Traffic in Temecula isn’t just frustrating — it’s stealing time from families.

Missed dinners. Rushed mornings. Exhausted parents.

That’s time poverty, and it’s a direct result of how our city was designed.

Let’s be clear about the cause…

Most traffic in Temecula comes from trips within the city itself — school drop-offs, errands, and short daily travel. It’s not commuters. And it’s not housing. Homes don’t take up space on our streets. Cars do.

We built a city where nearly every trip requires a car. That wasn’t an accident — it was a design choice. And families are paying the price.

Design for the trips we actually take

Most congestion comes from:

  • School drop-offs

  • Grocery runs

  • Trips to Old Town

  • Kids’ activities

As a councilmember, I will advocate for:

  • Mapping the most common 2–5 mile trips

  • Prioritize Alternatives for those trips first.  This is how we reduce traffic without widening roads.

Protected bike lanes — with a simple safety test

If you wouldn’t feel safe riding with your child in the bike lane, it’s not a bike lane.

I support:

  • Protected bike lanes with physical separation

  • Routes that connect:

    • Neighborhoods to schools

    • Neighborhoods to shopping centers

    • Neighborhoods to Old Town

Every trip not taken by car means less congestion for everyone — including people who must drive.

Bike Buses: safer streets, healthier kids, stronger community

One of the simplest ideas I support is the Bike Bus.

A bike bus is a group of kids and adults riding together to school along a set route, with “pick-up” points along the way.

This model works because:

  • Safety comes from numbers

  • Kids get daily exercise

  • Families avoid car lines

  • Community connection grows naturally

I will advocate for:

  • Bike bus routes within master-planned communities

  • Coordination with parents, schools, and city staff

  • Infrastructure that makes group riding safe — especially near schools and crossings

Kids should be able to wait for the bike bus the same way we used to wait for the school bus.

Parking lots that work for people — not just cars

A surprising amount of congestion happens inside and around parking lots.

I will push for:

  • Safe pedestrian walkways through parking lots

  • Bike access and bike parking

  • Clear trolley drop-off zones

  • Fewer conflict points between cars and people

This applies to large retailers — not to shut them down, but to make them accessible without forcing every trip to be a car trip.

Strong town design does not mean closing Costco, Target, or Walmart.

It means making them reachable by more than one mode of transportation.

Make the Trolley a Temecula staple — not a novelty

Temecula already has a street trolley. It should be part of daily life, not just tourism.

As a councilmember, I will advocate to:

  • Expand trolley routes to every master-planned community

  • Use the trolley for school-hour travel, Old Town access, and events

  • Improve reliability through priority lanes and signal timing where feasible

Save on Uber. Take the trolley.

Pilot programs, not panic

I don’t believe in shock policies.

I believe in:

  • Pilot corridors

A pilot corridor means:

  • Choosing one specific street or area

  • With a clear goal (safer school access, less congestion, easier walking)

  • And trying a change there first, instead of citywide

Example:

One stretch of road near a school gets a protected bike lane and safer crossings — not the entire city at once. 

If it works, we expand it. If it doesn’t, we change it. No permanent commitment before proof.

Yes, there will be growing pains — but also more options, less stress, lower transportation costs, and more time at home.

Bottom line:

Traffic isn’t about cars.

It’s about presence.

Time poverty is a policy choice.

City council has the power to change it.

I’m running to give Temecula its time back.