Despite running unopposed for Redwood City’s District 2 City Council seat, incumbent Chris Sturken has his website up, answered our request to fill out 350 Bay Area Action’s candidate survey, and is actively talking to residents about the issues he sees as critical to the city’s future including housing and transportation.  “The transportation sector is the greatest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Redwood City,” he says, pointing to measures he has supported to speed the transition away from fossil fuels. Chris advocated for SB 63 to fund public transportation in the Bay Area, as well as protected bike lanes and dedicated bus rapid transit lanes on El Camino Real.  

When asked what he is most proud of from his first term, he pointed to his work to establish the Broadway Pedestrian Mall, which permanently closed a portion of Broadway to vehicle traffic, aimed at reducing emissions in the downtown core.

A lifelong Peninsula resident, Chris’s commitment to mitigating climate change began soon after college, when he worked for the city of Hayward’s Environmental Services Division through Americorps, assigned to a project inventorying greenhouse gas emissions in the region. Since then, he has worked to bring an environmental focus to addressing Redwood City’s most urgent need: affordable housing. 

He notes that many of the challenges facing the city are immediate, including the lack of a comprehensive plan to manage projected flooding of Cordilleras Creek from El Nino. He has proposed pivoting to a community-led approach to speed a solution. 

Overall, Chris says, “I’m a consensus builder whose leadership will be guided by my core values—respect, collaboration, and the belief that each resident has something to offer to our incredible community.”

Campaign website: https://www.chrisforrwc.com

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Photo credit: Chris Sturken, used with permission.