‘We are drowning in information and starved for the truth.” That was Abraham Lincoln or maybe Willie Nelson, better Google it. District 2 Candidates have had a back and forth about “stroads.” If you are just trying to survive 2020, you probably missed it.
My buddy Josh met District 2 candidate Kellie Hinze on May 3rd, 2019.
Josh had a number of issues on his mind, from lack of due process, more competition among developers bidding on projects, Housing Element confusion, site selection.
Eventually Streetscape came up, which both they and seemingly everyone disagree on, with Josh feeling it should be through a vote. At some point, Kellie introduced the idea of “stroads” to Josh.
According to the blog, a stroad is a busy thoroughfare “lined with homes and businesses.” The blog describes how a stroad becomes congested at certain times of the day.
Backup from lane reductions then push vehicles onto side streets and through adjacent neighborhoods. This is the desired outcome. “Every street ends up handling a moderate amount of traffic,” according to Strong Towns.
Residents on both sides of Hwy. 101, myself included, lament already about significant increases in cut-through traffic seen in the past few years. I cannot imagine that many would welcome some random “bloggers” concept of forced overflow from Hwy 101.
Fast forward to a meeting I had with Kellie on June 19th, 2020. We talked about many problems facing District 2. Tough issues and ones many of us are intensely passionate about (short term party houses, lack of affordable long-term housing, overflowing sewers, lack of COVID-19 enforcement).
Eventually, I mentioned the soon to be infamous word “stroads” Josh had told me about from his meeting with Kellie.
She dissimulated her knowledge of them.
This email was sent on May 3, 2019, from [email protected] (the Charlie Day’s out there can fact check this with a public records request for that date or any email about stroads):
“Hi Josh,
….
Below is the article I mentioned about ‘stroads’ and improved road design in the Strong Towns blog. I hear your concern about Leucadia becoming more commercialized someday by outside investment…”
Kellie’s support of the stroads traffic concept was challenged by Susan Turney earlier this year. Kellie dismissed Turney’s remarks as untrue. We all make bad decisions or make honest mistakes.
That’s being human. If stroads are dumb, admit it and own it.
A candidate does not have to be infallible, but they should be honest. I once had a mullet and parachute pants. (Okay, if I’m being honest, I still have the pants).
“Life’s a little bit messy. We all make mistakes. No matter what type of animal you are, change starts with you.” — Judy Hopps, Zootopia
Rich Schiavi
Leucadia
