Earlier this winter I asked you all to comment, send emails or reply to a survey to tell me what issues you care about. I condensed (only a bit) and compiled (a lot) and then sent to the eight candidates for City Council registered with the Board of Elections as well as the seven candidates for mayor polling above 2 percent. (There are too many candidates to count for the mayoral race — I stopped at 22 and was only halfway through the Ks — so reverted to the polls methodology.)

The primary is just nine weeks away — June 22 — so starting tomorrow I will run the responses in the order they came in. I will note that so far, I have only heard from four of the City Council candidates and only one of the mayoral ones, and maybe that’s telling in and of itself? We will see if more come in. The candidates were told they could answer as many or as few as they wanted and I would print it all.

The list for the council seat: Denny Salas, Maud Maron, Chris Marte, Jenny Low, Gigi Li, Sean Hayes, Tiffany Winbush, Susan Lee. For mayor: Katheryn Garcia, Scott Stringer, Ray McGuire, Eric Adams, Shaun Donovan, Maya Wiley, Andrew Yang.

For those who have responded, I have met each of them for a short chat (15 minutes for mayor, an hour for City Council) with some softball questions. I have to say, that was a lot of fun. So far they are all smart, personable, and maybe because it’s spring in New York City, all feeling hopeful.

Here’s how the questionnaire turned out:

SUPPORTING LOCAL BUSINESS
As you know, Tribeca residents really value our local restaurants and shops, which we believe give the neighborhood much of its character. We are worried about the challenges for them not just from the pandemic (we have already lost more than 65 storefront businesses) from two consistent forces: real estate costs and city regulations and fines. You can read more about what we mean here and here. So to that end, take on any of the following questions:

1. Do you have any solutions for protecting small business from the pressures of rising real estate costs? (tax abatements for landlords who keep mom-and-pop stores?)
2. What is your proposal or attitude towards the future of Open Restaurants post-pandemic?
3. Do you have any ideas for addressing retail vacancies? (vacancy tax? Incentives?)
4. Do you have any solutions for limiting the regulations and red tape required to both start and maintain small business?

QUALITY OF LIFE
We all understand that we live in an urban setting and accept much of the quality-of-life issues that come with it. However, there are some conditions that have risen to unacceptable levels in this neighborhood. With that in mind, take on any of the following questions:

1. Do you have any solutions to the helicopter traffic that often plagues the neighborhood and others?
2. This neighborhood has been under construction for decades. Do you have any solution for making construction sites be better neighbors? (limiting hours, monitoring vibrations and hours, disallowing the blocking of sidewalks or streets) (and don’t say call 311)
3. There is hardly a block in this neighborhood that does not have a sidewalk shed, some of which have been up for more than a decade. Do you have any solutions for requiring landlords to finish projects within a certain time frame so that they can be removed?
4. Garbage pickup seems to be at an all-time low. Do you have solutions for better street cleaning? And, many private buildings leave mountains of trash on the sidewalks waiting for pickup. Can this be regulated?
5. The proliferation of e-bikes and electric scooters has been a challenge for this neighborhood. We support these delivery workers, but we do not support their use of the sidewalks or bike paths that are reserved for non-motorized vehicles. Do you have a solution?
6. The NYPD has consistently used its power to close public spaces and amenities, especially during the pandemic. Do you have a proposal for this issue?

PEDESTRIAN SAFETY
We have the great advantage and privilege of being a walking community and therefore are often looking for ways to increase pedestrian safety. What are your thoughts on expanding pedestrian-only streets? Do you have other proposals that would address pedestrian safety?

THE HOMELESS POPULATION
As you know, the city’s homeless population has increased in the past year, and this neighborhood has, along with many others, seen an increase in people living on the streets.
1. Do you have any new solutions for addressing those people who refuse to go to shelters?
2. The Financial District is also being asked to take on several new homeless shelters. What are your thoughts on residents’ opposition to this and their concerns?

CRIME
Many readers feel there has been a rise in crime since the pandemic (and statistics support that) and not much has been done about it. What is your approach to community policing? This could include policies to address violent crime, muggings and burglary, as well as “minor” issues like graffiti and other vandalism, public urination, counterfeit sellers who take over areas of Canal Street.

HOUSING
We would like to hear your thoughts on the status of affordable housing downtown and in our zip codes. What can be done to preserve it? What can you propose to create more below market housing?

AGING
What solutions for seniors in housing, mobility and access to basic needs can ensure that downtown is a place that residents don’t need to leave as they age?

SERVING THE DISTRICT
Recently there have been some neighborhood concerns that have not received attention from local elected officials, such as the siting of Citi Bike stations. How will you communicate and deal with constituent concerns? What mechanisms? How will your staffing address that?

Also, as you know the district has several distinct neighborhoods. How will you balance their needs and issues within your office?

TAXES — COOP AND CONDO FEES
Homeowners here are concerned about rising taxes on condos and coops – which is making it harder and harder to keep apartments here affordable. This also strains seniors on fixed incomes, forcing them out of their homes that they have owned for decades. We also see homeowners in other neighborhoods – especially single-family dwellings — paying much lower taxes for the same services. How would you address this inequity?

TRANSPORTATION / TRAFFIC / CONGESTION PRICING / BIKE LANES
Most neighborhoods in Lower Manhattan are plagued with traffic issues because of our density and the fact that one of the city’s prime commercial hubs co-exists with vibrant residential neighborhoods. Please take on one of these issues:

CONGESTION PRICING
Congestion pricing passed in the state legislature two years ago but its implementation has been held up. As councilmember will you urge the MTA and the governor to put it in place? Would you include carve-outs for downtown residents or other groups?

TRAFFIC CALMING MEASURES
What else do you propose to reduce vehicular traffic, blocking the box, and speeding? More speed cameras? Convert some streets to prohibit private vehicles as was done on 14th Street? Increased enforcement or penalties?

BIKE LANES
What proposals do you have (or are you against) for increasing bike lanes? One particular concern is the bike route off the Brooklyn Bridge, which currently runs between City Hall and the Tweed Courthouse and is a shared path with pedestrians. This will come into focus again as the proposed bike lane for the Brooklyn Bridge is developed.

COBBLESTONE STREETS
Tribeca is known for its cobblestone streets. However, they have been poorly maintained. What’s your stance on their preservation and/or maintenance?

BOROUGH-BASED JAIL PROPOSAL
As you know, White Street is the location for the Manhattan borough-based jail, the proposal that addresses the closing of Rikers Island. What is your stance on the borough-based jail plan for this location? If you are against it, what do you suggest instead, in order to accommodate the loss of Rikers?

If you do not oppose it, do you have a position on the architectural quality or the size of the jail at this location?

SCHOOL CHOICE
One of the reasons Tribeca has exploded as an area for young parents since the 1980s is the access to ‘good schools.’ But this has magnified the de facto segregation of the city. School choice for middle and high school presents parents and kids with means (and time) with more opportunities. We also have several schools in District 2 that give preference for children that reside in the district. What is your opinion on school choice? What proposals do you have to address inequities? Or not?

PRESERVING HISTORIC DISTRICTS
Threats to historic districts have been hitting very close to home lately in both the proposal for 250 Water in the South Street Seaport Historic District and the SoHo/NoHo rezoning proposal. Both intend to offer affordable housing as an exchange for much higher and bulkier buildings, and dismiss historic district zoning regs. What is your opinion on preserving historic districts?

PARKING – PLACARD AND RESIDENTIAL
This neighborhood – as well as Chinatown and the Financial District — has been plagued with placard parkers who both abuse the privilege and leave cars stationary for months at a time, often on streets designed for commercial parking or at metered spaces. This adds yet another challenge for local businesses who cannot get deliveries or whose customers cannot park in metered spaces. The city’s plan to address this is dead in the water.

How do you plan to deal with the abuse of placard holders (real and fake ones)

Do you have any solutions for residential street parking?