2026 Election: Questionnaire for MV City Council Candidates
We sent the following questions to all candidates for Mountain View City Council. We received responses from Samuel Ali, Robert Cox, Paul Donahue, James Kuszmaul, Silja Paymer, and IdaRose Sylvester, which we have published below.
Questions
1. Knowledge and priorities: What do you see as the biggest barriers to making walking and bicycling safe, comfortable, and convenient throughout Mountain View? What specific changes would you prioritize to address them?
2. Judgement: Mountain View has made a number of changes to its streets in recent years, including the California Street Complete Streets Pilot. Which changes do you consider successful, and which have fallen short? What lessons should the City take from these projects, and what measures should it use to evaluate the success of future street improvements?
3. Vision and city role: What is your vision for the future of downtown Mountain View? What would you like Castro Street and the surrounding downtown to be like in 5 to 10 years, and what changes should the City make in economic development, public space, transportation, land use, or other areas to achieve that vision?
4. Leadership and handling opposition: Improving bike and pedestrian infrastructure can require reallocating space or changing how streets are used, which can generate opposition from some residents, businesses, or drivers. As a Councilmember, how would you approach that opposition while advocating for the changes you believe are necessary?