Assembly District 45 serves the western San Fernando Valley, including Encino, Tarzana, and Calabasas. Due to the resignation of former Assemblymember Matt Dababneh in December 2017 related to sexual misconduct allegations, the area is set for a special election on April 3rd to fill the seat through the end of the current term in December 2018.
Despite the fact that the western San Fernando Valley is known for long car commutes, it sees relatively high rates of bicycle commuting, particularly in Winnetka and around Pierce College. But the reality is that many streets in the district feel hostile to those who regularly walk, bike, or take transit. With a bike-friendly councilmember, Bob Blumenfield (endorsed by Bike The Vote L.A. in 2017) representing the area on the local level, the April 3rd special election offers a great opportunity to provide forward-thinking representation at the state level to work with local officials to improve local and regional mobility options.
Considering the large field of candidates in this special election, our AD45 committee decided to provide letter grades for candidates based on their responses and experience, with the possibility of making an endorsement for the special election runoff in June. Individual summaries for responding candidates are listed below, along with a link to each candidate’s full response to Bike The Vote L.A.
2018 CA Special Election Primary: Tuesday, April 3, 7am-8pm
Register to Vote: http://bit.ly/btvregister
Find your polling place: http://lavote.net/locator
AD45 Candidate: Tricia Robbins Kasson
Tricia Robbins Kasson serves as the Economic Development Director to Councilmember Bob Blumenfield. She served as the point person for Blumenfield for the LA Great Streets Sherman Way project, which sought to improve the pedestrian experience within the Reseda commercial stretch. Her response to Bike The Vote L.A.’s questionnaire shows a deep understanding of the connections between safe streets, quality transit, affordable housing, and greenhouse gas reductions. With her commitments to improve funding for active transportation and to prioritize safety, Robbins Kasson would serve as an effective advocate for safe streets in the Assembly.
Bike The Vote L.A. 2017 Primary Grade: A-
[Click HERE for Tricia Kasson’s questionnaire response to Bike The Vote L.A.]
AD45 Candidate: Ankur Patel
With a Master’s Degree in Transportation Planning, it should come as no surprise that Ankur Patel is well versed in the benefits of active transportation and the challenges in providing quality mobility options. Patel’s enthusiastic support for reworking traffic laws to provide better clarity related to biking is particularly encouraging. We were also impressed with his commitment to, “make our cities more walkable and bikeable not only to reduce our dependence on cars and fossil fuels, but also to improve equity, livability, and community.” Through Patel’s words, it’s evident that he would make a strong supporter for active transportation options in the California Assembly.
Bike The Vote L.A. 2017 Primary Grade: A-
[Click HERE for Ankur Patel’s questionnaire response to Bike The Vote L.A.]
AD45 Candidate: Daniel Brin
As a self-identified bicyclist, Daniel Brin has first-hand experience with the need for safer streets and better bicycle infrastructure. As a member of the West Hills Neighborhood Council, he worked to communicate Vision Zero Los Angeles’ Education Campaign, and advocated to extend the L.A. River Bike Path into West Hills. Brin’s response to Bike The Vote L.A. displays a commitment to provide for a safer and more sustainable transportation system that shows he would make a strong ally within the California Assembly for the safe streets movement.
Bike The Vote L.A. 2017 Primary Grade: B+
[Click HERE for Daniel Brin’s questionnaire response to Bike The Vote L.A.]
AD45 Candidate: Jeff Bornstein
Jeff Bornstein’s response to Bike The Vote L.A. garnered mixed reviews. On one hand he expresses support for bicycles as a viable transportation option, but he also appears to dismiss standard bike lanes. He also focuses concern over bus emissions – rather than the much more significant producer of pollution, emissions from private cars. His commitment to better fund bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure shows that his heart is in the right place, even if we have some reservations about his consistency in support of active transportation issues.
Bike The Vote L.A. 2017 Primary Grade: B
[Click HERE for Jeff Bornstein’s questionnaire response to Bike The Vote L.A.]
AD45 Candidate: Raymond Bishop
Raymond Bishop’s response to Bike The Vote L.A. is inconsistent. He stated that transit systems should be designed to reduce congestion (rather than to provide a quality mobility option) and he failed to accept that speed is a primary factor in the cause and severity of crashes. His goal of eliminating the use of fossil fuels is admirable, but we would hope to see a stronger platform from him in providing safe and efficient mobility options in order to achieve such a goal.
Bike The Vote L.A. 2017 Primary Grade: C+
[Click HERE for Raymond Bishop’s questionnaire response to Bike The Vote L.A.]
AD45 Candidate: Justin Clark
Justin Clark’s statement to Bike The Vote L.A. offers commitments to provide dedicated funding for active transportation and to clarify the right of people on bikes under traffic code. However, his opposition to SB-1 (the long-overdue state gas tax enacted to fund repairs to California roads caused by drivers) shows that he does not currently have a platform focused on providing a safer and more equitable transportation system.
Bike The Vote L.A. 2017 Primary Grade: C+
[Click HERE for Justin Clark’s questionnaire response to Bike The Vote L.A.]
Bike the Vote L.A. volunteers made repeated efforts to reach all candidates in this race, but after multiple attempts, Jesse Gabriel did not respond to our questionnaire. Due to a lack of information about his transportation platforms and available track record, we gave Mr. Gabriel a grade of C-. While Mr. Gabriel did not indicate an opposition to active transportation projects, we are disappointed that he did not respond to our questionnaire.