Thomas MacMillan File Photo
Aldermen approved a deal with a car-sharing company — with a condition that may pave the way for expansion of the service into “underserved areas” of the city.
The approval came at Tuesday evening’s meeting of the Board of Aldermen, where legislators considered a deal with Zipcar, the short-term car rental outfit. The company bills itself as a cheap and environmentally friendly way for people without cars to run errands and do day trips.
Under the deal, the city will enter into an agreement with Zipcar, Yale University, and the parking authority. Zipcar will have two dedicated spots in the parking garage at Union Station to store its cars. They will join 26 other Zipcars currently available — all on the Yale campus — for hire in New Haven. Zipcar members pay an annual fee and then an hourly rate for their use of the cars.
The deal has been revised several times as a result of objections from West Rock Alderman Darnell Goldson. After doing away with a clause that could have forced the parking authority to pay Zipcar a monthly fee, Goldson objected to the city giving away parking spots for free in a garage with a five-year waiting list. He also called on the company to expand it service into some of New Haven’s poorer neighborhoods.
Thomas MacMillan File Photo
On Tuesday night, Goldson (pictured) won approval for an amendment that could help with that expansion. He convinced his colleagues to unanimously pass an amendment ordering the city’s Office of Sustainability to present a plan to alderman within 60 days outlining the “ways and means to ensure that any additional Zipcar locations are first put in the underserved neighborhoods of New Haven including but not limited to: West Rock, Dixwell, Fair Haven Newhallville, the Hill, Cedar Hill, Dwight and West River.”
That won’t necessarily force Zipcar to put vehicles in West Rock, but it could provide aldermen with leverage next time Zipcar wants to expand its operation in New Haven.
East Rock Alderman Justin Elicker, chair of the City Services and Environmental Policy Committee that vetted the deal, recognized Goldson’s bargaining skills. “I’d like to thanks my colleague from the 30th Ward for helping us get a better deal with Zipcar.”
Elicker went on to praise the deal as a means to provide “economically challenged” New Haveners with a means of getting around.
“I still have a level of uncomfortableness with this item,” Goldson said. “We are giving away a resource for nothing.” He mentioned a five-year waiting list for spots in the Union Station parking garage. He then offered his amendment, calling for a expansion plan study. “If we’re going to give away a resource, let’s at least get something in return.”
Elicker noted that Church Street South, the housing project near the train station, will now have easy access to Zipcars.
Goldson’s amendment and the approval of the Zipcar deal both passed unanimously. Fair Haven Alderwoman Migdalia Castro, an employee of the New Haven Parking Authority, abstained.
This is great news and Locker is to be commended for making it a reality. Zipcar is much cheaper than owning a car and unlike rental cars, can be rented by the hour. Zipcar says that the average Zipcar takes 15 cars off the road, while independent Federal government studies of the topic show that each car sharing vehicle takes 14 cars off the road. The Federal government has proven that many folks get rid of their 1st or 2nd car when they join Zipcar.
On the topic of Goldson's proposal, people in neighborhoods won't use Zipcar unless they can easily and safely walk and bike to the locations.
Zipcar is successful on and around the Yale campus because locations are walkable, particularly for able-bodied persons who can feel comfortable crossing at crosswalks even as vehicles speed past and blow red lights at high speeds. Crime is very low so people feel comfortable walking to and from the sites even at night, carrying groceries or whatever else they purchased while out in the Zipcar.
On the topic of Union Station, crossing Union Avenue as taxis speed by is dangerous, especially if you have young kids or groceries to carry. So it is no surprise that the people at Church Street South won't necessarily use those cars.
Similarily, nobody in Quinnipiac East is going to use Zipcar since there aren't even sidewalks there.
Only if the city puts in better walking and cycling infrastructure in the neighborhoods, and makes neighborhoods safer, with beautiful tree lined streets and narrow intersections, will families with children be able to use Zipcar. Until then, folks will prefer to have a car that they can park in front of their house.
You aren't going to want to walk out in your neighborhood, even a couple blocks to pick up a Zipcar, if it has 50 mile per hour traffic, no crosswalks or bike lanes/bike racks, and gang activity.