To Combat Teen Driving Deaths, Video Contest Theme is “Could This Be You?”

The problem is not surprising, but the solution remains elusive.  Young drivers account for a disproportionate number of motor vehicle crashes and these crashes are the leading cause of death for this age group. In fact, the risk of motor vehicle crashes is higher among 16-to 19-year-olds than among any other age group. Data indicate that per mile driven, teen drivers ages 16 to 19 are nearly three times more likely than drivers aged 20 and older to be in a fatal crash, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Fatal crashes involving teen drivers jumped 10 percent between 2014 and 2015, the most recent year-to-year data available, according to a report by the Governors Highway Safety Association.

In an ongoing effort to reduce those numbers in Connecticut and better alert teens and their parents of the dangers, the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles and Travelers are once again launching their annual Teen Safe Driving Video contest for high school students.

The theme this year is: “Teen Safe Driver: Could This Be You? Every Second Matters.” The stated goal is to create peer-to-peer education and influence about developing safe driving habits. A panel of judges comprised of safety advocates, health experts, and state officials will select the winners.  Entries are due by December 15, 2017.  Travelers will award up to $26,000 in cash prizes to the winning students and their high schools.

The theme of this year’s contest calls for video submissions showing positive examples of how to prevent tragedies, crashes, injuries and deaths. Studies have shown that positive influences can have the most effect on changing behavior.

“We fully support the Connecticut DMV’s program that educates teens about the importance of safe driving,” said Michael Klein, executive vice president, and president of Personal Insurance at Travelers. “Teenagers talking to other teenagers about good driving habits can carry more weight, and we hope the contest sparks conversation and encourages young drivers to take precautions behind the wheel.”

“This year’s theme calls attention to the great responsibilities teen drivers have, the challenges they face when getting behind the wheel and how to create a positive outcome that promotes safety,” said DMV Commissioner Michael Bzdyra. “Each year the contest generates amazing work by students across the state, and we want the new theme to inspire the creative juices of students to promote safe driving.”

The contest is open to all public, private, and home-schooled high school students in Connecticut. Submissions must be submitted electronically or postmarked no later than December 15, 2017.  Travelers will award up to $26,000 in cash prizes to the winning students and their high schools. In addition, a cash prize of $1,000 will go to the school with the video showing the best multicultural message, which has been underwritten by Yale-New Haven Children’s Hospital.

The requirements for submissions include:

• PSA must be no longer than forty-five (:45) seconds in length. • It must demonstrate the theme: “Teen Safe Driver: Could This Be You? Every Second Matters.” • PSA must show on it the hashtag  #CouldThisBeYou • It must also address two specific teen driving laws. • The PSA must have a multicultural or diversity component because driving involves teens from all backgrounds, including race, color, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, disability, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, culture, etc.  Bi-lingual/multi-cultural videos are welcomed and encouraged. • Teams of students are limited to a maximum of 5 members, including the student director. • The PSA must feature at least two teens, along with any other teens or adults considered necessary for the creative safety message.

Other promotional contest partners include the Connecticut Police Chiefs Association; the Connecticut Association of Schools (CAS); AAA; the Connecticut State Police; Mourning Parents Act (!MPACT); the Connecticut Children's Medical Center; Yale-New Haven Children's Hospital; Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center; the Connecticut Emergency Nurses Association; the state Department of Public Health; the state Department of Insurance; the state Department of Transportation; the state Department of Education; and the state Division of Criminal Justice.

A group of 18 student advisors to the Connecticut DMV helped create the theme focused on the teen driver because that single person can control the fate of himself or herself, as well as others, in the vehicle. Often their fate rests on whether they follow the rules of the road with responsible decision making, safe driving and by obeying state laws, especially those aimed at 16- and 17-year-old drivers.

Student advisors who worked on the project are Kenny Bigos of Suffield High School; Taurean Brown and Salma Tapkirwala, both of the Sport and Medical Science Academy in Hartford; Michael Dellaripa, Roham Hussain and Connor Silbo, all of Xavier High School in Middletown; Jalen Fontanez of East Hartford High School; Samantha Getsie of Berlin High School; Madison Massaro-Cook of Newington High School; Alex Proscino and Daniela Violano of Hamden High School; Esha Shrivastav of Kingswood-Oxford in West Hartford; Tess Chang and Rachel Saal of Hall High School in West Hartford; Maggie Silbo of Mercy High School in Middletown; Cole Wolkner and Evan Wolkner of Farmington High School; and Emma Zaleski of Wethersfield High School.

The complete set of rules can be found at http://ct.gov/teendriving/contest.   Past contest winners can be found on YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/teensafedriving12.  Since the annual contest began more than a decade ago, nearly 3,500 students across the state have participated, representing more than 100 high schools. More information about the contest can be found at http://ct.gov/teendriving/contest.

Connecticut Among Leaders in Addressing Cyberbullying, Bullying Among Youth

Connecticut's anti-bullying laws and relatively low number of reported cyberbullying incidents have earned it a spot as one of the top three safest states from cyberbullying, according to a new national survey.   Nationwide at least 34 percent of kids have been cyberbullied, but the precise percentages vary from state to state. A new survey developed by Frontier Communications, marking Child Safety & Prevention Month, assesses the relative safety across the nation.  Based on an analysis of six weighted factors (including school sanctions for cyberbullying, existing state bullying laws, school discipline for off-campus behavior, and the percentage of students in grades 9–12 that have reported being cyberbullied), ten states are said to be addressing the issue head on: Florida, Arkansas, Tennessee, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Washington, DC.

In contrast, Washington, Oregon, Montana, Utah, Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Ohio provide the fewest legal protections against cyberbullying. For example, most of these states don’t have a specific state statute that allows schools to discipline students for off-campus behavior, according to the survey analysis.

The U.S. Department of Health (DOH) defines bullying as repeated “unwanted, aggressive behavior among school children that involves a real or perceived imbalance.” Bullying can involve making threats, spreading rumors, physically attacking someone, or purposely excluding someone from an activity.

Bullying and cyberbullying are major problems - over 3 million students are bullied every year, which contributes to over 160,000 days of absences by students from school, according to Derek Peterson, CEO of Digital Fly, a technology company based on Long Island.

“This is bad for the student, schools, communities, states and our nation,” he said, emphasizing that states have the ability to lead, create policies for reporting, tracking, educating, preventing and punishing those involved in bullying and cyber bullying.

Connecticut’s “An Act Concerning the Strengthening of School Bullying Laws,” Senate Bill 1138 signed into law in 2011, defines "Cyberbullying" as any act of bullying through the use of the Internet, interactive and digital technologies, cellular mobile telephone or other mobile electronic devices or any electronic communications…” The law states that school policies must “include provisions addressing bullying outside of the school setting if such bullying (A) creates a hostile environment at school for the victim, (B) infringes on the rights of the victim at school, or (C) substantially disrupts the education process or the orderly operation of a school…”

Testifying in support of the Connecticut legislation, state Victim Advocate Michelle Cruz said “we now know the long lasting and devastating effects that bullying behavior can have on victims, bystanders and even bullies.”  She cited a study by the Family and Work Institute that reported one-third of children are bullied at least once a month, while six out of ten teens witnessed bullying at least once a day.

Attorney General George Jepsen noted that “Students no longer have the refuge of home.  Technology makes students easily accessible through cell phones, social networking sites, and online gaming systems long after school closes.”  In advocating for the legislation, he said efforts must aim to prevent school from being a “hostile environment for the student” that “impacts their ability to learn and thrive.”  And, he added, those efforts must continue when the student leaves the school building.

The DOH defines cyberbullying as “bullying that takes place over digital devices like cell phones, computers, and tablets” and can include any number of activities:

• Spreading rumors online or through texts
• Posting hurtful or threatening messages on social networking sites or web pages
• Posting a mean or hurtful video or picture
• Pretending to be someone else online to hurt another person
• Taking unflattering pictures of a person and sharing them online
• Sexting, or circulating sexually suggestive pictures or messages about a person

Recent statistics show that more than a third of children and teens have experienced cyberbullying, according to the Frontier analysis.  Data is available from the National Center for Education Statistics and the Cyberbullying Research Center.

Cybercrime Attacks on CT Residents, Businesses Ranked Midway Among States

Connecticut is among the 25 states that have seen residents lose the most as targets of criminal activity on Cyber Monday, the busiest on-line day of the year, according to a new analysis released just before this year’s edition of the annual on-line shopping spree known as CyberMonday. OpenVPN, Inc. released details on a groundbreaking study that ranks how age, sex and where an individual lives could predict their likelihood to become a target of criminal activity on Cyber Monday.

"Connecticut is generally thought of as a very safe state with low crime rates. That's the unique thing about cybercrime and identity theft - you can live in the nicest house on the block and still be very vulnerable," says Francis Dinha, CEO of OpenVPN.

California is ranked the worst state in the country for total reported cybercrimes, fraud, and identity theft per capita in 2015 and 2016.  Connecticut was the 21^st worst in the analysis, just about in the middle of the pack.

The study data was culled from the FBI’s IC3, or Internet Crime Complaint Center, as well as the federal government’s Consumer Sentinel Network (CNS) databases.

In 2016, the state’s residents lost $6,960,531 total to internet crime, an average of $2,734.98 per person. Overall, 28,595 state residents reported cybercrime of some sort in 2016 — mainly men and people in their 50’s, the study found. Internet crime complaints totaled 2,545, total fraud complaints reached 21,117 and identity theft complaints totaled 4,933, according to the data compiled.

"Connecticut follows national trends in that more men than women are victimized, and older individuals have been more deeply affected,” Dinha added.  “OpenVPN encourages all Connecticut citizens to educate themselves about how cybercriminals gain access to private information and stay safe this Cyber Monday."

“What came as a surprise in this report,” said Gary McCloud, VP of Business Development for OpenVPN, “Is that men actually fall victim to cybercrime 75 percent more often than women.”

Men and women have different shopping habits. The study noted that men actually spend more than women online, so that fact alone may the reason men fell victim to cybercrime more often to women - and may continue to do so. In fact, men fell victim to cybercrime more 75 percent more often than women—falling victim in 38 of America’s 50 states – including Connecticut - and Washington D.C.

The state’s male ranking is seventh worst among the states, female ranking is fourteenth worst.  By age group, the state’s best showing is among those age 20-29, ranking Connecticut 28^th among the states; the worst showing, a ranking of 13^th, in the 50-59 year old age group.

The safest states cited in the study include South Dakota, North Dakota, West Virginia and Maine, with Vermont ranking as the safest at #51.  The worst states were California, Florida, Nevada, Texas, New Mexico, New York, Arizona and Virginia.

All 50 states and the District of Columbia were ranked from most to least total victims of cybercrime, equally weighted per 100,000 people for the total number of internet crime victims, fraud victims, and identity theft victims.  The study also took into account the average dollar loss per victim of internet crime and average dollar loss per victim of fraud.

Among the recommendations to improve safety and deter cybercrime:

1. Do NOT use a public wifi signal unless you have a Virtual Private Network (VPN) which will encrypt information on your computer, hiding it from online predators.
2. If shopping from home, make certain your home wifi signal is password-protected. Otherwise, someone simply driving down the street could access the private information on your computer.
3. When shopping online, look for verification you’re on a secured site. This may be something as simple as a padlock in your internet window.
4. When possible, use a credit card as opposed to a debit card which is linked directly to your bank account.

All of the data used for total cybercrime compilations based on age and gender was pulled from the 2015 FBI crime database; 2016 was not available.

Local Foundation Receives Major Grant to Expand Suicide-Prevention Program Nationally

The Hartford-based Jordan Porco Foundation has been selected as one of 13 non-profit organizations to receive a $100,000 grant from the Alkermes Inspiration Grants program. The grant will support Fresh Check Day, which is an uplifting mental health fair that builds a campus community around mental health and suicide prevention through engaging peer-to-peer education. Fresh Check Day, the foundation’s signature program, creates an approachable atmosphere where students are encouraged to engage in dialogues about mental health, and it helps to build a bridge between students and the mental health resources that exist on campus, in the community, and on a national level. Research supports that peer-to-peer education is one of the most effective ways to educate students, especially when the subject is suicide and mental health.

Since the first event in 2012, Fresh Check Day has grown exponentially, expanding throughout Connecticut, New England and nationwide.  There are now 26 colleges and universities in Connecticut that offer the program, and nearly 150 schools in 37 states.

“We are thankful to be awarded this grant in support of our signature program, Fresh Check Day. It helps in our national expansion and efforts to reach more young adults with our critical message of hope,” said Marisa Giarnella-Porco, President and CEO of the Jordan Porco Foundation.

The mission of the Jordan Porco Foundation, a 501(c) (3) public charity, is to prevent suicide, promote mental health, and create a message of hope for young adults. They accomplish this by providing engaging and uplifting peer-run programs. Their programs strive to start a conversation about mental health that reduces stigma while encouraging help-seeking and supportive behaviors.

“Addiction and mental illness affect millions of people and their families every day, and require an integrated approach to treatment that is scalable in communities across the country,” said Richard Pops, Chief Executive Officer of Alkermes. “Medicines play a role, but importantly, it is the innovative programs, like the Jordan Porco Foundation, designed to support people affected by these diseases and led by passionate leaders on the front lines that will ignite sustainable and meaningful change for patients.”

The primary goals of Fresh Check Day are to:

• Increase awareness of mental health resources and services available to students
• Challenge stigma and misconceptions around mental health and suicide that often deter individuals from seeking help
• Empower peers to be gatekeepers by understanding warning signs and knowing what to do if a friend is exhibiting signs of suicide or a mental health concern
• Increase willingness to ask for help if experiencing emotional distress

Now in its second year, Alkermes Inspiration Grants focuses on two key areas: improving or enhancing support or resources for people affected by mental health concerns or substance use disorder, and/or integrating the perspective of people affected by mental health concerns or addiction into drug development or care delivery. Alkermes is a global biopharmaceutical company with a “steadfast commitment” to developing innovative medicines for central nervous system (CNS) diseases.  The company has facilities in Ireland and the United States.

https://youtu.be/z_AQ5LJgVnQ

The Worst Is Yet to Come: More Hurricanes Headed Our Way

Expect more hurricanes in Connecticut, New England and the New York metropolitan area. That’s the take-away from an article published by the scientific website Massive by a fourth-year PhD student at Oregon State University researching microbial ecology.  Michael Graw draws on a new study, led by climate scientists Andra Garner from Rutgers University’s Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences and David Pollard from Penn State’s Earth and Environmental Systems Institute, that found that “climate change might be having an additional, unexpected effect on hurricanes: they’re moving north, bound increasingly often for northern New England rather than the mid-Atlantic states.”

The article points out that “the connection between climate change and hurricanes has become hard for anyone to ignore.”

The research by Garner and Pollard, Graw points out, indicates that only eight hurricanes in the last century have made landfall on the New England coast.  That is in the process of changing.  He recalls that “Sandy infamously ravaged the Connecticut coastline and caused $360 million in damages,” adding that “with the effects of potential future storms amplified by sea level rise and even higher wind speeds, that destruction could increase sharply from the next major storm.”

Commenting on the article, Anna Robuck, a Ph.D. student at the Graduate School of Oceanography at the University of Rhode Island, points out that “New England climate is noticeably in flux; the Northeast U.S. has experienced a 70 percent increase in heavy precipitation events between 1958 and 2010.”  She warns that “public awareness regarding risks associated with extreme weather and climate change has yet to fully embrace the implications climatic shifts holds for the region."

Graw also points out that a research team led by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration “looked at tropical storm tracks around the globe for the past 30 years, finding that tropical storms have slowly been shifting poleward in their respective hemispheres.”  He concludes that “this suggests that climate change is disrupting the balance of atmospheric pressure between land and ocean.”

The result of the shifts?  Increasing likelihood of New England-bound hurricanes.

A handful of hurricanes in the region are in the history books, but also still linger in many memories.  The Great Hurricane of 1938 is renowned for the damage it caused, and is often considered the worst hurricane in New England history.  Other notable hurricanes occurred in 1954, 1955, 1985, 1991, 2011 - and 2012.  That year’s Superstorm Sandy was the second-costliest hurricane in United States history, with New York, New Jersey and Connecticut absorbing the worst of the storm.

Two weeks ago, Governor Dannel P. Malloy and officials from across state government  highlighted the progress made over the last several years to strengthen resiliency and harden infrastructure from future potential storms, as severe weather has continued to severely impact our nation.  On the fifth anniversary of Superstorm Sandy, officials said that while the state has "made significant progress on these fronts, more needs to be done to combat the impact of climate change, which has resulted in an increase in the frequency and power of storms."

Six state agencies - Housing, Economic Development, Labor, Transportation, Energy and Environmental Protection, and Emergency Services and Public Protection have each taken steps to initiative or strengthen preparedness and responsiveness in the event of another major storm.

"As the state continues to rebuild, we are doing so with the understanding that another storm of this magnitude could hit Connecticut again. Which is why we continue upgrading our infrastructure as well as rehabilitating and building homes that are more resilient to this type of storm," said state Housing Commissioner Evonne Klein.  Added state Transportation Commissioner James P. Redeker:  “Hardening Connecticut’s infrastructure – particularly our rail infrastructure which serves tens of thousands of people every day – has been a priority at the DOT for years now."

Gov. Malloy emphasized that the state has "taken a number of steps that are strengthening our resilience against future storms, including creating the nation’s first microgrid program, investing millions to hardening infrastructure along our shoreline to protect from flooding, designating thousands of acres of forest along our shoreline as open space that serve as a coastal buffer against storm waters, and we’ve made significant investments to protect housing in flood-prone areas.”

https://youtu.be/59IzWNOzzD8

CT Among States Most Vulnerable to Identity Theft and Fraud, Analysis Finds

Identity theft and Connecticut seem to go hand-in-hand, according to a new analysis of the prevalence of identity theft across the country. Connecticut ranked among the most vulnerable, at number 10 for identity theft and fraud and number 7 in identity theft complaints per capita. The credit-monitoring site WalletHub released a study this month identifying the states most vulnerable to identity theft and fraud. Analysts compared data for all 50 states and the District of Columbia across eight key metrics, ranging from identity theft complaints per capita to average amount lost due to fraud.

"Connecticut ranked #2 when it comes to Identity Theft in particular. It has the 2nd highest combined rate of identity theft complaints per capita and amount of losses per complaint (in dollars),  WalletHub Analyst Jill Gonzalez told CT by the Numbers. The data sets for the study included identity-theft complaints per capita and average loss amount due to fraud.

The most vulnerable top 10: California, Rhode island, Washington DC, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Texas, New York, and Connecticut.

WalletHub noted that according to the Identity Theft Resource Center’s most recent Data Breach Report, 2017 is on track to register the highest number of data breaches since the center began tracking them in 2005.  Major data breaches this year include Equifax, which potentially impacted more than 145 million Americans.

"The metrics which show truly alarming results in Connecticut's case are Identity Theft Complaints per 100,000 Residents (ranking 7th at 137.90) and Average Loss Amount Due to Online Identity Theft, calculated as the Total Reported Amount Paid / Total Number of Complaints Stating the Amount Stolen (ranking 5th at $12,174.48),” Gonzalez said.

A breakdown of the rankings found that Connecticut was:

• 7th in identity-theft complaints per capita
• 5th in average loss amount due to online identity theft
• 25th in fraud and other complaints per capita
• 23rd in state security-freeze laws for minors’ credit reports
• 24th in compliance with the REAL ID Act. The REAL ID Act establishes minimum security standards for license issuance and production.

The WalletHub analysis included three areas of data:  Identity Theft (47.5 points), Fraud (47.5 points) and Policy (5 points).

Among the policy measures, the state ranked tied for first in the Identity Theft Passport program metric.

"Identity Theft Passport programs help victims of identity theft reclaim their identity,” Gonzalez explained.  “When presented to a law-enforcement agency, for instance, an “identity-theft passport” allows a victim to prevent his or her arrest for offenses committed by an identity thief."

Data used to create the WalletHub ranking were collected from the Federal Trade Commission, Internet Crime Complaint Center, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Homeland Security and National Conference of State Legislatures.

Neighboring States Bring in Millions in Toll Revenue; CT Remains Toll Free

The Connecticut House of Representatives debated for nearly six hours the issue of reinstating tolls on Connecticut highways, but did not vote.  Connecticut remains a toll-free state, for residents and those driving through the state. How much money might the state receive in toll revenue if tolls were imposed?  The Office of Legislative Research, responding to a legislative inquiry, has surveyed neighboring states and issued a report this past week.

Toll revenue ranged from $20.4 million in FY 16 (Rhode Island) to $1.57 billion in calendar year 2016 (New Jersey), according to the legislature’s research office. In Massachusetts in FY2016, toll revenue was $395 million; in Maine $133.8 million in calendar year 2016; in New Hampshire a total of $130.7 million. 

The New York Thruway Authority and New Jersey Turnpike Authority each collect tolls on their respective highways, the Office of Legislative Research (OLR) report noted. In addition, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey collects tolls on its bridges and tunnels connecting those two states (the George Washington, Goethals, and Bayonne bridges, the Outerbridge Crossing, and the Lincoln and Holland tunnels). In calendar year 2016, the Port Authority collected $1.86 billion in toll revenue.

Tolls were eliminated by lawmakers more than three decades ago in 1983, following a horrific accident at the then-Stratford toll booths, in which six people were killed. The last Connecticut highway toll was paid at the Charter Oak Bridge in Hartford on April 28, 1989.

In their final year of operation in the mid-‘80’s, Connecticut Turnpike tolls brought the state $56.4 million, the Merritt and Wilbur Cross Parkways 11.3 million, and the three bridges in the Hartford area, $4.7 million, according to a previous OLR report issued in 2009.

Technology, however, has made traditional toll booths obsolete, and Massachusetts recently removed its toll booths, switching to an overhead electronic system – thus maintaining the revenue without extending the dangers and the highway back-ups inherent with the toll plazas.  Connecticut residents driving through Massachusetts on the MassPike have noticed the striking difference.

Despite projections of budget deficits in coming years, the legislature did not vote on imposing tolls as a means of raising revenue this year.    It was estimated that 30 percent of the tolls would be paid by out-of-state drivers and 70 percent by Connecticut residents.  Federal rules require that toll revenue from interstate highways must be used for maintenance or improvements on those highways.  The legislature’s Transportation Committee had voted 19-16 in favor of the tolls bill, which led to the House debate on the proposal.  It was pulled before a vote could be held.

The 2009 OLR Report also noted that according to annual data compiled by the Federal Highway Administration, in 2007 almost 32.5 percent of all the vehicle miles traveled (VMT) in Connecticut occurred on its Interstate highways. Nationally, only 24.4% percent of all VMT occurs on Interstate System. Connecticut's Interstate VMT percentage is higher than many other states, including, at the time, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.

The most recent OLR Report did not estimate what Connecticut might earn in toll revenue; it merely reported on the most recent earnings of neighboring states that impose tolls on their major roadways.

New Haven's “SeeClickFix” Selected by National Mag, Set to Host User Summit as Hurricane Residents Use Service

When Fast Company magazine developed a feature article entitled “United States of Innovation” for its most recent issue, they selected one business in each state to highlight.  Connecticut’s representative was SeeClickFix, a New Haven-based business that began a decade ago with a basic premise and has expanded steadily since. As Fast Company described it:  “A Help Desk for Citizens – New Haven resident Ben Berkowitz created the SeeClickFix app to allow locals to quickly report non-emergency issues (broken meters and streetlights, potholes, and even excessive noise from ice-cream trucks).  Officials can track, manage and reply within the app.  It has since expanded to some 300 municipalities across the country.”

There have been a total of more than 3 million “issues fixed” according to the SeeClickFix website, in communities including Chicago, Minneapolis, St. Petersburg, Detroit, Oakland, Albany, Albuquerque, Washington, D.C. Of particular interest this during the past two weeks - SeeClickFix in numerous Florida communities, and in Houston.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, the efforts with Houston instantly intensified.  Berkowitz said SeeClickFix has worked with the city of Houston and several of its neighboring suburbs since 2009, handling an estimated 30,000 residents.  Those numbers will likely jump when the totals for 2017 are tallied.  Berkowitz told CTNewsJunkie that will be especially true in the coming weeks as operations shift from emergency calls handled by police and other emergency personnel to calls that are SeeClickFix specialties, such as power outages, downed trees and other types of “more routine” assistance.

In Florida, St. Petersburg is among the 10 communities with SeeClickFix in operation, and the site is filled with reports of downed trees, storm debris, broken water mains, non-working street lights, and other hazards, with many accompanied by photos illustrating the danger or dilemma.  Other communities include Pinellas County (which includes Clearwater), Seminole, Gainsville, and Venice, which signed on a year ago.

The company’s website continues to proudly boast “Made in New Haven” and Berkowitz’ company profile explains “The inspiration for SeeClickFix came from a desire to improve his own community with his neighbors and his government.”

Even before the hurricane in Houston this year, the company's growth has continued, with the first city in Kentucky signing on recently, and communities in Georgia and Michigan also added.  A workshop, with municipal attendees from more than 80 communities, was held in Detroit.  Next, a SeeClickFix User Summit is scheduled for September 13 & 14 in New Haven.

Fast Company summed up “50 projects that are really making America great again” noting that “Change doesn’t have to happen from the top down” as the publication highlights “some of the most promising projects, initiatives, and companies that are springing up in every state of the union. Together, they present a portrait of the country today—its concerns and responses, and its enduring capacity for progress.”

Best Run Cities in USA? Not in Connecticut, Study Finds

A new analysis of the best run among the 150 largest cities in America shows that Connecticut’s three largest fail to make the top half of the list, with Bridgeport coming closest. Bridgeport is ranked #77, New Haven is #122, and Hartford ranked #145. 

In order to determine the best- and worst-run cities in America, WalletHub’s analysts compared 150 of the most populated cities across six key categories: 1) Financial Stability, 2) Education, 3) Health, 4) Safety, 5) Economy and 6) Infrastructure & Pollution.

The top ten best run cities are: Nampa, ID; Provo, UT; Boise, ID; Missoula, MT; Lexington, KY; Las Cruces, NM; Billings, MT; Bismarck, ND; Fort Wayne, IN and Louisville, KY.

For each city, the analysts constructed a “Quality of City Services” score – comprising 33 key performance indicators grouped into six service categories – that was then measured against the city’s total per-capita budget.  The website evaluated those dimensions using 33 relevant metrics, with each graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the highest quality of service.

In the “financial stability” ranking, only four cities ranked lower than Hartford, which was #146.  New Haven was #143 and Bridgeport #128 in that category.  In the education ranking, New Haven was #115, just ahead of Bridgeport at #116 and Hartford at #121.

Bridgeport reached the top ten nationally in the “health” category, at #8.  Hartford was #42 and New Haven #56.  The cities were again bunched toward the bottom of the list of 150 cities in the “economy” category, with Bridgeport at #142, New Haven #143 and Hartford #146.

Connecticut largest cities fared better in the “infrastructure and pollution” category, with Hartford ranked #36, New Haven #60, and Bridgeport lagging at #115.

New School Year Approaches Without Seat Belt Requirement on School Buses

June 7 was the final day of the regular legislative session in Connecticut.  It was also the day following the signing of a new law to require seat belts on school buses – in Nevada. Gov. Brian Sandoval signed legislation, approved overwhelmingly by his state’s legislature, which requires that any new school bus purchased by a school district on or after July 1, 2019, be equipped with a shoulder-harness-type safety belt assembly for passengers.

There was no similar bill signing in Connecticut.  Legislation that would have imposed a similar requirement in Connecticut, effective in 2022, failed to get out of the Transportation Committee after a public hearing months earlier.  The new school year approaches with no requirement in Connecticut, and no change in policy on the horizon, despite years of efforts.

Nevada joins only six other states — California, Florida, Louisiana, New Jersey, New York and Texas —in enacting laws requiring seat belts. In Louisiana and Texas, however, the requirements are contingent upon funds being appropriated by the state, which has yet to occur.

The Connecticut legislator leading the unsuccessful effort says cost, rather than safety, drove the result.

"While the bill did not get voted out of the Transportation Committee, it was given a public hearing and received some favorable comments from committee members,” Rep. Fred Camillo told CT by the Numbers this week.  “The main hold up continues to be funding, something that will take out of the box concepts as the state fiscal situation has not been resolved. I look forward to continuing the effort until our goal is achieved."

It has been elusive here, and elsewhere, despite a change in position by the National Highway Traffic Administration, more than a year ago.  The federal agency previously viewed school buses as safe without seat belts, because of their construction.  That changed in 2015.  Since then, as Connecticut’s Office of Legislative Research noted last year in a report to the legislature, “NHTSA has been exploring ways to make seat belts on schools buses a reality.”

The Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents testified against the measure, calling for approval to be “postponed” until a series of questions – ranging from the use of bus monitors to the cost of seat belt maintenance to district liability from unused seat belts – could be answered.

The Connecticut Association of Boards of Education (CABE) – representing local elected school boards across the state – also voiced their opposition at the January 30 public hearing.  CABE officials expressed concern about “years of busses” that would “need to be replaced or retrofitted.”  They also noted that lap belts “would not work best for 5-year-olds and 18-year-olds alike.”  In addition, questions were raised about students who might “unclick the belt” and the liability of bus drivers if they did.

Camillo initially proposed the bill in 2011 after a Rocky Hill student was killed in a school bus crash.   earlier this year, in March, after a school bus accident in Canterbury sent five students to the hospital, public discussion on the pending proposal was renewed, but the legislature did not take action.  “This accident today is just another reminder that we really need to do something regarding this issue. We don’t want to wait for another tragedy to occur,” Camillo told the Norwich Bulletin.  Later that month, five people were injured after a crash involving a school bus in North Haven.

Federal law doesn’t require seat belts on the “big yellow school buses” that most students ride, Stateline reported earlier this year. The buses are designed to protect riders through “compartmentalization,” structural safety features such as high, energy-absorbing seat backs and closely spaced seats so children are kept snug like eggs in a carton, Stateline reporting explained.

However, published reports indicate that those features don’t necessarily protect children during side-impact crashes or high-speed rollovers because passengers don’t always remain within their seating compartment, according to the National Transportation Safety Board, which has recommended for nearly two years that three-point seat belts be included in new buses.

Over the past 10 years, NHTSA reports, 6.2% of fatal injuries in school bus related crashes were school bus occupants.

The American School Bus Council, urging people to “support the school bus,” points out that “students are about 70 times more likely to get to school safely if they ride in the school bus instead of a car.”