Address Transportation Needs

Transportation connects residents to their jobs, to the tasks of daily living, to health care and to social and family life, and is integrally tied to economic development. New Haven is working toward a “complete streets” model that reduces car dependence while promoting user-friendly streets for all. 

According to 2005-2009 U.S. Census data analyzed by DataHaven, 58 percent of New Haveners drove to work alone, while 10 percent carpooled; 16 percent walked or biked; 11 percent took the bus; 2 percent used other means, and 3 percent worked at home. The percentage of residents from surrounding suburbs who do anything but drive is between 3 and 6 percent.

 

Several studies over the past few years (2007-2011) have analyzed transit needs and investments in Connecticut. The Bus Transit Needs Analysis (2007) provided a macro review of bus service needs by area, comparing investment levels within the state as well as in comparison to other Northeast states.⁽¹⁾  Missing Links: Prioritized Bus Service Expansion Plan (2010) recommended establishing public transit corridors in currently underserved corridors and regions of the state.⁽²⁾ The Economic Importance of Investment in Public Transportation (2011) views transportation as one key element in the social and economic development of a region and puts it in the context of recently developed federal agency partnerships.⁽³⁾

 

Bus ridership around greater New Haven peaked in Fiscal Year 2009, at 8.8 million, according to Connecticut Transit, but has declined since then due to the rise in unemployment. Service levels declined in the early 2000s but have not changed over the past five years, nor has the fare of $1.25.⁽⁴⁾

 

In 2010 Shoreline East carried just over half a million passengers between Old Saybrook and New Haven. ⁽⁵⁾

 

In Connecticut a tax-free benefit is available to commuters who don’t drive their own cars to work that’s comparable to the tax-free parking benefit, up to $230 a month.

 

People around greater New Haven are working hard – inside government, in the business sector and among nonprofits – to improve transportation and quality of life for residents. Lack of transportation is a major barrier to getting to work for many low-income residents.

 

“Ninety percent of folks we serve do not have vehicles,” says Bonita Grubbs, executive director of Christian Community Action . “It clearly is an impediment.” For example, she says one client recently got her Certified Nursing Assistant license, but getting from one client to another to provide home care is tough. “Bus transportation is inconvenient because they can’t go directly from place to place.” But, she says, it’s better than walking, and the agency gives out bus tokens for its financially strapped clients. She adds, “A few of our clients have bikes, which are a Godsend.”

 

Transportation is an economic engine. “It can create jobs not only in itself but as economic development along the corridors,” says Karen Burnaska, director of Transit for Connecticut, which promotes bus and rail transportation as two necessary – and interconnected – components, along with roads, of a fully functioning transportation system in the region.  Getting commuters out of their cars also reduces air pollution.

 

Cyclists are another constituency promoting multi-modality and a cleaner environment. Elm City Cycling collaborates with the City of New Haven and local nonprofits and businesses to make cycling and walking safer, more enjoyable and more popular. The share of cycling and pedestrian commuters has increased in the past few years due to several factors: the high price of gasoline, concern for the environment, interest in maintaining fitness, and convenience.

 

“Multi-modality is a key concept, like bike racks on buses and vans picking up workers from the train station,” says Tom Harned, a transportation planner and board member of Elm City Cycling. He says New Haven’s award-winning Complete Streets manual – a collaboration of the city’s planning and transportation departments and Elm City Cycling – could be a model for other towns in the region. Bike lanes and sharrows (painted bike signs on the pavement) have been added to enhance safety and promote the idea that bikes belong on city streets. The Farmington Canal Greenway connects New Haven to Cheshire through Hamden and provides a 14-mile, off-road paved path for non-motorized commuting and recreation.

 

Jim Travers, the director of New Haven’s transportation department, says the City’s Street Smarts campaign focuses on the safety and education of pedestrian, cyclists, and drivers.  “The campaign highlights that roadways belong to all users and that we all must remain attentive and respectful at all times.” He says the cycling network will be expanding to neighboring cities and towns, including Hamden and West Haven. He notes that another key element of “complete streets” is incorporating traffic-calming measures that slow down motor vehicles and promote safe movement by pedestrians and cyclists.

 

“The public-private partnership has been critical for people to make the switch from people relying on their private automobile,” says Jean Stimolo, president of Rideworks, which runs vanpools for workers around greater New Haven and Waterbury. She says private employers' transportation policies and flexibility in offering options are keys to success, like guaranteed rides to those who need emergency rides home and rewards programs for taking transit. “As gas prices continue to rise it becomes a no-brainer to support the right policies,” she adds. 

 

What The Community Foundation is doing

 

The Community Foundation supports local nonprofits working to reduce transportation barriers and increase quality of life in the region. A grant from The Community Foundation's Community Fund for Women & Girls was awarded to New Haven Home Recovery  to enable 150 women who are financially-burdened, homeless and in some cases disabled get access to transportation for job training, work, behavioral health services and training programs. More than just ensuring transporation, the grant helped clients achieve stability and self sufficiency. Other grants were awarded to Elm City Cycling to help that organization set goals and create a comprehensive three-year strategic plan as well as to support Bike Safety Outreach & Education throughout New Haven. Foundation funds were also awarded to support the efforts of Fair Haven residents to have a Traffic Calming Study conducted to address the traffic flow, signage and safety issues in their neighborhood. With those results, and the work of the City's  Street Smarts Campaign to improve safety for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians, the City of New Haven secured a grant from the Federal government's Safe Routes to School Program.

 

 

 

What you can do

Consider donating to a local nonprofit on giveGreater.org, volunteering, or creating a permanent fund designated to organizations that provide transportation services to low-income families or support alternative modes of transportation. Already have a fund at The Community Foundation? Make a grant recommendation by logging on to DonorCentral. You can create change with just a click of the keyboard.

 

 

 

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⁽¹⁾  http://ctenvironment.org/images/stories/file/Transportation_PDFs/full_bus_needs_report.pdf

⁽²⁾  http://www.rpa.org/pdf/Missing_Links_CT_Bus_Study.pdf

⁽³⁾ http://ctenvironment.org/PDFs/Economic%20Importance%20of%20Investment%20in%20Public%20Transportation.pdf

⁽⁴⁾ www.cttransit.com/

⁽⁵⁾ http://talkingtransportation.blogspot.com/2011/04/commuting-by-numbers.html

 

October 2011