ELMCITYCYCLING AND NEW HAVEN WIN $10,000 GRANT TO IMPROVE UNION STATION BIKE ACCESS
(6/23/2008) NEW HAVEN- The City of New Haven announced today that it has been awarded a grant in the amount of $10,000 to improve bicycle access to Union Station. The City plans to use the money to engage a consultant to design a bicycle route and bicycle parking facility at Union Station. “Bicycle access to Union Station is a high priority, as it is a major destination for inbound and outbound bicycle commuters,” said Mayor John DeStefano, Jr. “We were very pleased to work closely with Elm City Cycling, a dedicated group of residents, to put together the application for this grant and we look forward to a continued partnership to execute this important work.” The grant was made possible by the Bikes Belong Foundation in partnership with the League of American Bicyclists and REI.
Through this project, the City and Elm City Cycling hope that in the future even more cyclists will take advantage of resources at Union Station. In a recent letter to Governor Rell, DeStefano urged that the designs of the new M-8 rail cars take bicycle storage into consideration and expressed that the Metro-North "permit process as well as peak-hour restriction policies in place... simply are not acceptable."
The City is also seeking funding through the South Central Regional Council of Governments’ transit-enhancement program to construct the bicycle routes and bike parking areas.
The application was a joint effort by ElmCityCycling and the New Haven Department of Transportation, Traffic and Parking as the City strives to become recognized as a Bicycle-Friendly Community. A recent application for this title achieved an “Honorable Mention,” for the City which made it eligible to achieve this grant.
Mark Abraham, an ElmCityCycling member, said this grant is “a great example of what the city and grassroots groups can do when they work together.”
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Contact Name: Jessica Mayorga
Contact Email: jmayorga@newhavenct.net
Contact Phone: 203-946-7660
