You submitted the questions. We got the answers.

The First and Fifth ward council candidates respond to questions posed by the public concerning public transportation, poverty and City Council stipends. Fellow Missourian reporter Katrina Ball and I will update this post with First Ward candidate Fred Schmidt’s responses as soon as they become available.

Do you want to ask the city council or school board candidates a question? Submit them here.

Q: “With gas prices expected to reach the $4/gallon level, I’d like to see more emphasis placed on bikeways, trails, and pedways. What will be your stance on future transportation issues?” – Submitted by Jason Entermyer.

Fifth Ward

Glen Ehrhardt: The bikeways, pedways and trails add to the livability of Columbia, but there needs to be a balance between them and other infrastructure costs that are used by everyone else in Columbia.  I think that when we are dealing with gas prices it’s important to focus on in fill development, such as the apartments on Walnut and College that will  increase number of residents in downtown Columbia.

It is important to plan infrastructure things in advance to minimize the time people spend stationary in traffic.

Helen Anthony: I believe in alternative transportation.  I would fight very hard to maintain the bikeways, trails and pedways properly. I would really like to focus on more bus service. Our bus service is inadequate. We could do a better job at adding more routes. I’d like to explore that avenue.