PA House 198: Darisha K. Parker Response to 5th Square Questionnaire

Candidate Name:

Darisha K. Parker

What office are you seeking?

State Representative 198th Legislative District

Candidate Introduction:

My name is Darisha K. Parker, and I am proud to be running for State Representative of the 198th Legislative District. I will use my skills as a coalition builder and connector to show how teamwork can improve lives. As a resident of the district, I have an understanding of the issues that are important to our community. In Harrisburg, I will fight for funding to ensure that Our Schools are Safer, Our Seniors are Protected, and Our Parks and Recreation Centers are Preserved.

Question 1

Some of Philadelphia’s most dangerous streets for pedestrians and cyclists based on injury statistics are PennDOT-owned arterials, many of which are major downtown streets and commercial corridors running through densely-populated parts of Philadelphia. So far, PennDOT has been indifferent to calls from safety advocates for the kinds of engineering changes to these roads that would calm traffic. Would you use your position to support advocates' calls for safer urban arterials? What types of legislative and policy changes are needed to correct this problem at PennDOT? (https://www.inquirer.com/opinion/commentary/philadelphia-traffic-fatalities-penndot-20190208.html)

I would support legislation that calls for safer roads and corridors in urban areas. The Roosevelt Expressway runs through the 198th Legislative District, and remains one the most dangerous highways in our country. “The Boulevard’s” position on the High Injury Network has impacted the residents of the 198th district directly. For example, the Roosevelt Expressway’s Germantown exit has experienced the following safety issues: poor lighting, deep sunken potholes, and off ramp speeding. As a state legislator, I will ensure that revenues collected from past road safety legislation, such as peed camera enforcement fines, are properly directed to road safety improvements. I will support the creation of policies that hold PENNDOT accountable for ensuring that traffic enforcement fines are in fact distributed to street safety improvements.

Question 2

Pennsylvania recently passed legislation enabling automated speed enforcement on Roosevelt Blvd and highway work zones. Do you support the expansion of automated speed enforcement cameras to School Zones and on other High Injury Network streets throughout Philadelphia? (https://whyy.org/articles/roosevelt-boulevard-speed-cameras-represent-rare-bipartisan-win/)

☐ Yes
☐ No
☒ Other: Yes to High Injury Network streets that have high speeding related deaths. No to School Zones.

Comment:

I support the expansion of automated speed enforcement cameras to High Injury Network streets that have excessive rates of high speeding related fatalities and injuries. State dollars should be strategically directed to street safety strategies that solve the prevailing safety concern on each street or corridor specifically.
I do not support the expansion of automated speed enforcement cameras in School Zones. However, I would support legislation that calls for the construction of more speed bumps around School Zones. Speed bumps have proven to be effective in reducing speeds in various types of speed enforcement zones.
Speed camera programs in Maryland and D.C have generated millions of dollars of fines and debts for motorists. I am concerned that Philadelphia motorists could also be negatively impacted by the overuse of speed enforcement cameras in our city. I support the use of street safety tools that are the best solution for the specific safety concern.

Question 3

Pennsylvania is the only state in the U.S. that bans local law enforcement from using radar for vehicle speed enforcement. Do you support lifting this ban? (https://www.pennlive.com/news/2019/06/is-2019-the-year-local-cops-in-pa-will-get-radar.html)

☐ Yes
☐ No
☒ Other: Further research is required on the effectiveness of radar as a vehicle speed reduction tool.

Comment:

The use of radar for vehicle speed enforcement has been a controversial street safety tool. Police use of radar for vehicle speed enforcement can make errors, which can lead to motorists wrongly receiving speeding tickets. Also, police frequently place speed traps where speed limits change so more tickets can be issued. Therefore, further research is required to compare the effectiveness of radar against other less controversial vehicle speed enforcement tools.

Question 4

Do you support state enabling legislation to allow Philadelphia and other cities to use cameras for congestion-related enforcement? Areas that should be enforced by camera include bus zones, travel lanes, corner clearances, crosswalks, delivery zones, and non-curb pickups and drop-offs by ride-hailing drivers. Currently, the law allows for enforcement only upon the observation of an officer. Cameras allow a more cost-efficient alternative and are less subject to human and systemic biases. (https://www.inquirer.com/opinion/commentary/traffic-congestion-philadelphia-parking-tickets-ppa-20191211.html)

☐ Yes
☐ No

Comment:

Cameras are a cost-efficient alternative for road safety, but legislators must keep in mind the affects that increased travel fines have on all demographics. Philadelphia has some of the highest poverty rates in the country. Therefore, poverty rates must be considered to determine a populations ability to pay fines and the consequences that ensue if they cannot.

Question 5

Act 89 transportation funds have historically been diverted to pay the state police budget, reducing the funds available to pay for public transit and road projects. What is the best way to safeguard this revenue to ensure that Commonwealth residents see all the transportation improvements they were promised when state lawmakers raised the gas tax? (https://www.penncapital-star.com/government-politics/can-you-pay-for-infrastructure-repairs-without-raising-state-taxes-in-new-plan-house-gop-says-yes/)

The best way to safeguard transportation funds is by ending diversions of state infrastructure funding; and by ensuring that taxes collected on new cars, or fines paid on a speeding ticket go right back to transportation projects, and aren’t used on unrelated spending.

Question 6

What are some of your own ideas for enhancing mobility and improving road safety in your district and Philadelphia more broadly?

To enhance mobility and improve road safety in my district, I will consult with travel engineers and data analysts to create a district wide plan. I will implement well informed solutions to improve street safety and mobility.

Question 7

Act 44, which transfers $450 million a year from the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission to public transit agencies, is set to expire in 2022. What is your plan to safeguard and expand the state revenue dedicated to public transit after this law expires? (https://wskg.org/news/pa-turnpike-escapes-catastrophic-lawsuit-but-remains-heavily-in-debt/)

I will use my skills as a coalition builder and connector to ensure that funding for our public transit agencies is secure. I will work with fellow legislators to ensure that state revenues are dedicated to public transit costs.

Question 8

Do you support dedicated transit lanes and legislation enabling “Automated Transit Lane Enforcement” cameras mounted on transit vehicles and on roadsides to deter other vehicles from using these lanes? (https://mobilitylab.org/2018/09/17/automated-bus-lane-enforcement-is-more-effective-than-police-among-other-findings/)

☐ Yes
☐ No

Comment:

Automated Transit Lane Enforcement is a legitimate option to reduce travel congestion and traffic accidents. However, legislators must keep in mind the affects that increased travel fines have on all demographics. Philadelphia has some of the highest poverty rates in the country. Therefore, poverty rates must be considered to determine a populations ability to pay fines and the consequences that ensue if they cannot.

Question 9

Do you support state enabling legislation for congestion pricing, permitting municipalities and regions to institute tolls on automobiles entering into the most congested areas, and using the funds for improvements to transit, and for infrastructure for walking and bicycling? (https://www.inquirer.com/transportation/congestion-pricing-new-york-philadelphia-traffic-20190402.html)

☐ Yes
☐ No

Comment:

Congestion pricing proposes to discourage people from driving into a city’s busiest areas so they turn to public transit instead. However, if congestion pricing is enacted, public transit services must also expand to absorb the increased number of public transit users. The impact of congestion pricing tolls on low income individuals must also be considered. As a state legislator, I would study the overall affects of congestion pricing before attempting it.

Question 10

SEPTA has the capability to expand its rapid transit service by simply running its commuter rail lines more frequently and integrating its fares with subways and buses. But to do so, the agency will need to prioritize certain capital improvements and implement some operational reforms. Do you support such an expansion for our city's train service? (https://whyy.org/articles/analysis-how-septa-can-turn-regional-rail-in-philly-into-high-frequency-rapid-transit/)

☐ Yes
☐ No

As a legislator, how would you use the power of your office to advance those changes, instead of retaining the current structure which caters more to professional-class suburban commuters?

As a legislator, I will use the power of my office to advance changes that benefit all Philadelphians, especially disenfranchised communities. The 198th Legislative District is not a suburb. The 198 is a bustling community or working class residents who should benefit from the progressive changes in public transit services. I will ensure that the residents of the 198 are considered when changes to public transit are discussed and implemented.

Question 11

What are some of your own ideas for solutions to improve the quality (frequency, speed, and accessibility) of transit service in your district and Philadelphia more broadly?

My goal is to improve the frequency, speed, accessibility, and safety of transit services in the district. I will consult with travel engineers and data analysts to create a district wide plan. I will implement well informed solutions to improve the frequency, speed, accessibility, and safety of transit services in the district.

Question 12

California’s legislature recently introduced a pro-housing bill SB 50, which would preempt local zoning restrictions on dense housing construction near high-quality transit, and in high-opportunity areas with large concentrations of jobs or in-demand school districts. Similar bills have also been introduced by progressive lawmakers in Oregon, Washington, Maryland, and Virginia to preempt local exclusionary zoning policies like apartment bans, parking quotas, and minimum lot size rules from the state level. Do you support amending Pennsylvania’s Municipal Planning Code to preempt local exclusionary zoning policies in this way, with the goal of allowing transit-oriented housing near state-funded transit and commuter rail stations? (https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/01/sb50-california/604786/)

☐ Yes
☐ No

Comment:

I would support an amendment to allow for transit oriented housing near state funded transit and rail stations, if it will ensure the following: low and moderate-income tenants will not be displaced, and housing will be affordable and accessible to low-income residents, immigrants, and seniors.

Question 13

The century-old Separations Act requires multiple bids for all different parts of public construction projects in Pennsylvania, which some state officials believe makes public works projects unnecessarily expensive and inefficient, and precluding Design-Build firms from bidding on public construction projects. Will you support and advocate for repeal of the Separations Act? (https://www.yorkdispatch.com/story/opinion/contributors/2017/03/07/oped-s-time-repeal-separations-act-pa/98857412/)

☐ Yes
☐ No

Comment:

When I am elected, I will address the current problems caused by the Separations Act. I will take a closer look at the obstacles to progress that are a direct result of the Separations Act.

Question 14

Governor Tom Wolf has announced his intentions for Pennsylvania to join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative—a regional cap and trade program that could push PA to cut emissions more aggressively, while generating revenue for public transit, clean energy, and other priorities. Joining RGGI would likely require an act of the state legislature, and different interest groups within the Democratic Party have taken different positions on this, with some building trades unions on one side and environmental groups on the other. If elected, would you support legislation to join RGGI?(https://stateimpact.npr.org/pennsylvania/2019/10/03/gov-wolf-pennsylvania-regional-greenhouse-gas-initiative/)

☒ Yes
☐ No

Comment:

When I am elected, I will support Governor Wolf's plan for Pennsylvania to join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. Pennsylvania ranks #2 in the nation among states with the largest race and wealth gap in exposure to air pollution. Emissions from oil and gas operations cause ozone smog, which contributes to Black children throughout the city experiencing the majority of the 12,000 asthma attacks that occur in Philadelphia each year.
For this reason, I am a committed advocate for clean air and water. I will fight against environmental hazards that affect the most vulnerable in our communities, our children.

Question 15

Tell us more about what you bring to the table as an ally for urbanist politics in Harrisburg. What makes you the right person to advance the urbanist movement’s goals politically or substantively at the state level? How would you build support for pro-urbanist policies among your colleagues from outside our region?

I am the right person to advance the urbanist movement's goals politically at the state level.
As an ally of urbanist politics, I would utilize 5th Square's recommended policy changes to inform urbanist issues affecting the residents of the 198th Legislative District. My experience as a Legislative Aide in the State House has prepared me with the skills needed to build coalitions of support around important issues, in order to improve the quality of life for all of Philadelphia's residents.