City Attorney Candidate Survey: Jack Weiss
Jack Weiss speaks to supporters on election night.Late last night, 5th District City Councilman and candidate for City Attorney Jack Weiss responded to our candidate survey. While Streetsblog has been critical of some of Weiss' transportation priorities as Councilman, there's a lot to like in Weiss's responses to our questions. Some highlights:
"No level of pedestrian fatalities is acceptable for any city. Aggressively prosecuting negligent motorists who kill or cause bodily harm to a pedestrian is critical to send a message that the City will not tolerate aggressive and negligent behavior, but by then a life has been lost and the damage has been done."
"All too often there is an information gap that needs to be closed between the directives of the Mayor and City Council and what is enforced day to day on the street. We witnessed this problem most recently when LAPD officers detained numerous cyclists based on a bicycle licensing program that had been terminated by the City Council weeks earlier. This has to stop."
For a full copy of Weiss' responses, read on after the jump.
Do you consider pedestrian fatalities a normal state of affairs in Los Angeles? What will you do to ensure more drivers face serious legal consequences for killing another person with their automobile?
RESPONSE: No level of pedestrian fatalities is acceptable for any city. Aggressively prosecuting negligent motorists who kill or cause bodily harm to a pedestrian is critical to send a message that the City will not tolerate aggressive and negligent behavior, but by then a life has been lost and the damage has been done. Working with LAPD to ensure that traffic laws are being enforced is an important element but It doesn’t get to the root of the problem. Motorist/pedestrian conflicts often reveal deeper issues with the way our city is designed and operates. In order to be proactive, we not only need to incorporate pedestrian friendly urban design elements into our communities but we need to reexamine many state laws. Incorporating provisions that place greater weight on pedestrian and cyclist safety in determining speed limits on local streets is an ideal place to start.
What prevents our law enforcement officers from arresting drivers that have killed a pedestrian or cyclist? What would you do to see that police take a more active role in helping prosecute negligent drivers?
RESPONSE: All too often there is an information gap that needs to be closed between the directives of the Mayor and City Council and what is enforced day to day on the street. We witnessed this problem most recently when LAPD officers detained numerous cyclists based on a bicycle licensing program that had been terminated by the City Council weeks earlier. This has to stop. I’ve built strong relationships with the LAPD as a Councilmember and as Chair of the Public Safety Committee, and I will utilize those relationships to ensure that LAPD is kept apprised of changes in laws and enforces the law to ensure public safety. At the end of the day, LAPD can only enforce the laws on the books. We need to reassess the penalties that negligent motorists face and bring those in line with a city that places real value on the safety of pedestrians and cyclists.
It takes something extraordinary for a motorist to be charged with a crime when they hit, maim or kill a cyclist. What will you do to make our streets safer for cyclists?
RESPONSE: Making streets safer for cyclists begins with recognizing a cyclist's right to equal access to our public streets. As a cyclist, I have firsthand experience and understanding of this issue, and as a policymaker I take it seriously. Educating both the driving and cycling public is essential. Government and advocacy groups have to build relationships to bring about long term changes in public attitudes towards cyclists on our roadways. It is tragic that it takes a horrific event such as the incident on Mandeville Canyon last summer to result in an arrest. Allegedly there were prior complaints from other cyclists that this driver had engaged in the same aggressive manner on a prior occasion. We must heed the warning signs and be proactive in pursuing aggressive drivers, investigate complaints of aggressive behavior, or pursue mediation. With earlier intervention, perhaps the horrific injuries that Christian Stoehr and Ron Peterson ultimately suffered could have been prevented.
There’s been a lot of discussion of cyclists as a key part of reforming transportation. Conversely, I hear from drivers all of the time that cyclists don’t follow traffic laws and are generally a nuisance. What, if anything, do you hear about cyclists and how would that affect the way you perceive traffic justice?
RESPONSE: Cyclists have the right to equal access to the road, period. As a cyclist I've had the opportunity to see both sides of the issue. I've been buzzed by aggressive motorists and I've witnessed cyclists running afoul of traffic laws. But the sins of the few do not negate the rights of cyclists to equal access and equal protection under the law.
As a transportation reform movement, it’s exciting to see that cycling is gaining ground as a viable transportation alternative as people from all walks of life recognize that cycling furthers the goals of reducing congestion, traffic calming, improving air quality and reducing resource consumption. We are at a critical moment where we have the opportunity to build upon a potential shift in public attitudes to build a true cycling friendly city. A community that values cycling will value and respect cyclists.
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