As we approach Asheville City Council elections and the mayoral race, it's good to see multimodal issues (e.g., bike, public transit, cycling) resonate with so many voters. A balanced transportation policy is key to our city's long-term sustainability. When the recession hit, it would have been easy to gut public transit. But instead Asheville voters asked for, and the City Council was able to implement, the Transit Master Plan.
While most candidates are supporters of transit issues, I'm strongly backing Esther Manheimer for mayor and Gordon Smith for City Council.
Manheimer has been an advocate for multimodal issues, pushing for more frequent bus service and expanding sidewalks, bike lanes and greenways. Smith made expanding bus service on Sundays a key campaign platform.
I've been called a transit ninja. I ride the bus, and I am a past chair of the Asheville Transit Commission. I believe that an excellent city needs excellent transit service, and I trust Gordon Smith and Esther Manheimer to lead us there.
— Paul Van Heden
Asheville
