Hartford Rail Line May Bring Jobs, Opportunity for Key Populations, Study of Public Transit Suggests

As Connecticut moves closer to a significant increase in rail service connecting communities from New Haven to Springfield, MA, with the introduction of the Hartford line, anticipated in May, a report by Demos underscores the potential impact on economic opportunity and segments of the state’s population. The report, “To Move is to Thrive:  Public Transit and Economic Opportunity for People of Color,” which looked at public transportation in metropolitan areas across the country, presents a series of findings on the use of public transit by people of color and on the potential jobs benefits that people of color can gain from investments in public transit.

Its key findings on the use of public transit are:

• Racial, ethnic, and class inequities in the access to and funding of public transit continue today.
• Latino and Asian-American workers are twice as likely as white workers not to have a vehicle at home. African American workers are three times as likely. These disparities are heightened in certain metropolitan areas; Latino and black workers lack a private vehicle at as much as six times the rate of white workers in some areas.
• Asian-American and African-American workers commute by public transit at nearly four times the rate of white workers. Latino workers commute by public transit at nearly three times the white rate.
• Workers of color are overrepresented among public transit commuters with “long commutes”—one-way commutes of 60 minutes or longer.

The key findings on the jobs benefits from investment in public transit are:

• America’s employment rates are still low relative to 2000, and there is a strong racial hierarchy in employment rates.
• The majority of the jobs created from infrastructure investments can be non-construction jobs.
• All racial and ethnic groups gain jobs from large infrastructure investments and, generally, the larger the investment, the more jobs for each group.
• Investments in public transit show good returns in terms of the shares of the total jobs going to workers of color.

The report also noted that “growing numbers of Americans rely on public transit in their daily lives. In 2015, passengers took 10.5 billion trips on transit systems, up 33 percent from 20 years ago. Public transit ridership has grown faster than the population. But our public transit infrastructure, like much of our infrastructure generally, is old and decrepit. And many of our transit systems were not designed to handle such heavy use.”

While Connecticut’s cities are not as large as many of the nation’s largest metropolitan areas, they do have populations with larger numbers of people of color than mnay surrounding suburbs.  Providing greater ease of mobility to station stops along the Hartford line could offer impacts suggested by the study.

The Hartford line, which is focused on increasing the frequency of station stops from Springfield to New Haven, will also see additional stations constructed in the coming years.  When the CTrail Hartford Line service launches in May, it will consist of both expanded Amtrak service and new regional trains operated by the Connecticut Department of Transportation and will offer more frequent, convenient and faster passenger rail service between New Haven, Hartford and Springfield.

Plans call for an increase in the number of round trip trains from six daily Amtrak intercity and regional trains to a total of 17 round trip trains a day to Hartford, and 12 trains per day to Springfield. In addition, trains will operate at speeds up to 110 mph, reducing travel time between Springfield and New Haven. Stops are to include rail stations in Windsor Locks, Windsor, Hartford, Berlin, Meriden, Wallingford and New Haven.   New stations are to be added, refurbished or relocated in North Haven, Newington, West Hartford, Windsor, Windsor Locks and Enfield by 2020.

Projections include more than 4,500 construction related jobs and over 8,000 total jobs, including both direct and indirect jobs.  Transit-oriented development, including housing is also anticipated along the route. Recently, plans to convert a long-vacant factory into housing was announced in Windsor Locks.

The national data indicates that workers of color are roughly 2 to 3 times as likely as white workers not to have a private vehicle at home: only 2.8 percent of white workers do not have a vehicle at home, but 6.9 percent of Asian-American workers, 7 percent of Latino workers, and 9.5 percent of African-American workers do not have a vehicle at home.

Nationally, 3.1 percent of white workers use public transit, while 7.8 percent of Latino workers, 11 percent of Asian-American workers, and 11.1 percent of African-American workers commute using public transit. In other words, Latino workers are almost 3 times as likely, and Asian-American and African-American workers are almost 4 times as likely as white workers to commute by public transit, the report indicated.

Based in New York, Boston and Washington D.C., Demos is a public policy organization “working for an America where we all have an equal say in our democracy and an equal chance in our economy.”

Hartford, New Haven See Diminishing Car Ownership Among Households; Hartford Ranks 8th in U.S. in Percentage Without Cars

Owning a car isn’t what it used to be – at least it isn’t as necessary as it used to be.  Demographics, fuel prices and where people live also play a role in whether a household goes car-free, according to a recent analysis by Governing magazine. Research also suggests younger families and one-person households are more likely to not own a car. The publication reports that several mid-sized cities recorded notable increases in shares of car-free households when averages from the 2015 and 2016 American Community Surveys are compared with those for 2009 and 2010. Those cities include New Haven.

According to the Census Bureau estimates, only 8.7 percent of U.S. households reported not having any vehicles available in 2016, about the same level as before the Great Recession.

In New Haven, the trend is stronger.  About 30 percent of New Haven households are without access to vehicles, an increase from about 27 percent in 2009-2010, Governing points out.  Part of the reason so many residents can go car-free stems from the city’s fairly residential downtown and pedestrian-friendly street grid layout, the publication explains, adding that New Haven’s high poverty rate is also a likely contributing factor, with many families unable to afford cars.

Other cities earning a spot on the list of for rapidly dropping car ownership are Paterson, N.J.; Davenport, Iowa; Elizabeth, N.J.; and Peoria, Ill.

Hartford has a presence in the top 10 cities that already have among the highest share of households without a car, at a 31.5 percent two-year average.  Hartford ranks 8th.  The list is led by New York City at 54.4 percent, with Newark, Jersey City, Washington, Boston, Cambridge and Paterson in between.  San Francisco and Philadelphia round out the top 10 after Hartford.  Hartford increased from 30.3% in 2015 to 32.6% in 2016.

Among other Connecticut cities, Stamford’s households without vehicles is at 10 percent; Waterbury at 20.5 percent; and Bridgeport at 21.1 percent.

Data was calculated using two-year averages from 2015 and 2016 Census survey estimates.

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.

New Wallingford Rail Station Opens Ahead of Next Year's Hartford Line Expansion

The next step in the development of the Hartford line, which will significantly expand daily passenger rail service between New Haven and Springfield, takes place on Monday with the opening of a newly constructed passenger station in Wallingford. The Connecticut Department of Transportation (DOT) will officially open the new CTrail Hartford Line Wallingford Station to the public on Monday afternoon. The new station is located at 343 North Cherry Street, approximately one mile north of the existing station.

It will be opening in advance of the May 2018 launch of CTrail Hartford Line passenger rail service. Gov. Malloy and state officials announced last month that a one-way trip between Hartford and New Haven will run $8 when the expanded commuter service gets underway next spring. A trip along the entire length of the rail line — Springfield to New Haven — will cost $12.75.

The Wallingford station features amenities “aimed at providing a high-quality passenger experience,” officials point out, including high-level platforms on both sides of the track as well as elevators, stairways with an overhead pedestrian bridge to cross the tracks, and canopies covering approximately 50 percent of the platform length. There will be parking for approximately 221 vehicles in two surface parking lots at the station. There is also a passenger information display system, security cameras, electric vehicle charging, and bicycle racks. Limited seating on the platform is also available.

Construction began in December 2014 and cost approximately $21 million.  New rail stations in Meriden and Berlin are under construction, and are expected to come on line prior to the launch of the expanded passenger service in the spring. DOT officials have previously indicated that all stations will be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and none of the stations will have bathrooms.

Once underway, the new daily service will mean that from New Haven to Hartford, trains will increase from six to 17 per day. Between Hartford and Springfield, trains will increase from six to 12 per day. A new station in North Haven station is currently being designed, and is not due to be built and open until 2020. Stations in Enfield, Newington, West Hartford, Windsor and Windsor Locks stations are also part of the Hartford Line plans. Trains will arrive at stations in New Haven, Wallingford, Meriden, Berlin and Hartford every 45 minutes during peak hours and every 60 to 90 minutes during off-peak periods.

The DOT is accepting comments on the new fares through Nov. 27 by email (dot.hartfordlinecomments@ct.gov) or mail.  In addition, there will be three public comment forums: at 5 p.m. on Nov. 13 at the New Haven Hall of Records; 4 p.m. on Nov. 14 at Capital Community College in Hartford; and 5:30 p.m. on Nov. 15 at the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission in Springfield.

There is more than a rail station at work in Wallingford.  The town has completed a Transit-Oriented-Development (TOD) Plan that features shifting existing industrial development to the north, freeing up space for mixed-use and retail development in Downtown, officials said. The existing Parker Place apartment complex near the station offers a precedent for TOD and is expanding 200 units. The Town is also making efforts to encourage and support TOD by creating a new Town Center zoning district and reducing off street parking requirements. Transit-Oriented-Development refers to a high density, pedestrian oriented, mixed-use development located within a short walk of transit stations. TOD plans are also anticipated at the other stations along the Hartford line.

Enfield, Backed by Western Mass., Goes After Amazon HQ2

The State of Connecticut is throwing its muscle behind Hartford and Stamford in their bids to become the home of Amazon’s second headquarters.  The Economic Development Council of Western Massachusetts, however, has issued a letter supporting a bid by the town of Enfield. In addition to Enfield, the cities and towns of Bridgeport, Fairfield, New Haven and Stratford submitted a joint proposal; Danbury also applied.

The bid by Enfield is perhaps the most ironic, as the Boston Globe pointed out in a front page article .  The central location being proposed is currently the Enfield Square Mall, which has seen its anchor stores – Macy’s, JC Penney’s and Sears – leave in recent years, followed by numerous smaller retailers.  The proposal is on the agenda of the next town Economic Development Commission, scheduled for Wednesday morning.  The Enfield proposal suggests Hartford, West Hartford, Windsor, Meriden and New Haven and Springfield as "potential satellite campuses" and stresses Enfield's place at the center of the Knowledge Corridor, which runs from Springfield to New Haven.

“It’s a scene repeating itself in dying suburban malls around the country,” the Globe reported, “a sweeping economic disruption known as the Amazon effect.”  Industry analysts have predicted that 20 percent of the 1,200 shopping malls in the U.S. will “meet their demise,” the Globe indicated.

Amazon.com has received 238 proposals from cities and regions across North America.  Amazon said Monday that 54 states, provinces, districts and territories in the United States, Canada and Mexico were represented in the bids. The number of applicants underscores the interest in the contest, which Amazon announced last month. The world’s largest online retailer said it would invest more than $5 billion and create up to 50,000 jobs for “Amazon HQ2”. The deadline for submitting proposals was last Thursday.

"There are no state boundaries for our region's workforce, company supply chains and students," Rick Sullivan, president and CEO of the Economic Development Council, wrote in a letter supporting Enfield.  The town is along the so-called "Knowledge Corridor," the economic region that includes Springfield as well as Hartford and New Haven, and follows the Interstate 91 corridor in Massachusetts and Connecticut.  The corridor is expected to benefit from the introduction of regular commuter rail service, being introduced next year; the Enfield proposal provides Amazon with a map of the new Hartford Line rail route.

The Enfield bid touts its proximity to higher education, Bradley International Airport and major highways, as well as arts and culture. Also highlighted are major businesses located in the community, including Lego, MassMutual, Brooks Brothers, and Eppendorf, according to published reports. The Enfield proposal opens with a stylized newsletter of the future, including facts about Enfield and the region, led by the headline “Internet Retail Giant Pumps Life Back into Dying Mall!”

"With a population of nearly 50,000, Enfield’s 33 square miles are at the center of the New England Knowledge Corridor, Enfield provides quick and easy access to several US Highways, airports and rail systems," the 12-page Enfield proposal explained.  "Tax Increment Financing (TIF) districts are being created in Enfield and surrounding towns to support new development and growth. Abatements and Regional Revenue Sharing are all available to sweeten the deal. Connecticut has the lowest corporate tax rate in the North East."

After having received more than a dozen potential bids, state economic development officials opted to promote Hartford and Stamford as its leading candidates to land the headquarters, developing a website to promote the two regions, under the headline “The Talent You Need.  The Lifestyle They Want.”  The submission noted that "if Connecticut were a country, we’d be the sixth most productive in the world—ahead of Germany, Japan and Hong Kong."

A letter of support jointly signed by the state’s seven-member Congressional delegation and included with the state’s submission did not indicate a preferred location in the state, advocating “full support of Connecticut as the home of your second headquarters.”  A similar letter was signed by legislative leaders of both political parties, along with the co-chairs of the state’s Commission on Economic Competitiveness.  That letter noted that “Connecticut has already made a major commitment to Amazon, with facilities in Windsor and Wallingford, and another planned for North Haven.”

The Hartford bid was supported by the Mayors of Hartford, East Hartford, and West Hartford, along with Chip Beckett of Glastonbury, Chair of the Capital Region Council of Governments.  A joint letter was included in the state’s overall package.  A similar letter supporting Stamford came from that city’s Mayor.

An additional letter of support for the state’s bid was signed by 57 business leaders from throughout the state, accompanied by another from nearly three dozen higher education leaders from public and private institutions.

It was, some have suggested, a show of unity that has been generally lacking during the four months that the state has operated without an approved state budget, the longest such period in the state’s history.

Some communities, most notably the joint proposal by the cities of Bridgeport and New Haven, along with their immediate suburban neighbors, didn’t make the state cut, but submitted proposals nonetheless.  The Enfield proposal touts the entire region, along the I-91 corridor.  Locations in Enfield, including the mall, are suggested, as are other communities north and south of the state line that could host various divisions of an Amazon headquarters, according to reports on the proposal.

Portions of artists renderings included in State of Connecticut proposal advocating for Stamford and Hartford.

Bradley Ranks Last in Passengers’ Satisfaction Rating of 21 Mid-Sized U.S. Airports

Air travelers ranked Connecticut’s Bradley International Airport last among 21 medium-sized airports in a passenger satisfaction survey.  The airport fell from a second-to-last ranking in a similar analysis done at the end of last year, to the bottom rung of the latest ratings. Sacramento International Airport ranks highest among medium airports, with a score of 810. Indianapolis International Airport (807) ranks second, and Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (806) ranks third, in the survey by J.D. Power.

Bradley’s score of 742 was an improvement from 724 last year, but did not prevent the drop to the bottom of the category.  Just ahead of Bradley were Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (754) Kahului Airport (758), and San Antonio International Airport (761).  In last year’s survey, Bradley was tied for second-to-last with Kahului; Cleveland finished last.  Both passed Bradley in the latest rankings.  The medium airport average score was 781 in the survey released this month.

Connecticut Airport Authority Executive Director Kevin Dillon told the Hartford Business Journal, "We're pleased that our score has increased from last year and that our score is the highest among competing airports in the region."  He added that “we know that there are areas that need to be addressed, such as enhancing our concessions and terminal facilities. We have already introduced a number of new concessions over the last year and have made major updates to our terminal, and we have an ambitious plan for further upgrades over the coming months and years."

Nationally, overall traveler satisfaction scored a 749 out of 1,000 points, an 18-point increase from last year’s survey.  Among the nation’s largest airports, Orlando International Airport received a score of 778 out of 1,000, beating out the runner up, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, which received a 767 score.

Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey received the lowest ranking among “Mega” airports, earning a score of 686. LaGuardia Airport, in New York City, ranked worst among “Large” airports, with a score of 654.

The survey ranked airports across the U.S. based on several key factors: accessibility, check-in and baggage check process, security screening, shopping, terminal facilities and baggage claim.

Airports were broken down into three categories based on size. “Mega” airports were defined as those handling more than 32.5 million annual passengers. The “large” category included airports with 10 million to 32.4 million passengers and “medium” airports, including Bradley, are those with between 3 million and 9.9 million passengers.

The J.D. Power analysis indicated that “with nearly every airport in the country dealing with challenges of high passenger capacity and ongoing construction projects to address increased demand, technology is helping to directly address these issues.”

“The trifecta of a steadily improving economy, record passenger volume and billion-dollar renovation projects unfolding in airports across the country has created a challenging environment for customer satisfaction,” added Michael Taylor, Travel Practice Lead at J.D. Power.

Now in its 12th year, the study is based on responses from 34,695 North American travelers who traveled through at least one domestic airport with both departure and arrival experiences (including connecting airports) during the past three months. Travelers evaluated either a departing or arriving airport from their round-trip experience. The study was conducted from January through August 2017.

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.

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.

Hartford, New Haven, Bridgeport Among Highest in US for Households That Don’t Own Cars

Whether it is good news or bad news may be in the eye of the beholder.  The percentage of households without a motor vehicle in Hartford is 10^th highest in the nation.  New Haven (24^th) and Bridgeport (49^th) also make the top 50. Some would suggest that lack of car ownership is a reflection of poverty.  Others may point to millennials and others who choose an urban lifestyle specifically because car ownership is less necessary.

In Hartford, 35.7 percent of households do not own cars.  In New Haven it is 29.2 percent; in Bridgeport, 21.2 percent, according to data compiled by Governing magazine, using data from the Census Bureau's 2010-2013 American Community Survey.

Taking cars off streets yields a number of benefits for cities, including helping to attract young people, limiting pollution and facilitating safer roadways for both drivers and pedestrians, explains Norman Garrick, who studies urban planning at the University of Connecticut. That’s part of the reason “cities are really doubling down and trying to reduce use of cars,” he pointed out to Governing magazine in 2015.

Nationwide, about 9 percent of U.S. households didn’t have access to a car in 2013, according to Census data analyzed by Governing -- a figure that has been relatively stable.  Garrick’s past research in Hartford, for example, found 71 percent of employees drove alone to work for an insurance company that charged for parking. Rates for other downtown Hartford employers offering free parking were between 83 and 95 percent.

Among the other Connecticut communities reviewed in the analysis (% of households without cars, ranking):

• Waterbury          18.2 of HH           69^th
• New Britain        17.7% of HH        74^th
• East Hartford     15.9% of HH        87^th
• West Haven       11.9% of HH        151^st
• Stamford             11.8% of HH        156^th
• Meriden              11.4% of HH        169^th
• Norwalk               9.4% of HH          262^nd
• Danbury               9.3% of HH          271^st

Census estimates suggest there were about 1.8 vehicles per U.S. household in 2013. This ratio varies greatly across cities and larger regions. As one would expect, suburban jurisdictions tend to have greater car ownership than more densely-populated cities. Data was included for all cities (794) with at least 50,000 residents.

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.”