CTrides Encourages Carpooling, Mass Transit with Attractive Benefits and Savings

/

Here’s a sit-up-and-take-notice statistic:  if you commute 20 miles a day (one-way) to work, it can cost $7,000 a year – and by deciding to carpool, commuters can cut that cost in half. So, how exactly does one find a carpool buddy?  Incredible as it may seem, the government is here to help.  The Connecticut Department of Transportation (ConnDOT) has developed commuter services designed to meet the needs of commuters and employers.  CTrides is the network of employer and employee support programs that endorse a variety of alternatives to driving alone - carpooling, vanpooling, riding the bus and train or telecommuting - resulting in improved air quality, reduced traffic congestion and a better quality of life for all.  Not to mention the potential to save consumers money.

If you would like to figure out just how much you might save, well, there’s an app for that, sort of.  The CTrides website has a link where you can punch in the numbers and come away with estimated savings.

Working with employers across the state (103 employers signed up so far), CTrides seeks to improve commuter mobility to help sustain the growth and vitality of the state’s economy and make the state more competitive in the employment marketplace.  Since the CT Rides initiative was launched – less than a year ago – the number of people taking advantage of ride-matching and ride-sharing is substantial.

The Nuride program, for example, has seen 670 Nuriders pre-register since October 2011. They are using the website to locate carpool candidates, and tracking all of their “green” commuting to earn rewards, at locations such as Barnes & Noble, Applebee’s and Mystic Aquarium.   To date, the Nuriders have saved an estimated $136,919 in commuting costs.  Nuride is offered in seven areas of the country, including Connecticut.  The others are Houston, the District of Columbia, Richmond and Hampton Roads, VA, and Massachusetts.

Officials also point out that there are tax benefits to the CTrides program.  Federal law allows tax savings for commuters who travel to work by train, bus or vanpool. An employer sets up a program (with the help of a CTrides representative) that allows an employee to set aside up to $125 per month of salary before taxes to pay for transit or vanpool fares. An employee may also set aside up to $240 per month for qualified parking. Tax savings, officials report, can be more than $800 a year.

For those hesitant to give up their vehicles, there is even a free trial ride offer.  ConnDOT is offering commuters a free trial ride to work on state-subsidized buses and existing Easy Street® vanpool routes with available seats. The free trial ride consists of a 10-trip bus pass or a free week using an Easy Street® vanpool.

For information, CTrides can be contacted at 1-877-CTrides (1-877-287-4337).

Young Entrepreneurs Confident Their Businesses Will Thrive; New Competition Starts

/

Expectations for the U.S. economy declined overall, but there is a significant optimism gap between older entrepreneurs and those between the ages of 18 and 40, according to the third-quarter Kauffman/LegalZoom Startup Confidence Index, compiled by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and LegalZoom.  Specifically,  98 percent of the 18- to 30-year-olds and 83 percent of the 31- to 40-year-olds are confident or very confident that their businesses will realize greater profitability in the next 12 months. Overall, almost 40 percent of startup owners now believe the economy will deteriorate over the next 12 months, an increase from 36 percent in the second-quarter survey and 31 percent in the first-quarter survey. Entrepreneurs who were somewhat confident in future profitability fell from 43 percent in second quarter to 40 percent in the third-quarter survey, and those who lacked confidence in improved profitability edged up from 18 percent to 21 percent.

However, 30 percent of startup owners said they plan to hire additional staff in 2012, a slight decrease from 33 percent in the March survey.  Representatives of Kauffman said that state-by-state breakdowns of the data were not available because the sample size would be too small to be statistically significant.

A week ago, Connecticut headquartered Pitney Bowes Inc. launched the Pitney Bowes Entrepreneurial Competition, an innovation-focused contest targeting startup and entrepreneurial organizations. The Company also announced its participation in the sponsorship program conducted by the Stamford Innovation Center, which provides startup-centric programs to accelerate entrepreneurial efforts.

The Pitney Bowes Entrepreneurial Competition is designed to identify and drive the development of growth businesses that can leverage three of the Company's technology areas: Spectrum(R) Spatial analytics and location intelligence; the secure evidencing platform; and the Connect+(R) web-enabled digital envelope and mail printing system.

Winners of the Entrepreneurial Competition will receive one year free utilization of office space and internet access in Pitney Bowes's world headquarters, located in Stamford, Conn.;  access to the three aforementioned Pitney Bowes technology platforms corresponding to their submission, including Pitney Bowes' technical and business expertise; and an introduction and access to the Stamford Innovation Center, and their mentoring and coaching services.

The Pitney Bowes Entrepreneurial Competition runs through September 7, 2012. Information is available at www.pb.com/competition .

More Young Adults Living With Parents in Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk Than Anywhere in USA

/

Battered by the economics of the Great Recession, an increasing number of young adults are taking longer to leave home or are returning to life with mom and dad after having previously moved out.  Those are the findings of a new national study, by the US2010 Project.  In reviewing the 100 largest municipal regions in the nation, the study found that Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk was home to the highest percentage of young people living with parents (34 percent).  The region also had one of the lowest percent married (only 29 percent) and one of the highest percent unemployed (8 percent) among 25-29-year-olds.  Its median income was not among the lowest but the cost of living is relatively high because of its proximity to New York City, the report said.  Also making the top ten in the percentage of young adults living back at their parents home, with similar demographics, were New York, Los Angeles, El Paso, Wilkes Barre/Scranton and Miami.

The examination of the 10 metropolitan areas with the highest percentage living with parents revealed several common factors:  high unemployment rates, low marriage rates, low median income and more young adults with a high school education or less and fewer with a college education or more, and a larger share who are either Latino or Asian.

Nationally, the number of young adults ages 20 to 34 who lived with their parents jumped from 17 percent in 1980 to 24percent in 2007-09, the period of the study (and the Great Recession).  As reported in USA Today, the study found that the rise was sharpest among those under 25 – a new high of 43 percent vs. 32 percent in 1980.  The only segment not affected:  young adults with graduate degrees.

The report noted that delays in marriage were a contributing factor in the findings, but the economic impact of the recession was the central driving force behind the numbers.

 

New Focus on Attracting Sports Tournaments, Conventions to CT

/

The newly formed Connecticut Convention and Sports Bureau (CCSB), which brings together the former Greater Hartford Convention and Visitors Bureau and the State Department of Economic and Community Development - now with  oversight responsibility for state tourism programs - could be the key for a renewed effort to attract events to the state.  The convention and sports bureau is a private, nonprofit agency, funded by $1.3 million in state funds, with  a 40-member sports advisory board, already established by state law.  An op-ed in The Hartford Courant Sunday proposed a reinvigorated effort to attract sports-related tournaments and conventions, including use of state natives whose athletic success has been noteworthy (such as NHL Conn Smythe winner Jonathan Quick of Hamden).   Also in the news:  AEG Facilities’ Chuck Steedman, Senior Vice President & General Manager of the XL Center, has been appointed to the Executive Committee of the CCSB and the Chair of the commission’s sports marketing arm.  And a longtime activist in encouraging sporting events in the state, Jay Sloves of the marketing firm Elkinson & Sloves, was among those receiving recognition in the final awards ceremony of the GHCVB last month.  Also recognized were Robert J. Martino of the law firm of Updike, Kelly & Spellacy, P.C. and Neletta Cochrane of CTTransit.

New Website Spurs Action by U.S. Senator on Mortgage Aid Fraud Claim

/

The ranks of state news websites grew by one more in Connecticut with the recent launch of ctlatinonews.com, with former WFSB-TV reporter Diane Alverio among the organizers of the initiative.  The demographics of the niche being sought by the new web site were immediately understandable:  of 3,577,000 residents in Connecticut, 482,000 identify themselves as Hispanic and almost 75 percent of them were born in the U.S. Within weeks of getting underway, the site is not only reporting news, it is making news happen as well. In response to reporting earlier this week about a New Britain resident who is facing foreclosure of his home and possible eviction this week - allegedly due to mortgage aid fraud by a California-based business - U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal is calling on the Federal Trade Commission to begin an investigation into the company.  Blumenthal’s office will also be contacting Wells Fargo, which held the homeowners’ mortgage, to seek a stay of execution on the eviction notice.

In launching the news site, ctlatinonews.com said its audience focus would be the increasingly growing, under-served Latino market that is English dominant, citing 2010 U.S. Census data that reported among Hispanics living in Connecticut and employed here, there are:

  • 127,000 in the IT and financial services sector
  • 45,000 in management or professional positions
  • 60,000 in service industries

Their audience also includes, apparently, at least one United States Senator.

Workshops to Detail New State Grants for Towns Improving Commercial Centers

/

Legislation approved earlier this year created the Main Street Investment Fund Program, which will provide grants of up to $500,000 to eligible municipalities (under 30,000 population) that have approved plans to develop or improve their town's commercial centers. The Main Street Investment Fund Program is administered by the Office of Policy and Management (OPM) through an application process. Connecticut Main Street Center (CMSC), in collaboration with OPM, is holding a series of workshops to provide information on this program, including who may apply and project eligibility requirements. These workshops will be held around the State during the week of July 30, and are open to municipalities, town officials, economic development professionals and others interested in this program.

Eligible projects are those that are part of a plan (such as a Town Commercial Center Plan) previously approved by the governing body of the municipality to develop or improve town commercial centers are eligible. These plans should include strategies/improvements to attract small businesses, promote commercial viability, and improve aesthetics and pedestrian access.  The funds can be used for signage, lighting, landscaping, architectural features and cosmetic and structural exterior building improvement.

Additional information and registration is available at www.ctmainstreet.org  Towns must submit applications for the grants by September 28, 2012.

Innovative Teen Research to Focus on Food Justice, Impact on Health

/

What are the connections between urban youth and nutrition?  Does the lack of easy access to high quality, nutritional food and the abundance of less healthy food sources impact the health and well-being of people in our cities – especially children – and contribute to chronic health problems such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and asthma? The Hartford-based Institute for Community Research (ICR) is launching an innovative research project to find out – with area teens learning how to conduct the research, then asking the questions and compiling the data, and then coming forward to advocate solutions based on their research.

“Food Fight! A Teen Participatory Action Research Project to promote an Equitable Food System,” is a collaboration with Hartford Food System (HFS) and ICR.   The project is the first of its kind in New England to involve youth in Participatory Action Research (PAR) for food justice.  It will increase teens knowledge of the subject, encourage leadership and critical thinking, and provide the tools necessary to identify problems in the community and seek appropriate solutions.

Over five weeks, beginning July 16 and continuing through August 17, about a dozen teens in the ICR program will learn about food justice, global/local food systems, and the challenges of producing and making nutritious inexpensive food available in urban areas. They will develop their own research questions focusing on food availability and accessibility. Using participatory research methodology such as systematic observation, pile sorting, surveying, in-depth interviewing, videography and photography, they will collect data reflecting problems in food availability, accessibility, affordability and quality and develop solutions to address these issues.

The teens trained at ICR in PAR methods will join forces with teens in the HFS summer programs who will be learning how to produce nutritious food for local consumption.  A $10,000 grant from The Perrin Family Foundation is funding the food justice project. Food justice seeks to ensure that the benefits and risks of where, what, and how food is grown, produced, transported, distributed, accessed and eaten are shared fairly across society.

As the initiative unfolds, teens will become advocates for food justice in their communities. At the end of the summer they will present their results to other Hartford youth, the public, and policymakers as a way to use the data collected to contribute to positive changes in the Hartford food environment.

The Institute for Community Research is a not-for-profit organization that conducts community-based research to reduce inequities, promote positive changes in public health and education.  ICR celebrates it’s 25th anniversary in October.  Hartford Food System is a not-for-profit that focuses on fighting hunger and improving nutrition in Hartford’s low income neighborhoods.  The Perrin Family Foundation is committed to providing equal opportunities for children and young adults to lead safe, productive and creative lives.

 

Federal Arts Funds Provide Critical Revenue for Municipalities

/

Connecticut communities seeking grant funds from the National Endowment for the Arts to fund local projects are frequently looking around the corner for the next approaching deadline to file grant applications.  The challenging economy that has reduced funding from various sources, which makes the NEA funds more imperative than ever. If past is prologue, at look at where some of NEA’s money in Connecticut was awarded in 2012 is worth a look as applications are submitted this summer for funding to be decided, and awarded,  next year.

Two categories worth a look:

Art Works I/Challenge America Fast-Track Grants/Literature Fellowships (Prose)

Number of Grants: 15          Total Amount: $384,000

Art Works II/Arts in Media/Partnerships

Number of Grants: 14          Total Amount: $1,152,100

Among the largest local grants was $50,000 to the New Haven International Festival of Arts & Ideas, which just concluded its two-week run in New Haven.  The NEA website includes a podcast presentation explaining the federal agency’s grant process, for communities interested in learning more.

Hartford's Way Forward: Blue, Green and Walkable

/

Hartford’s status as one of the nation’s most promising triple-threat cities of the 21st century will be on full display in the coming months.  EnvisionFest in September and Riverfront Recapture’s annual Big Mo’ Block Party in  October will celebrate  a city where (1) America’s first National Blueway meets the (2) Greenway of one of the nation’s (3) most walkable cities. First National Blueway

This spring, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar established a National Blueways System and announced that the 410-mile-long Connecticut River and its 7.2 million-acre watershed will be the first National Blueway— covering areas of Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Connecticut.  In ceremonies at Riverside Park in Hartford, Salazar said that partnerships along the Connecticut River provide an example for the rest of the nation.

"The Connecticut River Watershed is a model for how communities can integrate their land and water stewardship efforts with an emphasis on 'source-to-sea' watershed conservation," he said. "I am pleased to recognize the Connecticut River and its watershed with the first National Blueway designation as we seek to fulfill President Obama's vision for healthy and accessible rivers that are the lifeblood of our communities and power our economies."

The new National Blueways System is part of the America's Great Outdoors Initiative to establish a community-driven conservation and recreation agenda for the 21st century. Establishment of a National Blueways System will help coordinate federal, state, and local partners to promote best practices, share information and resources, and encourage active and collaborative stewardship of rivers and their watersheds across the country.

Walkable City

Earlier this year, Prevention magazine rated Hartford as the #13 most walkable city in the nation, stating that “Car-free recreation is one of the city's selling points—and proof that it's taken full advantage of state funding for safer, better pedestrian access. From wide promenades to intersections that take pedestrians out of the periphery and into easy view, Hartford is more walker-friendly than ever.”

The designation also noted that walkers can “Hop between attractions like the Riverfront and the Arts and Entertainment District, as well as the city's abundant parks—and know that you're never going to ‘run out’ of sidewalk, or safe places to cross.”

First EnvisionFest is September 29

Those features will be on prominent display on September29 during EnvisionFest, Hartford’s newest celebratory event that is being designed to showcase and celebrate the ingenuity of the city’s and state’s industries, artists and people, providing a glimpse of the city’s future by encouraging people to experience the recently developed iQuilt Plan through walking, culture and innovation.

Hartford cultural institutions, Connecticut industries and artists will celebrate their vision of the future through interactive displays, exhibits, performances and activities in open houses and public spaces throughout downtown, all connected through walking and biking routes.

iQuilt Greenway

The iQuilt vision will be displayed on September 29 along the GreenWalk, along with sidewalk activities and prototypes of seating, lighting and signage. Walking throughout downtown will bring you to various Hartford destinations connected with food, drink, music, artists and activities.

Downtown Hartford is an unusually compact historic district packed with more than 45 cultural assets and destinations within a 15-minute walk: museums, performance spaces, historic landmarks, modern architecture, and public art.  The iQuilt Plan links those assets with a vibrant and innovative pedestrian network. Its centerpiece is the GreenWalk, a one-mile chain of parks and plazas connecting the gold-domed Capitol in Bushnell Park to the waterfront of the Connecticut River.

Walk the Walk(s)

Riverfront Recapture is a non-profit organization dedicated for three decades to restoring public access to the riverfront along the Connecticut River in Hartford and East Hartford.  It's annual Big Mo fundraiser on October 12 will mark the 10th anniversary of the Riverfront Boathouse in Hartford.  The organization’s four parks, which cover four miles of pristine shoreline and 148 acres, are connected by a growing network of riverwalks.  In addition to physically constructing the parks, Riverfront Recapture is also responsible for managing, maintaining and programming the parks, producing events and offering activities. In 2010, Riverfront Recapture set an attendance record with more than 960,000 people coming the Riverfront to enjoy the parks and the many festivals, concerts, and sporting events.

Green Jobs Growing in Connecticut, Led by Transportation

/

The transportation and warehousing industry is Connecticut’s largest employer of green jobs, according to data  complied by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).  Connecticut had 39,207 green jobs in 2010, the first year statistics were available. This represents 2.5 percent of the state workforce, slightly better than the national average of 2.4 percent, according to the BLS data as reported by the Hartford Business Journal. Connecticut’s largest green private sector is transportation and warehousing with 8,238 jobs, followed by manufacturing with 5,071; then administrative and waste services with 4,764; professional, scientific and technical services with 3,443; and utilities with 3,215.  BLS limited data to jobs in businesses producing goods and providing services that benefit the environment or conserve resources.

In 2010, Connecticut had 2,932 green construction jobs, according to BLS. The state government predicts that will grow to 22,602 over the next 10 years with green construction investment more than $1 billion annually. Examples of green jobs in the transportation sector include bus drivers, taxi drivers and employees of transit systems such as CT Transit. Green jobs in the utilities include those working at nuclear power plants, such as the Millstone Power Station in Waterford.