15-Minute Fredericksburg

Click on each question to expand and see each candidate's responses.

Y. Joy Crump:

I am fortunate enough that my businesses are located in close proximity to my home. So, on a daily basis, I either walk to work or drive a vehicle. It is not often that I take a bike to work or to commute around town; my biking is almost entirely recreational. The main reason why driving is practical for me is that I am often transporting goods from one business to another, or delivering products locally to clients in the area. It's important to me to have the flexibility and efficiency of my electric vehicle as I am constantly responding to immediate needs of my business and timeliness is important in these cases. However, when weather permits, I welcome the choice to walk to work and other areas of the city.

Anne Little:

We walk for exercise and to do errands downtown. For shopping, appointments, and work-related errands, we drive our car. We do not bike, but we are big walkers. I was on the original team that helped develop the original 19 Miles of walking and biking trails to Fredericksburg, so I love our trail system and use it often. We have a very limited regional transit system that serves those who do not have access to a car. Because we are not connected to any large metropolitan area or a regional employment center, we are limited in our choices of transportation except for the VRE which serves the greater metropolitan Washington area.

Y. Joy Crump:

Pedestrian safety is a multi-layered consideration. We have to take into account not just able-bodied adults on foot or on bikes but also the elderly who may have physical limitations. Or children who may not have the experience or reflexes needed to navigate mixed traffic areas. Or the community members for whom vehicles aren't financially practical so walking or biking is their main means of transportation. For this reason, we have to look at every opportunity to safely and affordably add designated non-vehicular travel lanes. We have to ensure that as we implement traffic calming solutions (for example, traffic circles) that we also thoughtfully consider how those areas might be managed by our community members who require more time and care during their everyday travel. Things like clearly-marked crosswalks, directional signage pointing pedestrians toward safe pathways, ample lighting and crosswalk signals that allow some of our specialized citizens (like children or the elderly) more time to cross....these things are essential as we consider the balance between vehicles and pedestrians.

Anne Little:

I was a member of the City of Fredericksburg Trails Committee for over 18 years. We were always deeply concerned about pedestrian and bike safety and what we could do to make our city safer. The city has seen some improvements with crosswalks, traffic calming and signage for pedestrians, but one of our biggest challenges is speeding in the city. As we see more growth in our city, traffic, speeding and noise all contribute to a lower quality of life for our residents. I have been knocking on doors for many months and one of the first things I hear from residents is how growth is degrading our city’s harmony.