At District D Town Hall, Candidates for City Council Trade Ideas for Ensuring Raleigh’s Continued Progress

Last Monday evening, in partnership with the Blue Ridge Corridor Alliance and the Hillsborough Street Community Service Corporation, we held the fifth and final event in our series of Town Hall-style candidate forums for the Raleigh municipal election coming up on October 8th.

You can read about our prior Town Halls by clicking on the links below.

With about seventy residents in attendance at the Royal Banquet Hall and Conference Center in west Raleigh, Monday evening’s Town Hall featured the three candidates running for Raleigh’s City Council District D: Kay Crowder (the incumbent Council Member for District D), Brittany Bryan, and Saige Martin. Russ Stephenson and Nicole Stewart, the two present at-large City Councilors, also attended. However, Councilor Stewart had to leave early for a prior engagement.

Below is our recap of the evening, focusing primarily on the candidates’ answers to questions prepared in advance by WakeUP and submitted in advance online by members of the community.

But first, a few important disclaimers:

As a purely nonpartisan organization, we feel it’s important to point out that we neither support nor endorse any particular candidate, plan, agenda, position, or policy described below. Furthermore, although we’ve attempted to portray the candidates’ answers accurately and objectively to the best of our ability, mistakes can happen. So, if you feel that we’ve misrepresented any of the candidates’ positions, please feel free to reach out to us and let us know. Finally, given that our goal here is simply to share information about candidates and their positions with a wider audience — beyond those who have the time and resources to attend candidate forums in person — we’ve made no attempt to dispute or fact-check any of the candidates’ statements or claims.

Candidate Introductions

The evening began with a brief welcome from the event organizers, including Jeff Murrison, President and CEO of the Hillsborough Street Community Service Corporation, and Heather Keefer, Executive Director for WakeUP.

Following this, each candidate took the opportunity to introduce themselves to the crowd.

*From left to right: Charles Phaneuf (Moderator); Kay Crowder (Incumbent District D Councilor); Brittany Bryan; Saige Martin; and Russ Stephenson (Incumbent At-Large Councilor)*

The first candidate to introduce herself was Kay Crowder, the incumbent Councilor for District D and a member of the Raleigh City Council since 2014. Councilor Crowder introduced herself as a native of not only Raleigh but also District D. “I grew up here, and I was born here,” she said, adding, “I love the diversity in the district.” She furthermore went on to acknowledge that although it’s a complex time in the district right now, it’s also an exciting time because there are a lot of necessary projects currently underway. She said she’s specifically looking forward to six new interchanges coming soon to the portion of the I-440 beltline within District D and to plans to reroute Blue Ridge Road under Hillsborough Street. And although all this activity has the potential to create difficulties for residents, Councilor Crowder stressed that she’s been working closely with City partners to minimize disruption as much as possible for bicyclists, pedestrians, and drivers.

Next up was Brittany Bryan, a Regional Manager for EBSCO. Ms. Bryan began her introduction by highlighting her excitement over the great turnout for the Town Hall. “That tells me how much people love our community and how much people care about what happens here in Raleigh,” she said. Ms. Bryan went on to talk about her background, saying that she’s originally from Nasheville, TN and has lived in Raleigh for the past thirteen years. As a native of Nasheville, she said, “I see what happens when growth gets ahead of planning for growth.” Ms. Bryan stressed that Raleigh is at a critical point right now and that we “don’t have time to waste” when it comes to planning for the city’s future. We have the opportunity to put in a “really great foundation to build a future for everyone,” Ms. Bryan said, adding that, to her, this means having great housing options for everyone, safe, vibrant, and engaged communities, and great infrastructure.

Saige Martin, Fund Director for Open Road Alliance and Fidelity Charitable, spoke next about a recent tour he took of Healing Transitions, a treatment facility in Raleigh that provides alcohol and addiction services to underserved populations. Mr. Martin said that, during his tour, he asked a young man what the greatest gift was that the rehab program provided, and the young man replied simply, “hope.” Mr. Martin said the conversation reminded him of the personal difficulties he faced growing up homeless with his mother. Moreover, he said, it underscored how, in his view, “not everyone in this district has been given hope, and not everyone has been given access to what they need.”

The next candidate to introduce himself was Russ Stephenson, presently the longest serving member of the Raleigh City Council. Councilor Stephenson was first elected at-large in 2005, and he began his introduction by talking a little about his professional background and experience. Councilor Stephenson said he’s a resident of District D and a graduate of NC State, with degrees in Environmental Design and Architecture. He furthermore noted that, as a planning consultant, he “worked up and down the east coast” with award-winning consultant teams. And while Councilor Stephenson emphasized that he’s proud to be a part of the team helping to revitalize Raleigh’s downtown, he also acknowledged that revitalization has the potential to create “growth pressures” and hardships for some residents. He concluded by saying, “I’m the person who has consistently said, ‘here’s the way we can grow better and not just bigger.’”

The final candidate to introduce herself was Nicole Stewart, the Development Director for the N.C. Conservation Network and the second incumbent at-large Council Member on the Raleigh City Council. Councilor Stewart was first elected to City Council in 2017, and she noted at the outset that, regretfully, she would be unable to stay for the remainder of the Town Hall due to a prior engagement. Nonetheless, she introduced herself as a mother of two young children and wife of a small business owner. Councilor Stewart noted her love of the community in Raleigh and said she got involved in local community issues through philanthropic and fundraising efforts for area nonprofits. Councilor Stewart went on to joke that she did not originally set out to run for City Council back in 2017, but nevertheless ended up getting recruited while searching for another young local women to run.

After everyone introduced themselves, the question-and-answer portion of the evening kicked off with a question about the importance of compromise directed to all four remaining candidates.

Mayor McFarlane has stressed that the Raleigh City Council sets the tone for our city, and elected leaders need to embrace collaboration. If you are elected to the City Council, how would you create a collaborative environment?

Councilor Stephenson answered first, describing how he got his start in local politics in 1999, during the Hillsborough Street revitalization process. He said that during that process there were a lot of competing interests, which jeopardized the likelihood of a positive outcome. So, it was decided that there should be a vision for Hillsborough Street based on consensus and “what we have in common.” From there, Councilor Stephenson said, the goal was to “build toward that common vision.” He furthermore went on to say that seeking consensus and compromise has been the foundation of everything he’s brought to Council ever since. “It takes five votes to get things done on Council,” he concluded. Let’s reach out, and let’s find common ground, and let’s compromise, and let’s find out where we can all agree on something and move that agenda forward.”

Mr. Martin said that, as someone who worked for the United Nations for several years, he has unique experience when it comes to finding compromise. “There’s no other organization you could work for that’s possibly more diverse in opinions,” he noted, adding that, during his time at the U.N., he frequently had to sit across the table from people with whom he did not always agree. Mr. Martin said that what he learned from that experience is that “you have to put your personal feelings aside and do what’s best for those you’re serving.”

Ms. Bryan spoke next, starting off her answer with what she said was one of her favorite quotes about leadership: “You need to be ready to listen to understand, not just to reply.” She went on to say that throughout the process of running for City Council she’s had the opportunity to speak with many people with whom she disagrees on state and national issues. Nonetheless, she said, “we found common ground on citywide issues.” Ms. Bryan said that gives her hope about finding a way to bring lots of people together. But, she went on, you have to start from a place of listening to understand, adding, “we can’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good, and we need to be ready to cooperate with each other.”

Councilor Crowder spoke last, noting that sometimes collaboration — and Democracy, itself — can be messy. Sometimes, she added, it’s about just taking the time to “listen for the right questions and the right statements even if you don’t agree” and then describing clearly to residents how you might take their ideas and make them work in city policy. Councilor Crowder went on to say that the work of Council is hard, as it requires constant collaboration to pass positive policy for all residents. “I think it’s important to remember that this Council has done a lot to move forward the agenda that the people are looking for,” she concluded.

The next four questions were directed solely to the three candidates running to represent District D.

Questions for District D Candidates

*About seventy residents gathered at Royal Banquet Hall and Conference Center in west Raleigh to listen to ideas from candidates looking to represent District D.*

Western Boulevard’s proposed Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor study is being developed. Understanding that a healthy ridership requires affordable housing and density, how will you ensure that the Western Boulevard BRT is successful?

Ms. Bryan spoke about the need to bring to the table all the groups and individuals that possess relevant expertise and who have a stake in the success of the Western Blvd. BRT, from groups that study and work on issues related to affordable housing to groups that work on transit. “There have been so many stories of how we’ve tried to plan, and not been able to plan successfully,” she said, “because the right people and the right expertise hasn’t been consulted.” Ms. Bryan concluded by saying, “The people of Raleigh are our best assets. The staff within the City are a great asset as well. We need to be utilizing all of that expertise to the best that we absolutely can.”

Councilor Crowder said that we have to remember that the Western Blvd. BRT won’t work unless we have density and all kinds of housing along the transit corridor. She went on to say that community benefits agreements and transit overlay districts also need to be part of the mix. We need to have conversations with the community about what they’re looking for and what benefits they need, Councilor Crowder said, adding that transit overlay districts will serve as a roadmap to help all the community benefits agreements “mesh together.” Finally, on the urgency of making BRT a success, Councilor Crowder said, “If we can’t make Bus Rapid Transit work for a city that’s growing at 63 people a day, we will not win the transportation war in Raleigh.”

Mr. Martin began his answer by stating that he agrees with much of what Ms. Bryan and Council Crowder had to say. However, he added that we need to be proactive and build relationships with key partners early on in order to avoid later problems. Mr. Martin pointed to the New Bern Avenue BRT as an example of a situation where some stakeholder groups were not involved early enough in the planning process, which led to later concern among some residents about how BRT might contribute to gentrification in the area. “We have to make sure that every single stakeholder — anyone who could possibly be affected by the decisions that are made with Bus Rapid Transit — are sitting at the table now, not later,” he said.

Walnut Creek starts in the Town of Cary and flows through District D. From here, it makes its way east to District C and then finally to the Neuse River. Given the large number of projects currently underway in this important watershed, what do you think is most important to consider so that Walnut Creek can serve as an example of a healthy and sustainable urban watershed in our community?

Mr. Martin started things off by criticizing the current City Council for not increasing water and sewer fees by the rate recommended by City staff last year. In 2018, the City Manager’s office recommended a 3 percent increase in the monthly water and sewer bill to maintain and upgrade existing systems. However, the City Council only approved a 1.6 percent increase in fees. As a result of that decision, Mr. Martin argued, we now have raw sewage spilling into our clean waterways and water pipes bursting all throughout the city. “I think we’re at 73 this so far this year,” he added. “How many hundreds of thousands of gallons of water is that?” Mr Martin concluded by saying that, if we want to protect our environment, we need to “pay in” and “protect the infracture we have and meet the needs of our growing city.”

Ms. Bryan said that we “owe it to future generations to make sure that we’re doing everything we possibly can to keep our waterways clean.” She added that keeping our watersheds clean and healthy needs to be at the forefront of the long list of projects the City currently has going on and that this needs to be the case for a number of reasons. Not just for the benefits to the environment, she said, but also for the benefits to residents’ mental and physical health and for the benefits these spaces provide to communities. She cited Greeneville, SC as an example of a city that worked hard over the last decade to restore a neglected waterway as part of a larger revitalization strategy. That strategy has since paid off, Ms. Bryan said, noting that the city now sees a lot of tourism dollars coming into once desolate areas and healthy initiatives getting passed throughout the city as a whole. Finally, Ms. Bryan stated that increasing water and sewer fees is “only a part of protecting our waterways.” We also need to work to restore the waterways we have, she said, and examine how development impacts those waterways through stormwater runoff.

Councilor Crowder started off by saying that, when it comes to the city’s water system, it’s important to note that the City of Raleigh has received the National Association of Clean Water Agencies’ (NACWA) Platinum Award for Excellence in Management for “sustainable programs and exemplary contributions to efficient management of a utility.” She went on to say that, when it comes to strategies for keeping our waterways clean and our watersheds healthy, it’s going to be necessary to re-evaluate city policies that still permit development in fifty percent of our floodways. Councilor Crowder suggested that City Council consider adopting new policies to ban all development in the floodplain. “If we’re going to let people build in a floodway,” she said, ”we need to think about what that means going down into our water system.” On the topic of water and sewer fees, Councilor Crowder said that she believes it’s prudent for city leaders to look occasionally at what people are being charged for utilities. “Are non-residential clients paying enough?” she asked. “Are residential clients paying too much?” Councilor Crowder continued by saying that “our job is to look at our systems after ten years and ask, ‘are we doing enough?’” concluding, “it was not a matter of not wanting clean water. It was a matter of making sure your tax dollars are better spent.”

Less than three miles from here, over 30 women who suffer from homelessness will go to sleep on hard floors tonight because the Women’s Center of Wake County does not have enough beds. How will you address homelessness and affordable housing in Raleigh?

Councilor Crowder said that in order to address the problems of homelessness it will be “important and imperative” for the City of Raleigh to work together with partners. Especially Wake County, she said, given that it’s the county that handles most of the issues in the area of human services. She went on to describe the City’s efforts to find money to help address the current lack of affordable housing, saying that, “earlier this year, we passed our first $1 Billion budget, and within that budget we found $12.5 Million for new affordable units and for the preservation of older units that need work.”

Ms. Bryan began her answer by saying that she doesn’t believe we’re going to solve the problem of homelessness only by building more homes. “Homelessness is a systemic problem,” she said, “and it’s an incredibly tragic problem.” Ms. Bryan went on to stress the importance of working with community partners when considering things like putting an affordable housing boond on the ballot, because, as she said, “we need to make sure we’re bringing all the experts to the table so that we can craft clear plans with meaningful intentions.” She furthermore added that it’s not just about creating more affordable units, but rather creating more “sustainable communities” with mixed-income housing. Ms. Bryan described such communities as having the potential to provide “housing with dignity,” where, on-site, there could be things like childcare, medical clinics, and grocery markets.

Mr. Martin said his experience with homelessness while growing up was a major reason he decided to run for City Council this year. “For me,” he said, “this is not something where I can go to sleep at night thinking we can kick the can down the road. We have to deal with this now.” With that in mind, he criticized Councilor Crowder for not fully backing in 2016 the plan to build Oak City Cares, the new $7 Million dollar multi-services center on South Wilmington Street that provides help to individuals and families dealing with homelessness. Mr. Martin referenced a 2016 article from WRAL in which the following was written:

City Council member Kay Crowder said her biggest concern about the center is the location.
“It is within a mile radius of Dix Park, a destination we just spent $52 million for. We have visited other cities and looked at what happens to the area around the destination parks, the property values go up,” Crowder said.

Mr. Martin said that, as someone who grew up homeless, he found this deeply offensive. “You should not be told that you can’t live somewhere because the property around you will become too expensive,” he said.

Following Mr. Martin’s criticism, Councilor Crowder attempted to clarify by saying that, with respect to the quote from WRAL, she was attempting merely to speak to some of the concerns of her constituents. Nonetheless, she said, she did proceed, on Council, to vote in favor of the Oak City Cares project.

District D is home to a number of business districts. In your opinion, what is the most important issue facing businesses in Raleigh, and how do you plan to address it?

Ms. Bryan began by noting the importance of small businesses to Raleigh, describing them as the “backbone of our community.” However, she said, we’re not doing enough to support our small businesses. Ms. Bryan said she’s talked to a lot of small business owners throughout the city, and many, she said, tell her they feel stuck and hampered by “red tape.” Ms. Bryan went on to say, “When you’re having to wait fifteen months to get a permit to start construction to just change a basic piece of the establishment that your building — the structure that’s already there — that’s a problem,” adding that not many people can afford to pay a lease for that long before even getting started.

Mr. Martin began his answer by saying he “completely agrees” with Ms. Bryan. Mr. Martin went on to say that he’s also talked with a lot of business owners in the city, including Chef Ashley Christensen. Mr. Martin said that Ms. Christensen told him that, while opening up a new restaurant downtown, she was “stuck with the city for nine months” and forced to spend $60,000 trying to get permits approved. “Raleigh is not open to small businesses as it currently stands,” Mr. Martin said, adding, “I support making sure that we re-look at all our policies and how they affect small business owners.” He concluded by saying that the current City Council is “not making it a priority to take care of our small business owners” and that, “no one should have to go to Garner or Clayton or Holly Springs to start their business. They should be able to start it right where they live.”

Councilor Crowder spoke last, acknowledging at the outset that there are “problems with development services.” She added that “fifteen months or eighteen months to get a permit is way too long, we know that, we’re trying to address that.” At the same time, however, Councilor Crowded added that it’s not the job of City Council to manage staff. Rather, she said, that’s the job of the City Manager, who’s appointed by City Council. Still, she emphasized that she believes it’s important that “he knows that we’re unhappy with that kind of wait time.” On the topic of how specifically to help small businesses, Councilor Crowder mentioned that there are a number of grant opportunities available through the City’s office of economic development, including Facade Grant Program, the Business Investment Grant (BIG), and the Building Up-fit Grant (BUG). Councilor Crowder noted that a lot of this money goes “unused almost every year and goes back into the general fund because small businesses don’t take advantage of these kinds of grants that sit out there.” As such, she concluded, the City should do a better job of advertising that these grant funds are out there and available. Finally, Councilor Crowder disputed Mr. Martin’s claim that Council is not prioritizing support for small businesses, calling any suggestion that Council or staff doesn’t want businesses to succeed “foolish.”

Questions from the Audience

For the rest of the evening, the candidates answered questions submitted throughout the night in writing by members of the audience. Councilor Stephenson joined in answering questions that were not specifically geared toward the concerns of District D.

What is your position on the proposed RDU Quarry?

For background reading on this issue, see our earlier post for the District E Town Hall, which includes links to articles from the News & Observer.

Councilor Stephenson, who is opposed to the proposed quarry and advocates for the City to join the lawsuit already filed by the Umstead Coalition, said that he’s been told by the City Attorney that “we do have standing to intervene in the case and we do have a cause of action.” He added that “this is not a typical land lease. This is actually a sale of minerals.” Councilor Stephenson concluded by saying that “if we do not intervene now and get a seat at the table, the judge may rule on the Umstead Coalition case without our voice at the table, and we may not have any opportunity to ever have any collaborative relationship with the RDU Airport Authority on any of the environmental issues on land that isn’t already related to the airport.”

Mr. Martin started by saying that he doesn’t know anyone who is in favor of the quarry, adding that he believes strongly that “if there is a case to be had, then the City Council should support it.” However, he added, deciding whether or not to enter into a lawsuit is only part of what may need to be done. Mr. Martin said that we also need to reach out to the other municipalities that have a stake in the RDU Airport Authority — the City of Durham, Wake County, and Durham County — and make sure they are at the table, too. “Because we’re stronger together as a group of four than we are standing alone,” he concluded.

Ms Bryan echoed some of what Mr. Martin said and underscored that almost no one is actually in favor of the quarry, saying, “this is not something that the City wants, this is not something that the surrounding areas want.” However, she continued, the big issue here is the “systemic breakdown” that occured in our city process, adding that we had representatives who voted to move this plan forward. With that being the case, she added, “it’s really hard to go back on that when we put people in a position to make those decisions without having a communication process in place.” Ms. Bryan concluded by saying the situation highlights a need to re-evaluate how we got to this point and consider what we can do to prevent this type of thing from happening again in the future.

Councilor Crowder began her answer by expressing her opposition to the RDU quarry, noting that “a polluting pit right next to Umstead State Park seems like a really bad idea. I don’t think many people in this room think a quarry is a good idea.” Councilor Crowder then proceeded to provide some background information on how things reached the present point. For over a year and a half, Councilor Crowder said, several different Raleigh City Council Members reached out to and contacted members of the RDU Airport Authority to discuss concerns about what were, at the time, just rumors of a proposed quarry next to Umstead. Councilor Crowder said that the City Council was told “on numerous occasions that that was off the table, there was no quarry.” Then, she said, on a Wednesday, the Airport Authority told the City Council that, indeed, a contract would be signed with Wake Stone that Friday. Councilor Crowder concluded by saying, “We want the airport to be successful. It’s an economic engine within the economy here. But we need to make sure that we do it in a way that is meaningful for all.”

What is your plan your plan to combat Raleigh’s affordable housing problem?

Mr. Martin said that in order to address the city’s present lack of affordable housing, we need to change our land use policy. “It’s not housing bonds,” he went on, “it’s how we use our land and how we do so efficiently.” He added that housing bonds are only a small piece of the larger set of solutions that are needed. “What you start to realize when you talk to professionals in this space,” he concluded, “is that we have to pull every lever and push every single button at our disposal or else we will continue to fail.”

Councilor Stephenson began his answer by highlighting what he views as some of his successes so far on improving housing affordability throughout the city, noting that his committee, Healthy Neighborhoods, has looked at regulatory reform to allow smaller, less expensive homes, such as cottage courts and townhouses, and recommended reduced — and, in some cases, elimination of — parking requirements. “On top of that,” Councilor Stephenson went on to say, “I’ve led efforts to, for the first time ever, create voluntary affordable housing conditions so that market-rate developers can help us build more affordable units.” Finally, Councilor Stephenson disputed Mr. Martin’s earlier suggestion that an affordable housing bond is only a small part of the larger solution. “An affordable housing bond is a critical part of the solution here,” Councilor Stephenson said, adding that “building $12 Million worth of units every year is okay, but we need to be land-banking now along these BRT transit lines, because that’s where we can do our most good in terms of adding density and affordability.”

Councilor Crowder began by noting that, in addition to a potential affordable housing bond, the City also uses it’s “penny for housing” tax as a source of revenue for adding more affordable units throughout the city. She also stressed, similar to Councilor Stephenson earlier, that the City needs to land-bank along BRT corridors and work with private developers to add more affordable units. Councilor Crowder went on to note that, with the recently approved rezoning for a new 40-story tower with affordable housing downtown, we’re now starting to see the impact of the City’s voluntary affordable housing conditions. “For the first time in Raleigh’s history, a developer is including affordable housing in a major residential development,” she said. Councilor Crowder concluded by noting that if we can make the development community understand the importance of including affordable units in all of their projects, then “we will be able to tackle a big part of the affordable housing problem.”

Ms. Bryan wrapped up this question by noting, similar to Mr. Martin, that there are “a lot of tools when it comes to addressing our housing issues.” But, she said, none of those tools will be effective if all we do is focus on just building more physical units. “Simply providing homes,” she said, “without connection to community and without connection to services is not going to alleviate the root of the issue.” Ms. Bryan went on to say that the City needs to “bring people to the table” and tap into local expertise by working closely with area partners, including DHIC and other nonprofits. “Having a bond on the ballot is only one part of it,” she concluded. “We need to be able to use that funding to build a great program.”

After the expiration of HB2/HB142, the moratorium on local non-discrimination bans, what will be your first steps to protect Raleigh and some of its most vulnerable?

Councilor Crowder began by saying that the City of Raleigh “does not discriminate against race, ethnicity, gender or religion,” adding that the City has a “progressive policy in place over other local government entities.” She went on to say that the City Council, in collaboration with Economic Development and Housing and Neighborhoods, is currently undertaking a study to make sure that equity is being appropriately incorporated into relevant city policies. In addition to that, she said, City staff are also currently conducting a disparity study to make sure women- and minority-led businesses are being treated fairly when they are awarded official contracts. Finally, Councilor Crowder stressed the importance of working with city partners and “making sure that equity is part of their mission, as it is the City of Raleigh’s.”

Ms. Bryan said that in order for people to feel really at home in Raleigh, they need to feel safe and welcomed, adding, “we can do more on that front.” HB2 was “incredibly detrimental to North Carolina in so many ways,” she said. So, following its expiration, Ms. Bryan said she would like to revisit the City’s non-discrimination policy to include a broader and more inclusive range of definitions.

Mr. Martin said that after talking with many business owners throughout the city, he’s come to realize that “we have a brand issue here in Raleigh.” Mr. Martin elaborated by saying that he’s heard numerous stories about local businesses having difficulty attracting new employees and new talent from neighboring communities, such as Durham, because of the perception that Raleigh is not as progressive as it could be. “And that’s because of some of the decisions that have been made here,” he added. “Decisions that Durham is making, that make their values about their community very clear.” When the moratorium on local non-discrimination bans expires, he said, Raleigh will have an opportunity do the same and stand up for its most vulnerable — and sometimes most villified — residents.

Councilor Stephenson began by saying that he’s very proud of the Raleigh’s comprehensive non-discrimination policy, pointing out that it’s been endorsed by the city’s LGBT community. He added that the 2020 Election is going to be critical, and North Carolinians need to elect a more progressive state legislature that won’t pass “crazy ideological rules that are just terrible for our communities.” That said, Councilor Stephenson noted that the City is already working on its own local initiatives to promote greater fairness and equity, adding that he’s specifically looking forward to advancing the Equity and Opportunity for All initiative, which is something he said he has advocated for since 2016.

Bike and pedestrian deaths are on the rise nationally. Do you support the Vision Zero Initiative for Raleigh to stop these preventable deaths?

Ms. Bryan went first, describing the situation for bicyclists and pedestrians in many areas of the city as “terrifying.” Ms. Bryan noted that she tries to walk or ride a bike around the city on a regular basis. However, she said, she’s almost been hit by a car several times in her own neighborhood just this summer alone. Highlighting Hillsborough Street as particularly problematic and dangerous, Ms. Bryan emphasized that we need separated and protected bike lanes throughout the city. “We can do a lot better,” she stressed.

Ms. Crowder started off by saying that, yes, she supports a Vision Zero Initiative for Raleigh and furthermore added that this was a recommendation included in the latest work plan from the City’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission (BPAC). Councilor Crowder went on to say that we also need to think about how best to integrate bicycle and pedestrian travel into the upcoming Bus Rapid Transit system, when “headways are every fifteen minutes and the important thing is to move the bus.”

Councilor Stephenson highlighted the work he’s done advocating for bicycle and pedestrian travel throughout his time on Council. As a result of his advocacy back in 2008, he said, the City of Raleigh has a Complete Streets Policy within its Comprehensive Plan. Furthermore, he said, he worked with BPAC and the City’s Transportation Director to make sure that an easement for high quality bicycle facilities along Harrington Street was included in the rezoning conditions for the new 40 story tower proposed by Kane Realty and recently approved by City Council.

Mr. Martin also said he supports a Vision Zero Initiative for the city and added that, in addition to looking at bicycling and walking from the perspective of safety, we also need to look at them from an environmental perspective. In North Carolina, he said, forty percent of greenhouse gas emissions comes from transportation. He went on to say that his vision for the future of Raleigh is one where it is the “best place in the country to bike and walk.” And the way that we achieve that vision, he finished, is not only by continuing to implement the initiatives outlined earlier by Councilor Stephenson but also by committing to adding protected bike lanes and improving walkability whenever streets are upgraded or redesigned.

What are the major issues facing District D, and what will you do to solve them?

Mr. Martin said that, in his view, one of the biggest issues presently facing District D is a “lack of transparency from our leadership.” Mr. Martin said that he’s spoken with numerous District residents who have expressed frustration at the fact that their emails to City Councilors frequently go unanswered. That shows a “lack of equity and access to the City Council that we deserve,” he said, adding, “you’re elected for a reason, and you’re elected to hear everyone, not just those who are your friends or those who are campaign donors.” Mr. Martin concluded by saying that one of the things he’s most committed to ensuring is that if he and his mother were homeless today in Raleigh, “the door would always be open to us and not shut.”

Councilor Crowder said she sees affordability, transit, and security as the three biggest issues currently facing the district. On the issue of security, she said that, although we don’t often talk about it, there is a lot more gang-related activity in Raleigh today than in the past. As such, she said, it’s important that we “make sure we’re on top of that.” When it comes to affordability, Councilor Crowder stressed the importance of having and promoting a greater variety of housing types, adding that “right now along Western Boulevard, naturally occurring affordability is being torn down and being replaced by homes somewhere between $600,000 and $800,000.” Finally, in highlighting the connection between housing affordability and transit, Councilor Crowder said we need to implement the transit overlay as quickly as possible to make sure that we get “density on those transit corridors, where we need people living close to where they work.”

Ms. Bryan said that, to her, the biggest thing we need to do is make sure that all City policies are “people-focused.” That means, she said, making sure that people are able to get around the city safely, making sure our small businesses are able to thrive, making sure we have housing options for everyone, and making sure we grow together as a healthy, happy, and sustainable community rather than as separate islands disconnected from one another.

Be on the Lookout for Other Candidate Forums from Our Partners

This was the fifth and final event in our series of District-focused Town Hall-style candidate forums. As such, we want to extend our thanks and appreciation to all of the residents who, whether by submitting thoughtful questions to ask the candidates or by simply showing up to learn more about the candidates and their respective positions, helped to make this series an enormous success.

A special thanks also to the Blue Ridge Corridor Alliance and the Hillsborough Street Community Service Corporation for co-sponsoring Monday’s Town Hall, to the Royal Banquet Hall and Conference Center for hosting, and to Charles Phaneuf, Executive Director for Raleigh Little Theatre, for moderating.

Rest assured that, although this was the last event in our series of Town Hall forums, there are still going to be plenty of other opportunities to engage with candidates prior to the Raleigh municipal election on October 8th.

In fact, we’re partnering with the League of Women Voters of Wake County to organize one more candidate forum for the Raleigh municipal election. That forum will take place on Tuesday, September 17th, at 7:00pm at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Raleigh, and it will feature the candidates running for Mayor and City Council At-Large.

You can also find information about candidate forums from other organizations on the WakeUP Community Calendar.

Finally, don’t forget that early voting for the Raleigh and Cary municipal elections begins Wednesday, September 18th. Click here to view a list of all early voting sites throughout the area. And if you’re a resident of Raleigh, you can click here to look up your City Council District.