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RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF ALDERS OF THE CITY OF NEW HAVEN AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO APPLY FOR AND ACCEPT GRANT FUNDING FROM THE CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO OPERATE ON-DEMAND MICRO-TRANSIT SERVICES AS A PILOT PROGRAM IN PARTNERSHIP with THE NEW HAVEN PARKING AUTHORITY, GREATER NEW HAVEN TRANSIT DISTRICT AND VIA TRANSPORTATION INC.
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WHEREAS, 29% of households within the City of New Haven (the “City”) are zero-car households, meaning that nearly one (1) in every three (3) households relies upon transit, carpooling/rideshare, walking, or biking to move around the region; and
WHEREAS, 21% and 26% of Black and Latino households, respectively, do not own cars (as compared with 10% of white households) and for these demographic groups, unemployment and underemployment appear to correlate with rates of car ownership; and
WHEREAS, hospitalization rates for residents of the City attributable to chronic conditions such as diabetes, asthma, and heart disease are worsening at the highest rate in the region and the prevalence of asthma in New Haven’s school district (14.7%) is the highest of all other school districts in the region, as well as the statewide prevalence rate of 14.3%; and
WHEREAS, institutions such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention maintain that strategies to promote exercise and activity, such as the provision of transit, walking and biking infrastructure, are essential to the health of American communities; and
WHEREAS, the current CTTransit New Haven system provides an extensive service as regards coverage of fixed routes, but does not provide point-to-point service as recommended by the Safe Routes for All Plan approved by the City’s Board of Alders; and
WHEREAS, the City’s Department of Transportation, Traffic and Parking, the City’s Office of Climate and Sustainability, Greater New Haven Transit District (“GNHTD”) and New Haven Parking Authority (“PARK New Haven”) all recognize the need to improve equitable and sustainable mobility options that would help meet the City’s broader climate goals, including ending community-wide greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, by enabling greater mobility without sole reliance on car ownership; and
WHEREAS, the Connecticut Department of Transportation (“CTDOT”) has issued a request for proposals, entitled the CTDOT Micro-transit Pilot Program (the “Pilot Program”) which is intended to spur the- development of on-demand micro-transit services, to be operated pursuant to the provisions of Public Act 22-40; and
WHEREAS, CTDOT requires municipalities which do not possess the vehicles, planning software, or staff necessary to operate the Pilot Program to partner with appropriate existing service providers (e.g., transit districts, taxi, livery, bus companies, transportation network companies) which are authorized by CTDOT to provide transportation services in the State of Connecticut (the “State”); and
WHEREAS, GNHTD is one of the 17 transit districts in the state that operates and provides a variety of transportation programs and services, and PARK New Haven operates and maintains numerous surface parking lots and garages in the center of the City and in surrounding neighborhoods; and
WHEREAS, Via Transportation Inc. (“Via”) has assisted numerous municipalities and transit agencies across the United States of America in implementing and operating on-demand micro-transit services; and
WHEREAS, it is desirable and in the public interest that the City or the City together with GNHTD, PARK New Haven and Via, make an application (the “Application”) to the CTDOT for up to $3,500,000 and to partner with the GNHTD, PARK New Haven and Via in order to carry out the Pilot Program and to execute an Assistance Agreement for such purpose.
NOW, THEREFORE, be it RESOLVED by Board of Alders of the City:
1. that the filing of the Application in an amount up to $3,500,000 is hereby approved and that Mayor Justin Elicker, Mayor of the City of New Haven is hereby authorized to execute and file the Application on behalf of the City (or, if appropriate, to authorize GNHTD or PARK New Haven to file the Application) with CTDOT to provide such additional information as may be required by CTDOT, to execute such other documents as may be required in the Application process, to execute an Assistance Agreement with CTDOT (or other appropriate agency of the State) for financial assistance (if such an agreement is offered) in the amount of $3,500,000 or such lesser amount (if any) as may be offered by CTDOT (which Assistance Agreement may include an indemnification of CTDOT, the State and/or any other participating agencies of the State), to execute any amendments, rescissions, and revisions thereto, and to act as the authorized representative of the City with respect to all other matters pertaining to the Application; and
2. that it is affirmed that the City will partner with GNHTD, PARK New Haven and Via to carry out the Pilot Program and that the Mayor is hereby further authorized to enter into such agreements (together or separately with GNHTD, PARK New Haven and Via) as may be necessary or desirable to carry out the Pilot Program.