Tempe holds city council candidate forum on transportation

By Caroline Yu
Mail | X: @AzNewsmedia

Tempe’s first city council candidate forum, held Dec. 20 by the Tempe Bicycle Action Group, welcomed the lone mayoral candidate and five council member candidates for a discussion on their vision for transportation in the city.

In the upcoming election, three of the candidates are incumbents with Mayor Corey Woods running unopposed for the mayoral seat while Council Members Doreen Garlid and Randy Keating are seeking re-election for the three available council seats.

Additionally, Nikki Amberg, David Lucier and Hugo Tapia are running against the standing councilmembers. Tapia was the only candidate not in attendance during the Dec. 20 forum.

As Tempe enters the new year, transportation remains a priority for the city with its ongoing goal of achieving a 20-minute city, improving transportation infrastructure and facilitating traffic efficiently. 

The concept of a 20-minute city entails "a vibrant mix of commercial, recreational, civic and residential establishments within a 1-mile walking distance, 4-mile bicycle ride or a 20-minute transit ride," according to the city's website.

Held at the Tempe History Museum, Tempe Bicycle Action Group’s forum was the first one to be held for the March 2024 election. Future forums will continue to be hosted by local organizations so residents can learn more about the candidates.

Moderator Rebekah Sanders asked the candidates questions related to all things transportation, from the city’s biggest transportation issue to transit-oriented development. Audience members also submitted additional questions for the candidates to answer at the end of the discussion.

Starting the forum, the candidates were asked to name what they believe to be the city’s largest transportation issue and how they would plan to address that if elected.

Across the board, the candidates agreed that one of Tempe’s main issues in transportation is traffic safety for pedestrian and auto traffic. Many of the candidates, like Garlid and Lucier, talked about the conditions of the road and how roadways are unsafe for cyclists and other pedestrians.

“I understand that congestion is an issue, but I think more importantly than that is safety. I think we really have to up our game as far as safety is concerned,” Lucier said.

On the point of safety, Garlid added that the city is already looking into this with its consideration for a bond measure on the November 2024 ballot.

“This will give us the opportunity, if this bond passes, to be able to look at not only making the roads better but finding ways to put in buffers on those roads and make it more connective throughout our city,” Garlid said.

Also on safety, Woods added how speeding needs to be addressed, Keating highlighted the Refresh Tempe efforts and Amberg also mentioned how transportation needs vary in different areas of the city.

One of the main topics of the evening focused on reducing traffic while creating roadways that are safer for active modes of transportation like biking, scootering and walking.

When asked how she’d manage traffic during peak hours, Amberg pointed to Tempe’s landlocked status as a contributor to congestion, noting that the city’s location makes it a major “pass-through” city for auto traffic.

“Sometimes it’s just as simple as a light,” Amberg said.

For her, it would take a three-prong approach to this issue, with timed traffic light technology, increasing bus lanes and frequencies, as well as additional bike lanes.

Candidates also talked about how parking space requirements in new developments intersect with developing a more transit-oriented city, how they plan to improve facilities for forms of active transportation and how to bring existing bike lanes to standard. 

Forum closing

The candidates received individual questions from the audience including about the city’s ethical data-driven traffic safety policy Vision Zero Tempe, how to address high-speed electric bikes and motorcycles as well as funding for transportation projects.

Before closing statements from the candidates, the moderator asked the incumbent candidates whether they were willing to potentially lose re-election over their will for added bike lanes and safer roads.

Councilmember Keating suggested that people not pursue a council career if they aren’t “acting to get re-elected,” noting that the campaign process is easy but that the actual job of governing is where it’s most difficult.

“We need to address these issues that we are hearing, and we need to do so in a punctuated way,” Keating said.

Fellow Councilmember Garlid echoed his sentiments about council members having to make decisions that best support the city, adding that those choices sometimes differ from the council members’ personal feelings.

In his response, Mayor Woods said that he would be willing to lose re-election, given that he believes the main goals as a city leader are to best represent the interests of the community while staying in line with your values and ethics.

“The reality is, if you get too tied up in the job and it becomes everything, you’re willing then to probably sacrifice who you are, what your values are just to stay here. And I think if you do that you’re not really representing people at all,” Woods said.

Information on each candidate as well as future forums can be found at www.tempe.gov.

Reporter Caroline Yu can be reached at cyu@iniusa.org. To voice your opinion on this story, connect with us at AzOpinions@iniusa.org. 

Editor's Note: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that there are two council seats open in the upcoming election. The story has been updated with the correct information. 

Caroline Yu
Reporter | Tempe

cyu@iniusa.org

Meet Caroline
Caroline Yu joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in 2020 as a summer intern covering Scottsdale. As an intern, she continued her coverage of Scottsdale, Paradise Valley and Tempe. After graduating in 2022, Caroline became a full-time reporter for Scottsdale and Paradise Valley. She is currently reporting for the Tempe market.  

Community:  She is a supporter of the environment and tries to get involved with related community events. 

Education: Arizona State University with a BA in Journalism and Mass Communications, with a minor in French. 

Random Fact: She used to be a ballet dancer for 10 years. 

Hobbies: Hiking, painting and crocheting.