2021 Denton City Council Candidate Questionnaire
Election season is upon us. Early voting for Denton City Council begins on Monday, April 19th. Election Day is May 1st. You will be voting in one of the races to determine who will represent your district.
The Denton City Council votes on transportation and development projects and determines what is prioritized. If you’d like the option to travel safely around Denton without a car for at least some of your trips, it is important to vote for candidates who feel that pedestrian, bicycle, and public transportation infrastructure are important.
Bike Denton sent a questionnaire to each candidate to get a better feel for their positions and knowledge regarding active transportation.
Click on your district to skip to your candidate’s responses.
District 1 - Vicki Byrd, Matt Irvine, Birdia Johnson (Incumbent)
District 2 - Connie Baker (Incumbent), Brian Beck, Daniel Clanton
District 3 - Jesse Davis (Incumbent)
District 4 - Alison Maguire, John Ryan (Incumbent)
District 1
District 1 has three candidates:
Vicki Byrd
Matt Irvine
Birdia Johnson (Incumbent)
Do you ever walk, bike, or take public transit to destinations in Denton? If so, which modes have you used and why did you choose those modes? If you only travel by private motor vehicle, what would make you more likely to walk, bike, or use public transit for some of your trips?
Byrd: motor vehicle
Irvine: Before working from home, I would get on the DCTA train at Medpark, transition to DART at the Trinity Mills station, and then get off at Love Field for work. Taking the train was convenient because I could skip all the traffic on the interstate, and the company I work for could get us setup with payroll deduction for a regional train pass. I have access to the Denton Katy Trail from my subdivision and have walked/jogged it from Swisher road to where it ends in downtown Denton or often take my son to see the train as it passes by.
Johnson: Yes I am a walker and Bike rider. Exercise and relaxing.
Cities across the United States are investing in bicycle infrastructure as part of their economic development strategy. Bicycle-friendly communities have a higher quality of life, which attracts workforce talent, tourism dollars, and economic investment. If elected, would you support or oppose the adoption of the following action plan to make Denton a certified Bicycle Friendly Community? View Bicycle Friendly Community Action Plan [Downloads separate file]
Byrd: Support
Irvine: I support it. We have a long way to go!
Johnson: Support.
If you could pick any road in your district for bicycle and pedestrian improvements, which road would it be and why? What improvements would you like to see?
Byrd: North/south routes of inner city. The east/west routes seem to be intact.
Irvine: I think Shady Oaks dr. splitting off from the Denton Kay Trail on Colorado and looping back into the new courthouse area would be a good ride.
Johnson: Mingo rd. Bike lanes and sidewalks
The City of Denton is widening 7.6 miles of Bonnie Brae at a cost of more than $117 million. This one project is enough money to fund Denton’s entire Bike Plan 2-4 times and build a network of about 200 miles of high-quality, high-comfort bicycle infrastructure. If elected, would you support funding in the next bond election for a core bicycle network of at least 30 miles that is comfortable for people of all ages and abilities and connects most neighborhoods to downtown, both universities, and other popular destinations?
Curb protected bike lane in Austin, TX. Image from City of Austin website.
Byrd: Yes I would. My only concern would be the cost of the upkeep in future years. It would have to be budgeted in from that point forward. The current system doesn't appear to have been cared for.
Irvine: Yes, especially when interest rates are so low.
Johnson: Yes
District 2
District 2 has three candidates:
Connie Baker (Incumbent)
Brian Beck
Daniel Clanton
Do you ever walk, bike, or take public transit to destinations in Denton? If so, which modes have you used and why did you choose those modes? If you only travel by private motor vehicle, what would make you more likely to walk, bike, or use public transit for some of your trips?
Baker: I like to walk around the square and surrounding areas, especially during festival times. I also, walk around my neighborhood quit often. I use the Denton train system to go to the State Fair, Downtown Dallas and the Dallas Zoo. I would encourage other to do the same. Taking the train saves time and keeps you out of the traffic.
Beck: I currently walk and bike and I have in the past used public transit both with and without my bike. Before 2015, I would often bike from Idiot's Hill to TWU. Today, I mostly use my private motor vehicle as I either work outside Denton or work at home, but I would be more likely to bike if major arterials and collectors in and around Denton and my neighborhood, particularly Mingo from Old North to Downtown were updated to be more pedestrian and bike friendly. I know this is coming in the mobility plan, for which I am thankful. Improvements on Mingo are long overdue and I have been nearly winged by truck mirrors many times.
Clanton: I walk at least three times a week. Denton needs more sidewalks.
Cities across the United States are investing in bicycle infrastructure as part of their economic development strategy. Bicycle-friendly communities have a higher quality of life, which attracts workforce talent, tourism dollars, and economic investment. If elected, would you support or oppose the adoption of the following action plan to make Denton a certified Bicycle Friendly Community? View Bicycle Friendly Community Action Plan [Downloads separate file]
Baker: Projects that work in one city do not necessarily work in every city. The Mobility Plan is to decide if an area is heavily traveled by bikes. Most citizens, especially the older generation, will not want to ride bikes for anything but recreation and parks are made for this. People who want to ride bikes for other personal plans, do need to have safe routes.
Beck: I am completely aligned with the "Action Plan for Bicycle Friendly Communities". There is nothing unreasonable about any of the 10 steps proposed and any costs incurred by the city (eg. a small fleet of bikes for staff to use) would invariable be offset by vehicle fleet savings, parking requirements, and carbon offsets. Not only would I vote for this in council, but if it had not been presented recently, I would sponsor it.
Clanton: I would support the certification
If you could pick any road in your district for bicycle and pedestrian improvements, which road would it be and why? What improvements would you like to see?
Baker: The bike lanes on Windsor near Strickland Middle School do not seem safe to me. At the intersection of Windsor and Locust, a car has to cross the bike lane in order to make a right hand turn. If a motorist is not watching, a biker could be injured. Also, they should have safe bike lanes around all schools for the students.
Beck: Mingo from downtown towards Fishtrap and ultimately out to the Greenbelt. This arterial is ripe for updates with high-speeds, truck traffic, limited-to-no-shoulders, adjacent residential, and adjacent railway easement (for expansion). Not only would upgrades improve safety, and increase use by Idiot's Hill and adjacent neighborhoods, but also general Denton recreational use, as cyclists could cycle the rail trail from Lewisville to Lake Ray Roberts. It would also be good to prioritize Mingo/Fishtrap now due to the many, many mobility plan changes coming to the 288/University, Sherman, and Hartlee Field regions. It might become too difficult to do this later if we do not do this soon.
Clanton: Picking one road is hard as the are a number that need to be maintained with sidewalks added.
The City of Denton is widening 7.6 miles of Bonnie Brae at a cost of more than $117 million. This one project is enough money to fund Denton’s entire Bike Plan 2-4 times and build a network of about 200 miles of high-quality, high-comfort bicycle infrastructure. If elected, would you support funding in the next bond election for a core bicycle network of at least 30 miles that is comfortable for people of all ages and abilities and connects most neighborhoods to downtown, both universities, and other popular destinations?
Curb protected bike lane in Austin, TX. Image from City of Austin website.
Baker: Since students at both Universities ride bikes the most, they do need safe routes to travel. Many roads are already under construction and I have not been informed of what the plans are for bike lanes and pedestrian crossing under these projects. It would be nice to have maps available for the safe bike routes for people to ride in all areas.
Beck: Simply, yes. The ability to maintain a healthy quality-of-life, particularly with live-work-play opportunities absolutely requires a strong network of bike-safe corridors, side-paths, and trails. The existing 10-minute-access-to-a-park goal cannot be maintained, let alone the beneficial impacts of the "Action Plan for Bicycle Friendly Communities" without a concomitant commitment to enhanced and expanded bike corridors. Properly designed, such corridors not only directly improve the lives of cyclists, but can also bolster efforts to incorporate green-spaces into urban planning that protect wildlife and flora. It would also be important and effective to include bike-supportive language in our mobility plans so that development along all corridors knew in advance to incorporate necessary updates into capital improvement projects and major developments.
Clanton: I would support funding if the bond election also included completing additional sections of sidewalks.
District 3
District 3 has one candidate running unopposed:
Jesse Davis (Incumbent)
Do you ever walk, bike, or take public transit to destinations in Denton? If so, which modes have you used and why did you choose those modes? If you only travel by private motor vehicle, what would make you more likely to walk, bike, or use public transit for some of your trips?
Davis: Yes, I walk and bike fairly often. Now that the weather is warmer, I get out as often as I can. I have a weekly Bible study that meets across town, so I try to use that as an excuse to get at least one medium-length ride in a week.
Cities across the United States are investing in bicycle infrastructure as part of their economic development strategy. Bicycle-friendly communities have a higher quality of life, which attracts workforce talent, tourism dollars, and economic investment. If elected, would you support or oppose the adoption of the following action plan to make Denton a certified Bicycle Friendly Community? View Bicycle Friendly Community Action Plan [Downloads separate file]
Davis: I could certainly support the plan in concept, recognizing that some items (e.g., major road improvements or shower facilities for city employees who ride their bike to work) depend on the available budget. I absolutely believe that our Mobility Plan and future infrastructure projects must consider and encourage safe bike use--for our health, environmental quality, and quality of life.
If you could pick any road in your district for bicycle and pedestrian improvements, which road would it be and why? What improvements would you like to see?
Davis: Bonnie Brae Street. This street used to be the western frontier of the city, but now we have retail and neighborhoods all along it length. It runs basically from Loop 288 in the North to 377 in the South, and connects vast parts of the city with parks, shopping, UNT, Apogee Stadium, and more. Thankfully, as we rebuild and expand Bonnie Brae, much of its length will eventually have large side paths appropriate separated from the roadway and appropriate for bikes.
The City of Denton is widening 7.6 miles of Bonnie Brae at a cost of more than $117 million. This one project is enough money to fund Denton’s entire Bike Plan 2-4 times and build a network of about 200 miles of high-quality, high-comfort bicycle infrastructure. If elected, would you support funding in the next bond election for a core bicycle network of at least 30 miles that is comfortable for people of all ages and abilities and connects most neighborhoods to downtown, both universities, and other popular destinations?
Curb protected bike lane in Austin, TX. Image from City of Austin website.
Davis: I would support submitting the Bike Plan to the next citizen's bond committee. There are always more good ideas than dollars available, and I count on the citizens in that process to tell me what their budget priorities are. I would love to see a Denton with a robust, fully developed bike network. The example in the picture is fantastic, for areas where we have the room to do something similar.
District 4
District 4 has two candidates:
Alison Maguire
John Ryan (Incumbent) - Did not respond to survey
Do you ever walk, bike, or take public transit to destinations in Denton? If so, which modes have you used and why did you choose those modes? If you only travel by private motor vehicle, what would make you more likely to walk, bike, or use public transit for some of your trips?
Maguire: I often walk to the park with my kids, but, regrettably, I use my car to get to most other destinations. My part of town is not generally safe for pedestrians or cyclists and is not served by DCTA. If the area near my home had dense, mixed-use zoning and safe, connected sidewalks and bike paths, I would love to walk or bike more often. I would be more inclined to use public transportation if there were a bus stop within a mile of my home, if there were sidewalk connectivity between my home and the bus stop, and if headways were under an hour.
Ryan: [No response]
Cities across the United States are investing in bicycle infrastructure as part of their economic development strategy. Bicycle-friendly communities have a higher quality of life, which attracts workforce talent, tourism dollars, and economic investment. If elected, would you support or oppose the adoption of the following action plan to make Denton a certified Bicycle Friendly Community? View Bicycle Friendly Community Action Plan [Downloads separate file]
Maguire: Support.
Ryan: [No response]
If you could pick any road in your district for bicycle and pedestrian improvements, which road would it be and why? What improvements would you like to see?
Maguire: Cyclists and pedestrians need to access all the same amenities as drivers, so major thoroughfares should be considered complete only when they have connected, ADA-compliant sidewalks on both sides, protected bike lanes, and safe crosswalks. Our primary commercial corridor in District 4 is Teasley Lane, and while I would love to see better bike and pedestrian infrastructure along Teasley, I also recognize we may be limited by TxDOT. Tied for second choice would be Hickory Creek Rd. and Ryan Rd., both of which have active expansion projects underway and will include sidewalks on both sides but don't yet include provisions for protected bike lanes.
Ryan: [No response]
The City of Denton is widening 7.6 miles of Bonnie Brae at a cost of more than $117 million. This one project is enough money to fund Denton’s entire Bike Plan 2-4 times and build a network of about 200 miles of high-quality, high-comfort bicycle infrastructure. If elected, would you support funding in the next bond election for a core bicycle network of at least 30 miles that is comfortable for people of all ages and abilities and connects most neighborhoods to downtown, both universities, and other popular destinations?
Curb protected bike lane in Austin, TX. Image from City of Austin website.
Maguire: I think investing bike and pedestrian infrastructure would improve our air quality, promote public health, deepen our community ties, beautify our city, and relieve traffic on our roads. It's a smart investment that would pay off for decades to come.
Ryan: [No response]
Voting Information
Important dates:
Early voting: April 19 - 24 (8am - 5pm); April 25 (11am - 4pm); April 26-27 (7am - 7pm)
Election Day: Saturday, May 1st (7am - 7pm)
Early voting times and locations - You may vote at any location in Denton County during early voting.
Voter Lookup - Find your assigned election day polling location and check whether your voter information is up-to-date.
