Allan Appel Photo
In 2006 they only ran together for the state’s highest offices. This weekend they went biking together, to make a point about government’s role in making cycle-friendly streets.
Mary Glassman and John DeStefano were biking on the campaign trail, and on New Haven’s Farmington Canal Trail.
The two Democrats ran as a team in 2006 for lieutenant governor and governor, respectively. This year Glassman’s running for lieutenant governor again, this time with Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ned Lamont. DeStefano, who’s New Haven’s mayor, is supporting them.
Glassman rode into town Saturday to promote biking and walking as a campaign issue. Mayor DeStefano climbed onto his Yukon Giant and hosted her down a mile of the Canal Trail.
Some 25 people joined the Glassman campaign’s ride across Connecticut as they rode from Goodrich Street at the Hamden town line down through to Science Park under a sunny sky.
Glassman said that if she and running mate Ned Lamont are successful in their race for the statehouse in Hartford, they’ll promote policies that advance the importance of everyday riding not only for recreation but as a legitimate alternative to motorized transportation in New Haven.
That means building more bike paths, filling in the gaps between the paths across the state, and going after more federal dollars for biking infrastructure.
Glassman was asked her opinions about the dangers of riding bikes on city streets, riding bikes on sidewalks, and the high penalties in New Haven for being ticketed for bicycle infractions. Glassman deferred to local bike advocate and her supporter Paul Hammer, pictured in his fine umbrella hat.
Hammer, past president of the Connecticut Bicycle Coalition, said that “municipalities apply different laws.”
While there are some clear state regulations such as helmet wearing for youngsters, you have to know an individual town’s other rules. Some towns, likeSimsbury have no problem with riding on sidewalks, whereas that is illegal in New Haven.
“We want to promote best practice,” said Glassman, and let localities take it from there.
Glassman is first selectman of Simsbury, which recently won a bronze medal for being bicycle friendly from The League of American Bicyclists. New Haven in recent years received an honorable mention designation for the city’s bike policies.
Glassman said New Haven’s done a good job in its cycling policies. “Something’s wrong when New Haven is ahead of Connecticut in bicycling [policy],” she added, as the two-wheeled entourage took off.
A third of the way through the ride, Glassman’s riding style tended to a zigzagging, whereas the mayor rode straight and steady. “She’s got more endurance,” he offered.
Her husband Andy said the candidate has ridden the three to four miles from home to town offices three or four times since the campaign began. The mayor said that his biking around Westville is mainly on weekends with his wife Cathy. “I always prefer the downhill,” he said.
Asked how her policy and the Lamont policy regarding biking differs from the Malloy campaign Glassman said, “They’re not talking about it. We’re the first campaign to talk about getting people out of their cars, for health and for the environment.”
Senior Advisor to the Malloy campaign Roy Occhiogrosso offered an email riposte:
“Dan’s been talking about a variety of transportation issues as long as he’s been on the campaign trail, including smart ways to get people out of their cars to reduce congestion and help the environment. Most importantly, he has a record of service on transportation issues unmatched by anyone in this race. As mayor he made major improvements to Stamford’s transportation infrastructure, including securing millions in federal dollars to improve access to rail service.”
Sarah Armstrong, her husband Peter Crumlish and their three boys accompanied Glassman on their cargo bikes. They had not made up their minds about voting for Lamont/Glassman but were intrigued because they ride their three sons across New Haven to school and camp every day.
“The more people ride, the safer it will be,” said Sarah Armstrong, who daily bikes her son Finn from the Edgewood neighborhood to the Cold Spring School in Fair Haven. In the meanwhile husband Peter Crumlish bikes twins Sam and Caleb to East Rock.
When the riders got to Science Park, while the twins pored over the Adventures of Tin Tin in their cargo seats, their dad talked with the mayor about the adventures of bike riding in New Haven.
Crumlish avoids high volume roads, such as Whalley. In that he agreed with the mayor, who said that Whalley scares him on his bike, as does Whitney. Asked if the state Department of Transportation’s redo of Whalley would involve bike paths, he said, “Are you kidding! That’s a state project. It’s designed for cars. My biggest fear of getting doored is on Whalley.”
It was, however, not a particular roadway that the mayor cited as the crux of the issue. “In New Haven, the biggest problem is inattentive drivers,” he added.
At Science Park, the mayor pointed out to Glassman the new businesses that he hopes increasingly will be reached by people riding their bikes along the nearby paths. He predicted that a hot homegrown banking technology company that just gone public, Higher One, will remain in New Haven, hopefully in the old Winchester factory being renovated by Forrest City Enterprises across the street.
Why didn’t Glassman and DeStefano bike together in 2006 but are doing so now? a reporter asked.
“We’re smarter,” said Mayor DeStefano.
Also these sections of the trail had not yet been completed
Crumlish was asked at the end of the ride if he had made up his mind to vote for Glassman/Lamont as a result of the ride and the bicycle chat.
“I don’t know enough yet to be tilting [one way or another],” he said. “I’m glad to know this [cycling issues] is on the radar of people running for office,” he said.
I have never been hit by a car while riding on the sidewalk. It might be because the cars are in the road.