Alders Pressed On ​“Transportation Transformation”

A dog, a baby, and several young climate activists went into City Hall. Their purpose was not to deliver a punchline, but rather a request for the city to take transportation seriously. 

“DANGER TURN BACK TOXIC FUTURE” read a yellow road sign-esque poster. ​“DRIVE LIKE YOUR KIDS NEED TO SURVIVE HERE” read another.

Dozens of people filled City Hall’s Aldermanic Chamber Thursday night, calling for alders to prioritize cutting 25 percent of the city’s transportation emissions by 2030. 

The focus of their local legislative push was a ​“Transportation Transformation Resolution” proposed by the New Haven Climate Movement and heard on Thursday by the alders’ City Services and Environmental Policy (CSEP) Committee. 

The resolution requests that city departments deliver reports with concrete plans for public transportation advancement and greenhouse gas emission reduction. The highlighted departments included the Economic Development Administration, the Office of Climate and Sustainability, the Board of Education, and the Department of Transportation, Traffic & Parking.

Climate organizers asked the city to reaffirm approval of free bus passes for all Connecticut residents and work with New Haven stakeholders to encourage people to choose sustainable transportation options. They also urged for more funding allocated towards transportation staffing and implementation of the Safe Routes for All plan. 

Thursday’s hearing took place nearly six years after the New Haven Climate Movement successfully pushed for the Board of Alders to pass a ​“climate emergency resolution.”

“If we want to mitigate climate change effectively, decarbonizing our transportation system is one of the most impactful ways to take action,” said New Haven Climate Movement leader Amelia Lee to the committee of alders. 

She pointed to severe storms and flash flooding as consequences of climate change worsening in New Haven. Tackling transportation is a way to address this issue. ​“Transportation accounts for more than 40 percent of the state’s greenhouse gas emissions,” said Lee. Many repeated this statistic throughout the hearing. 

Thirteen members of the public testified in support of the resolution. Thirty organizations publicly endorsed it and more than 700 people signed the accompanying petition.

Adrian Huq, cofounder of the New Haven Climate Movement Youth Action Team, spoke before the committee. Huq said they never paid for bus fare in high school because their administrators provided two-hour CT transit passes to students who took part in after-school programming. ​“This offering allowed me to fully participate in extracurriculars and instilled important values in me on the fronts of transit equity and climate issues,” testified Huq. 

Eric Fine approached the mic with his daughters Emma and Lucia. They moved to New Haven around ten years ago when his eldest, Emma, was one month old. For years, he biked in the city attached to a yellow trailer with his girls nestled inside. ​“Since then, though, they are a little heavy to bring around in that trailer, so they’re on their own bikes behind me,” said Fine. 

Sometimes he fears for his kids’ safety on the streets, but then he weighs his options. ​“Which is the bigger threat? That right now unsafe situation on the streets because of the bike infrastructure or what’s coming down the line for their future?” Emma shared her homemade sign, ​“Ride a bike! Take a bus! Do it for the kids!!!”

Yale/Downtown Alder Kiana Flores commended the work of the organizers, saying that ​“it goes to show that the climate movement and young people in the city are advocating for what they believe in and for a safe and healthy future.” 

The alders expressed overall support for the resolution but had concerns regarding other departments’ budgeting. They also highlighted that the Board of Alders holds no jurisdiction over the Board of Education and discussed how they could impact transportation reforms in schools. 

East Rock Alder and CSEP Committee Chair Anna Festa proposed bringing funding questions to the Finance Committee’s budget meeting on Monday. ​“My promise is I’ll have this resolution in front of me during the budget process,” said Festa. She committed to asking department heads about their transportation plans and encouraged residents to testify during the budget meeting. ​“Our goal here is to make sure the resolution is something that everybody on the Board of Alders can stand behind, because if they can all stand behind it, then they’re gonna vote for it.”

By the end of the hearing, the alders decided to keep the resolution in committee and not take action on the item. ​“We definitely went into this meeting hoping to get a vote last night,” said Huq. ​“But we respect the process and understand that the financial piece needs to be worked out with the Finance Committee.”

Read the proposed resolution in full below.

RESOLUTION OF THE NEW HAVEN BOARD OF ALDERS SUPPORTING A TRANSPORTATION TRANSFORMATION RESOLUTION TO PROMOTE A SUSTAINABLE AND HEALTHY NEW HAVEN WHILE RESPONDING TO THE CLIMATE EMERGENCY.

WHEREAS, in 2019, the City of New Haven declared that we face an existential climate emergency that threatens our city, region, state, nation, human civilization, and the natural world, committing to ending community-wide greenhouse gas emissions by 2030;

WHEREAS, NASA scientists have concluded that the complete collapse of the Greenland Ice Sheet alone could raise sea levels 23 feet, creating several billion climate refugees and a ​“global-scale catastrophe;”

WHEREAS, global warming has already set in motion disastrous changes to the Earth system, including accelerating ice mass loss from the Greenland and West Antarctic Ice Sheets and the thawing of the borders of the vast Arctic permafrost, which holds twice as much stored carbon as the entire atmosphere;

WHEREAS, the world is on course for 2℃ of warming at which point many scientists believe that this temperature will initiate a chain of self-reinforcing changes (feedback loops) that dramatically accelerate warming (ex: hotter temperatures cause more forest fires, releasing more CO2, causing more warming, causing more fires, etc.);

WHEREAS, climate change poses significant threats to biodiversity, ecosystems, and the natural environment, exacerbating habitat loss, species extinction, and ecosystem degradation;

WHEREAS, in the State of Connecticut, transportation emissions remain the largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions (38% — stagnant at 1990 levels), highlighting the need for New Haven to decarbonize by transitioning to electric and human-powered vehicles;

WHEREAS, the City of New Haven has taken some actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, including implementing the Community Electrification Resolution in 2021, expanding bike infrastructure, creating a Climate and Sustainability Office, and beginning work on a bus rapid transit system, but there is much, much more to do to end our fossil fuel dependency, and

WHEREAS, our car-centric transportation network has resulted in high levels of particulate pollution, which disproportionately affects lower-income neighborhoods;

WHEREAS, air pollution is the second leading risk factor for death and mortality, and according to a 2021 Harvard School of Public Health study, fossil fuel air pollution is responsible for 1 in 5 deaths worldwide each year;

WHEREAS, in the State of Connecticut, around 1 in 8 students have asthma, and the incidence of asthma among Black students is about 50% higher, raising serious concerns about environmental justice;

WHEREAS, New Haven was ranked the fifth most challenging place to live with asthma in the entire nation by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America in 2021;

WHEREAS, anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions contribute significantly to rising sea levels, posing a threat to coastal cities like New Haven, which may face up to 20 inches of sea level rise by 2050;

WHEREAS, almost 18% of all buildings in New Haven are currently at high risk of flooding, and rising sea levels along with more frequent extreme weather events will result in increased property damage and economic losses, like the $20 billion in damages caused by Hurricane Ida in the Northeastern United States in 2021;

WHEREAS, human-induced climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of heat waves, and it is projected to increase New Haven’s average temperature by up to 5 degrees Fahrenheit by 2050;

WHEREAS, heat waves are a major public health concern, aggravating existing conditions and contributing to cardiovascular diseases, respiratory problems, dehydration, and heat stroke, leading to higher morbidity and mortality rates;

WHEREAS, urban heat islands, characterized by less tree cover and more paved surfaces, disproportionately affect low income communities and communities of color, exacerbating existing social and economic vulnerabilities and contributing to increased health disparities;

WHEREAS, New Haven’s excessive parking infrastructure, which has increased off-street parking spaces by 542% since 1960, exacerbates urban heat island effects, consumes valuable urban space, reduces economic vitality, and promotes suburban job sprawl, hindering city residents’ access to employment;

WHEREAS, the City of New Haven adopted the Safe Routes for All Active Transportation Plan in 2022, which maps out a city-wide bicycle network and lays out plans for pedestrian and transit improvements, but the City has yet to commit significant resources towards implementing the plan;

WHEREAS, owning and operating a car is much more expensive (annual average cost of owning a vehicle in New Haven is $12,000) than public transit or riding a bicycle, making car-centric road design inequitable for those who cannot afford to own and maintain a vehicle;

WHEREAS, constructing more roadways and parking spaces has been shown to induce more driving, while repurposing just 6% of existing publicly owned street space would provide enough space for a 62-mile protected bike network, incentivizing more low-carbon transportation;

WHEREAS, speeding and lack of enforcement contribute to a high number of traffic accidents in New Haven, highlighting the urgent need for improved traffic safety measures and infrastructure to protect non-vehicular transportation;

WHEREAS, the fear of sharing roads with fast-moving cars deters many New Haven residents from biking, negatively impacting their health, freedom, and transportation habits;

WHEREAS, historically, the automotive and oil industries have made substantial investments in promoting, marketing, infrastructure design, transportation policy, and fostering dependency on cars and fossil fuels, overcoming this present paradigm will require that New Haven commit significant resources and innovative strategies to shift to a sustainable transportation system;

WHEREAS, there is a need for robust public education programs to promote active and low-carbon transportation options in schools and communities and raise awareness about the full costs of living, including health impacts and environmental consequences;

WHEREAS, Connecticut does not produce gasoline or cars, so transitioning to a cleaner transportation system can redirect billions spent on imports each year to local spending, economic vitality, and family needs; and

WHEREAS, despite some solid progress in transportation infrastructure in recent years, achieving substantial and measurable reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from transportation and fulfilling the city’s climate commitments require a significant shift in attention, funding, resources, and staffing.

NOW BE IT, THEREFORE, RESOLVED by the New Haven Board of Alders that the City and Board of Alders recognize the urgent need for a transformative approach to transportation that prioritizes safety, equity, sustainability, and environmental stewardship, underpinned by clear commitments to progress, and supported by adequate financial backing.

1. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Transportation, Traffic & Parking reports back to the Board of Alders within 6 months with a plan and a timeline to cut transportation greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by 2030 and significantly increase bus, train, biking, walking, and electric vehicle use by 2030, and what steps are needed to accelerate the implementation of the Safe Routes for All Citywide Active Transportation Plan.

2. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the city reaffirms its support (2022 Board of Alders Resolution) for the state of Connecticut to provide free bus passes to all, recognizing this as a pivotal step towards shifting habits, reducing pollution, supporting low-income families, fostering sustainable urban mobility;

3. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the city encourages the New Haven Board of Education — recognizing the opportunity to improve the health of its students and help them lead on the climate emergency and the broad reach the schools have in New Haven communities — to report back in six months to the Alders Education Committee with a plan on how to educate students on the impacts of present transportation choices on public health, the possibility of implementing an in-school bike, walk, and transit curriculum, and overall how schools could promote the use of healthier public transit and active transportation.

4. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Economic Development Administration report back to the Board of Alders in six months with a plan to promote active transportation in all their public activities, events, and initiatives (fairs, markets, etc).

5. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Office of Climate and Sustainability report progress on greenhouse gas and air pollution emissions reductions from transportation to the Board of Alders in June of each year, to ensure transparency and accountability in achieving New Haven’s climate and transportation goals.

6. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the city commit staff to work with major local employers and stakeholders (Yale, SCSU, YNHH, Gateway, unions, etc.) and with CTrides to encourage people through ongoing marketing and media work to rely more on public transit and healthier transportation options, and to drive more safely.

7. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the alders recognize the need to for funding to support increased transportation staffing to lead these critical projects, including a grant writer, a Transportation Planner, and a Transportation Engineer, and specifically to implement projects identified in the approved 2018 New Haven Climate and Sustainability Framework and the Safe Routes for All Plan approved in 2022.

8. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the alders recognize the need to increase transportation capital funds (given that reaching 2030 goals will need significant investment before then) and will try to include $5 million in the City 2025 – 27 capital budget to accelerate implementation of the Safe Routes for All plan, especially in the City’s ​“Priority Neighborhoods” as significant infrastructure changes will be critical to people shifting transportation modes.