City transportation czar Doug Hausladen wants New Haveners to get out of their cars and get moving, whether its on shared transportation, by bike or walking. He’s about to release a request for qualifications for a company to run a bikeshare program in the city.
Is that rejection of private transportation un-American?
WNHH radio host Sam Gejdenson posed that question to Hausladen (pictured) on the latest episode of “The Sam Gejdenson Show.” He invited Hausladen on to discuss and debate the pros and cons of changing up transit options in the Elm City, to which some folks have been resistant.
“I think this is the most American thing we can do,” Hausladen said. “When I can choose how I want to get from A to B, that is mobility.”
The plan is for New Haven to launch a version of the bikesharing program that exists in major cities like New York (Citi Bike), Boston (Hubway), and D.C. (Capital BIkeshare). Under the program, anyone can rent a bike at one location, then ride it to another location and leave it there. In Hausladen’s vision, people could buy annual memberships or join by the week or the hour. Details remain to be worked out.
In its quest to build on New Haven’s blossoming cycling culture, the Harp administration focused first on building up the bikeable infrastructure, through measures like new bike lanes, Hausladen said.
Now, he said, “I think it’s time start looking at what kind of [bikeshare] program would work for New Haven.” He said he expects the request for qualifications to be issued by next Friday. After selecting a company, the city would then negotiate on details of a program — including how to fund it. “The hope is” to have no city money involved, Hausladen said. “There are a lot of models out there. The idea behind the RFQ [request for qualifications] is to shake those models loose.”
Yale has instituted a bike share program spread across 10 location at its central and medical campuses.
To listen to full “San Gejdenson Show” interview with Hausladen, which also includes a discussion of how New Haven has responded to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as well as the performance of candidates in Wednesday night’s Republican presidential debate , click on the audio above. You can also find the episode free for download on Soundcloud, iTunes, or any podcatcher by searching under “WNHH Community Radio.”