piloting BRT lanes in South Boston and the Seaport. Looking at the pilot in Everett MA just last year, an MBTA survey of 300 riders found that commute times on the bus were significantly reduced. As someone who takes the bus daily to and from work, I see how our current bus system fails to serve South Boston’s growing population. There’s nothing rapid about our current transit experience on the 7, 9, 10, and 11 busses as you’re trapped behind rush hour traffic. A 10–20 min ride can easily take 30–50 mins instead so I would like to examine which bus routes to prioritize and work with our state and local agencies to get this pilot launched. I am a strong proponent of utilizing express bus programs that enable residents commuting to get to their destination in a timely and predictable manner. That is why I released a plan calling for the creation of a bus rapid transit program in District 2, and I will work hard for its implementation. I don’t think that the restriction of on-street parking is necessarily the solution to this issue, as parking spots are frequently set back from the road with a pedestrian bump-out at intersections. Yes but it must be DATA DRIVEN to make it safe convenient, NOT just for revenue generation for the city. And MUST be combined with parking solutions to GET AS MANY CARS OFF THE ROAD AS POSSIBLE.

Do you support the creation of a staff position within the Transportation Department solely devoted to managing transit in the City of Boston?

Corey Dinopoulos Edward M. Flynn Kora Vakil
Yes Yes Yes
Looking at our current situation where there’s much to be improved, I think having a position with laser focus on transit in the City of Boston would serve us well. I’m a huge transit advocate and want to bring more attention to multi-modal transportation solutions across the board in our city. Too often, I see councillors passing the buck to the state and claiming it’s not their problem to solve but in order to improve the situation in our city, the city and state agency need to work together. The MBTA is state run but we need city councillors who will champion better, more equitable transit city-wide and I will do that as councillor and a resident who utilizes it daily.   AND IT MUST be a competitive market position, not an appointment, and never someone who would not be able to get the same or a superior position in private industry. This person must be doing this also with a great heart to advocate for the pedestrian and bike safety first. I would prefer a privately funded liaison with city authority who is Independent of bureaucracy and administrative hijacking.

Do you support exploring new ways of raising revenue to provide the City of Boston with more tools to improve conditions for people walking, using mobility assistive devices, and biking (e.g. congestion pricing)? If yes, please give examples that interest you.

Corey Dinopoulos Edward M. Flynn Kora Vakil
Yes Yes Yes
I would like to examine all options to raise revenue to achieve Vision Zero and implement a successful multi-modal program in our city. I think some options could be through charging for resident parking passes, through the PILOT program and also doing a study on congestion pricing. Congestion pricing will open up a can of worms but I think we should have the conversation as Boston’s traffic is ranked one of the nations worst. While congestion charging could help raise revenue, calm traffic and reduce pollution, it could burden lower income earners so this would need a thorough study. Continued research on what other like-cities around the world are doing to raise revenue and improve our roadways would be something worth while. The Community Preservation Act was an important tool that allowed Boston to enhance its green and open spaces. By working with institutions and creating partnerships with the business community, Boston can be creative in improving its walking, mobility assistive device, and biking accessibility. Yes but to focus on the matriculation of these questions, the format of rigidity may elude opportunities for solutions with this type of dialogue. And of course you totally miss my initial preamble that human life is priceless. By making more complication in the revenue generation and pricing things to usage rather than system abuse opportunities are missed. I believe this line of thinking is staring to put issues in opposition and increase extremist views of a car/bad bike/ped/good entrapment and taxing drivers without doing anything wrong for example what about the driver who has a car and that IS THEIR ONLY disability accessible way to travel? "Exploring ways of generating revenue" can be first addressed with preventing any " waste, fraud, and abuse" (jill stein) with the revenue already generated.

Do you support charging an annual fee for residential parking permits?

Corey Dinopoulos Edward M. Flynn Kora Vakil
Yes No Yes
I fully support charging residents an annual fee for parking permits in the City of Boston. Cambridge, Somerville, Malden, etc all have some fee from $5 to $25 annually which I believe can help fund safe streets but also help manage the number of cars parking in our neighborhoods. I hear the other side of things whereas residents are tired of being charged additional fees for things but we live in the city and if you want to have a car, I think $15–25 annually is affordable and will help raise revenue for Boston. Every other major city across the county charges for residential parking passes and I would propose that revenue from parking permits to be targeted toward transit upgrades and pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure.   And that these permits be able to be used City Wide. This allows permit holders more ease parking taking less cars of the roads looking for parking. The goal is cars off the roads first and not revenue generation. I see revenue generation from Civil Actions against Insured drivers as a much more effective revenue generator and a more serious response to the taking of human life by reckless driving. Reckless driving to me is driving that results in injury/injuries and fatality/fatalities of innocent by standard civilians. I do NOT support unnecessary ticking for revenue generation. This is a conflict of interest since the revenue generation needs to be from those who actually injure and kill with second degree manslaughter since almost killing someone is different than actually killing someone. A vehicle in park is also a different type of obstruction since there is no driver commanding the vehicle's operation.

Do you support the rollout of dynamic parking meter pricing (i.e. increasing meter rates during periods of increased demand) in business districts to free up on-street parking and reduce cars “cruising”� for open spaces?

Corey Dinopoulos Edward M. Flynn Kora Vakil
Yes Yes Yes
I do support dynamic parking meter pricing but I’d also like to see the data of whether or not the current Boston pilot is working. I thankfully haven’t owned a car in the City of Boston in 12 years but to many, finding parking in the city is a great challenge. If this dynamic pricing is encouraging vehicles to either park in garages or limit the amount of time parked on the streets, it’s something worth expanding to other parking-strained areas of Boston. I support dynamic meter pricing in Boston’s primary business districts and corridors (Financial District, Newbury Street, Boylston Street, etc). However, I do not think dynamic parking meter pricing is necessarily appropriate for our residential neighborhoods. If there were to be any proposed change to the current system, I would advocate for a robust community process that empowers residents of each neighborhood to have real voice in the decision, and I would support the community. This is a supply and demand question and it will also reduce revenue in business districts. So also no. What I want to see is less of this false dichotomy and more systemic solutions to cheaper parking as a tool to encourage people to "park" their cars for longer periods of time and use walking. This clause promotes the dialogue of a false dichotomy of cars ås the enemy when it is cars on the road that are the problem. Many would drive less if parking were more attractive as this data you are using of supporting increases in pricing does not account for drivers who can be encouraged to park for longer periods of time and walk but instead have to move their cars with a 2 hours limit and park somewhere else. I don't think these questions have been as deeply thought out to allow for the truest and best solution emergence and I object to the binary use of yes/no preguntas.

Will you help the community of Charlestown work with the City to develop a consensus design for Rutherford Ave and Sullivan Square that balances the community’s desire for walkability, connectivity, open space and resiliency with vehicular traffic?

Corey Dinopoulos Edward M. Flynn Kora Vakil
Yes Yes Yes
I wouldn’t be representing Charlestown as District 2 councillor but I will advocate for better connected neighborhoods and safer streets across the City of Boston. With that said, I’ve driven and biked through this dangerous stretch of roadway and rotary’s and it’s not a safe pedestrian or bike friendly area. Whether you’re trying to get to Assembly Square or heading over to Charlestown from Somervillle, the Rutherford Ave and Sullivan Square redesign would certainly be a project I support for a safer, more connected Boston.   I will support Charlestown because Charlestown is one of my favorite neighborhoods where I want to live before my own address. Charlestown has the support of an unbiased, zero special interest group funded, zero big donor funded candidate who only has people and our human interests of safety, workability, connectivity, open space and resiliency with vehicular traffic; and always putting safety first. Even one pedestrian fatality is one too many. Cars need a place to park and it is scary to be a pedestrian in Boston. Those with cars also see this as safety issue because travel by car is in a safety cage of metal.
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