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New Haven Safe Streets Coalition

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Please see below for the Safe Streets Coalition's regular monthly update. You are receiving this email because you are a member of the group at http://www.livablestreets.com/projects/new-haven-safe-streets-coalition/project-home. If you've received this email as a forward from one of our coalition coordinators, please click here to join the group. As a member, you will receive one "coalition update" email per month and have access to additional files.

NEW HAVEN BOARD OF ALDERMEN HOLDS "COMPLETE STREETS" HEARING: FINAL VOTE SCHEDULED THIS THURSDAY 10/23

  • A successful public hearing on the proposed legislation was held on 9/22. See http://www.newhavensafestreets.org/2008/09/successful-public-hearing-on-complete.html for a recap of coverage, which included a feature piece in the New York Times. Over 50 New Haven residents and business owners submitted written and oral testimony, covering virtually every topic related to having safe, livable and walkable streets in our city. Contact us if you are interested in helping us collate all of this excellent information into one document.
  • A final vote on this legislation is scheduled for this Thursday, October 23rd at the Board of Aldermen. There will be no public testimony, but please feel free to call your Alderperson in advance and ask them if they will be supporting the legislation.
  • If the legislation is passed, the city will create a steering committee to reevaluate planning and design guidelines for all city roadways. This process should take approximately three to four months and lead to an ordinance amendment requiring greater attention to issues of pedestrian, bicycle and transit user safety, access and convenience in public road projects. Stay tuned for future progress on this issue.
NEW HAVEN LAUNCHES "STREET SMARTS" EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM:
HELP CONTINUE THE COMMUNITY CAMPAIGN
  • The City of New Haven and Safe Streets Coalition members launched a new public educational campaign for traffic safety this past weekend at Edgewood Park. Turnout was very high and a legion of dedicated volunteers was on-hand to help out with activities, events, educational tabling and collecting hundreds of "smart driver pledge" signatures. Please visit http://www.newhavensafestreets.org/2008/10/new-haven-launches-street-smarts.html for links to news coverage of the event.
  • The City would like to replicate this type of event in other neighborhoods throughout the year. Materials will be used at the Mayor's Halloween Parade this Thursday morning, among other upcoming events. Please contact the City if you know of any other community happenings that might wish to host a "Street Smarts" table or announcement.
  • "Street Smarts" is being funded by the City of New Haven, Yale University, the New Haven Parking Authority and other donors. If you or your company would like to make a contribution to help keep this campaign going, please send a check to City of New Haven: Street Smarts Campaign, 200 Orange Street, Room G3, New Haven, CT 06510 Attention: Jim Travers. All money received will be used exclusively for the Street Smarts campaign.
CITY EXPANDS TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT UNIT:
NHPD REPORTS TRAFFIC DATA AT COMMUNITY MEETINGS
  • The City has named Sgt. Sydnor to the head of its traffic enforcement unit, and has begun an expansion of the group, which will enable much more targeted enforcement and extended hours of operation. Officers have been out focusing on specific problem areas and are issuing more tickets for speeding and signal violations. See http://www.newhavensafestreets.org/2008/09/city-announces-expanded-traffic.html for media coverage of the new unit.
  • To report an issue related to traffic safety, citizens can call 946-6956 or email TrafficSafety@newhavenct dot net. You may report general problem areas, i.e. "speeding on x street", illegal vehicles, and/or specific violations (please include a location, direction, type of violation, vehicle description and plate number if possible). This information is recorded for investigative purposes and a postcard will be sent to notify the owner that they have committed a violation. If an officer is needed at the scene, callers should still dial 911 or 946-6316.
  • Police officers are now reporting on traffic enforcement activity, fatal crashes and other incidents at many of the city's Community Management Teams. If you attend your local management team, please join us in requesting more detailed reports on neighborhood-level statistics and traffic enforcement efforts. We would like the police department to present information that can be easily used by residents to advocate for improved safety and quality of life within their own neighborhoods.
CITY IMPLEMENTS IN-STREET PEDESTRIAN CROSSWALK SIGN:
MORE SIGNS ON THE WAY
  • The first in-street sign was deployed last week at the State Street & Eld Street crosswalk. Please see here for background information on these traffic calming devices, including a link to Elm City Cycling and Yale Medical Campus Traffic Safety Group's letter requesting the signs: http://www.newhavensafestreets.org/search/label/In-Street%20Crosswalk%20Signs.
  • Signs are approximately $250 each and have been widely implemented statewide and nationwide (including nearly 5,000 in Pennsylvania) because of their very high level of effectiveness. Please contact the city and/or the coalition if you would like to see this type of signage at crosswalks in your area. Additional information will be available next month.
YALE UNIVERSITY STUDENT ACTIVITY
  • The Yale College Council has passed a unanimous resolution in support of the New Haven Safe Streets Coalition and the city's pace car program. Other groups at Yale University have also requested to help campaign on this issue by collecting signatures, doing door-to-door outreach and canvassing, or helping to lobby local and state government. Please contact the coalition if you would like to participate in any of these efforts.
  • The Yale Medical Campus Traffic Safety Group is continuing with its campaign to improve pedestrian safety around the medical campus.
  • Separately from these efforts, a significant number of alumni, students and staff have written a number of editorials and op-eds in the Yale Daily News and Yale Alumni Magazine regarding traffic safety issues, and have scheduled a meeting with the Yale administration to address their concerns. Please see the September 12th update for examples.
STATE AND NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE AGENDA:
LOBBYISTS NEEDED
  • While the New Haven Safe Streets Coalition will continue to focus exclusively on its requests in the New Haven Petition for Safe Streets, some of our members will be rallying around state-level issues such as changes to enforcement laws, ticket revenue streams, red light cameras, pedestrian safety, DOT policies and road funding.
  • Coalition members are currently formulating this legislative agenda, in partnership with other groups around the state, and welcome any assistance. Specifically, we are looking to appoint lobbyists who are willing to do some background research, and can help spearhead each of these requests by keeping them on a schedule and reaching out to other groups and elected representatives. No experience is required!
  • At the national level, thousands of national advocates for traffic safety, smart growth, and "complete streets" have rallied around the T4America campaign, which launched this past week through a series of public events. The campaign seeks to bring America's transportation network into the 21st century and reduce our dependence on imported petroleum. Please visit http://www.t4america.org/ to learn more and sign up.
ENDING DRAG RACING AT LONG WHARF
TRAFFIC CALMING AT LEXINGTON AVENUE AND OTHER STREETS
  • New Haven's Department of Transportation, Traffic & Parking has begun designing and deploying inexpensive traffic calming "speed humps" at various locations throughout the city in order to reduce speed on residential streets known to have speeding problems. The measures are widely used along 15 and 20 mph-zoned residential streets in nearby towns and cities such as Darien, CT, and are highly effective at controlling traffic speeds without any risk of liability or need for enforcement resources.
UPCOMING EVENTS
  • October 23: Regional Plan Association (RPA) Mayors Institute on Transit Centered Development. The ConnDOT and NYSDOT Commissioners are both speaking at this regional event, being held this year at Yale University. RSVPs to the RPA are required.
  • November 13: The 1000 Friends of Connecticut's 2nd Annual Statewide Smart Growth Conference is being held at the Omni Hotel in New Haven. Last year, over 400 legislators, planners, developers and other "smart growth" advocates attended this event. This year, the event will feature more lectures and panels focused on how to improve mass transit and create "complete streets." Registration is required.
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Safe Streets Update 102108

Created October 21, 2008 by Mark Abraham / DNH
Edited November 19, 2008 by Mark Abraham / DNH (view changes)

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