Board of Aldermen's municipal services committee approves extending parking permits for hybrid car owners

(6/29/2006) New Haven was the first Northeast city to promote hybrid and alternative fuel vehicles by allowing free on-street parking in a program that expires on June 30.

The City granted more than 100 permits to hybrid car owners over the year. Now, the Board of Aldermen’s Municipal Services Committee has approved a three year extension of the program based on its initial success.

Mayor John DeStefano, Jr. has championed the use of alternative fuel measures and said the City gains by encouraging more people to own hybrid cars. “The City of New Haven is committed to improving our air quality by encouraging hybrid vehicles and promoting the use of fuel efficient-technology,” he said.

The City's use of Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel and particulate traps on its school buses reduce asthma-causing pollution by 50-90% - reductions similar to those achieved by converting to hybrids in passenger vehicles. The City is in the process of converting its passenger fleet to hybrid vehicles on the belief that the use of fuel-efficient technology is a small, but significant way of addressing air quality, fuel dependency and ecological problems.