15-Minute Fredericksburg

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

Susanna Finn:

I primarily drive because I do not live in a walkable part of the city. Like many Ward 3 residents, I face sidewalks that end abruptly, limited safe crossings, and destinations that are too far apart for walking or biking to be practical. Most of Ward 3 struggles with walkability due to fragmented pedestrian networks, busy roads without safe bike lanes, and residential neighborhoods separated from essential services by commercial corridors designed for cars.

When I lived in College Heights, I enjoyed the opportunity to walk and bike to work. That experience showed me how much quality of life improves when daily needs are within reach and getting around without a car feels safe and convenient. I want to extend that opportunity throughout the city, so every neighborhood, not just a select few, can benefit from walkable, bikeable infrastructure?

Matthew Kelly:

I walk a little over five miles a day. I walk downtown in the morning for coffee and again later in the afternoon. Right now, I do not have any significant issues during my walks. I do realize that riding a bike in the city is problematic. The city does not have what one would call a true transit system. FRED is not robust enough to get people out of their cars. With the increased level of development coming to this region, getting around the city in any form will become more difficult, and we need to focus on a multi-modal approach to transportation and safety.

Susanna Finn:

My priority is complete streets, roadways that protect pedestrians and cyclists while accommodating vehicles. I believe in respecting all modes of transportation, ensuring that pedestrians, cyclists, transit riders, and drivers all have safe, reliable options.

I support expanding bike infrastructure, adding marked crosswalks, and implementing traffic calming measures where rated. When planning new developments, I’d require pedestrian and multimodal considerations as a baseline, never as an afterthought. Public feedback is vital; residents should help identify intersections or blocks where safety is a concern so solutions can be tailored. Vehicular access remains essential, but I’d pursue changes that ask drivers to respect safe speeds and share the road.

Matthew Kelly:

First, we need to look at multi-modal transportation—bikes, buses, etc., infrastructure, when planning the future, and not just build more roads. I was involved in ensuring multi-modal options were made part of the region’s long-range transportation plan.

Also, in my travels, I have taken time to look at how other communities deal with pedestrian and bike issues. I have posted about this on several occasions on my Facebook page—Fredericksburg Forum. I have included some photos showing some of the options needed to look at including better defined bike lanes, narrowing lanes of lanes, speed bumps, raised crosswalks, and more bike options. (Photos were submitted with response, but we removed from this post for brevity. They are available