Streets for All, the only mobility-focused non-profit with a 501c(4) branch that can make endorsements, has made its endorsement in the Santa Monica City Council election…and its endorsements may look familiar. Streets for All endorsed the “Unity Slate ” of Dan Hall, Ellis Raskin, Barry Snell and Natalya Zernitskaya, making them the fifth major advocacy group to endorse the slate.
Streets for All had a multi-stage endorsement process for the Santa Monica City Council. This spring, they reached out to all declared candidates and the three incumbents. Six candidates, the four who earned the endorsement and Ericka Lesley and Eric Owens returned the questionnaire. You can read and download the candidate statements here.
Five candidates, the Unity Slate and Lesley, also participated in a candidate’s forum on May 29. You can watch the forum here.
From there, a group of local safe street advocates discussed which candidate to endorse. In the end, they settled on the Unity Slate and released the following four endorsement statements:
Barry Snell believes in investing in complete streets, and working with first responders, transportation planners, and our school district to build safer infrastructure that reduces traffic congestion and protects bikers and pedestrians. We believe he will be a positive force for change on the Santa Monica City Council.
Dan Hall believes in a walkable, livable Santa Monica and wants to invest in infrastructure to protect bicyclists and pedestrians on our streets to reduce pollution and accidents and increase sustainable living. We’re proud to support him for Santa Monica City Council.
Ellis Raskin wants to ensure that our parks and public spaces are available to all Santa Monicans. He also believes in investing in public infrastructure, and wants to work with state and federal partners to replace the freeway with a grand boulevard.
Streets For All also stated “Natalya Zernitskaya is a long-time community activist and a longtime advocate of micro mobility, especially bikes as a primary form of transportation. She would push for full implementation of the Bike Action Plan to build out the entire city-wide network of protected bike lanes that allow bikes to travel with a barrier between themselves and cars.”
Streets for All joins the Santa Monica Democratic Club, Santa Monicans for Renters Rights, Santa Monica Forward, and Communities for Excellent Public Schools in endorsing the Unity Slate.
