Before moving to Rochester 14 years ago, Shashi Sinha biked frequently in Philadelphia along with his wife. But according to Sinha, bike lanes were scarce in the city and the couple was hit multiple times while on the road.
Now, as a mayoral candidate, he believes Rochester can be different.
“If you think about Rochester, it’s a very walkable city,” Sinha said. “Especially in the summer and when it’s not snow on the ground, (by) bike could be a big way of going from places to places, for people who don’t have a car or people who just enjoy riding bikes.”
Sinha has proposed building more bike lanes to ensure people can get from “anywhere to anywhere.” He feels that Rochester has become a driving city and current routes don’t serve residents without vehicles.
Additionally, he wants to expand Vision Zero — a 10-point traffic safety plan launched by incumbent Mayor Malik Evans last year — to include more speed bumps in neighborhoods like the 19th Ward, where residents frequently complain about reckless drivers, he said. Still, Sinha is cost-conscious and said he’d have to assess each measure of the plan.
“There are a lot of things that go into it — changing of sidewalks and narrowing of certain lanes — all of that is good, but is it bringing the most bang for the buck?” Sinha said. “That is something I’ll be looking into.”
City Councilmember and 2025 mayoral candidate Mary Lupien is also well-versed with the limitations of public transit in the city. She recalled an experience of getting on the bus with her bike, only to find out there was no room and having to wait for the next one.
Lupien said she’d like to assess the potential for a partnership with the Regional Transit Service to make transportation more “seamless” and bring in something akin to a monthly pass that would cover multiple modes of transit.
“It’s getting in the same room and having a shared goal to make things better for our residents,” Lupien said. “I don’t think there’s any secret to, you know, fostering collaboration.”
Similar to Sinha, Lupien is interested in improving bike infrastructure. She feels the city is not doing enough for biker safety and wants to build protected bike lanes so residents can ride without fear.
Informed by local nonprofit Reconnect Rochester’s recommendations, Lupien also wants to increase staff in the road design department. She cited other cities where municipal traffic workers help inform decisions related to road design and provide real-time feedback.
“They get immediate feedback on what intersections are a problem, and how could they be designed better,” Lupien said. “Ultimately, I believe in those environment changes, you know, things like road diets and roundabouts.”
Incumbent Mayor Malik Evans, on the other hand, has been at the forefront of ongoing transit-related initiatives, including Vision Zero and Aqueduct Reimagined, a project that will create pedestrian and bicycle waterfront connections along both sides of the Genesee River, as part of the larger ROC Riverway Initiative.
Under Vision Zero, Evans has also launched a bicycle spine network — a 63-mile connected network to support biking corridors and priority intersections. Funding for the network has been secured, he wrote in a survey response to Reconnect Rochester.
Evans is also in the process of building a multi-modal station, which will better integrate bus, bike and pedestrian access in the city. “All of our legislation takes Vision Zero in consideration,” Evans wrote. “We will ensure that our work is guided by the three E’s Engineering, Education and Enforcement as we look to advance our Vision Zero Plan.”
Evans said he plans to continue these policies in a second term.
On Tuesday, Rochester residents will consider the candidates’ visions and decide the Democratic candidate.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Rochester’s 2025 mayoral race could reshape how the city moves
Reporting by Misha Manjuran Oberoi, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
