Bridge decision reveals a Mayor with vision

Last Friday the New Haven Register published an editorial criticizing Mayor Henrici's decision to terminate the bridge Project. You can read the editorial here.

The following is the Neighbors of Waite response emailed tonight to the New Haven Register. We will let you know when it is published.


To the Editor,

The New Haven Register editorial of August 22, 2008 concerning the cancellation of the Waite Street bridge project points the finger of blame 180 degrees in the wrong direction in criticizing Hamden Mayor Henrici. Two decades ago, under a different administration, a project inspired by the same concept that brought us the Cross-Bronx Expressway in New York City, and the Route 34 connector in New Haven, sought to turn a little-used scenic road into a major truck artery. Those who originated this project are to blame for the fact that it is entirely at odds with the desires and needs of Hamden residents today. What Mayor Henrici did in terminating the Waite Street project was to acknowledge this fact.

The area surrounding the Waite Street bridge is an area of stunning beauty and peacefulness which provides a corridor of open space through the dense suburban area of southern Hamden. This section of Waite Street has the feel of a country lane surrounded by the lake and wooded acreage of the Regional Water Authority. It is home to a rich variety of wildlife including osprey, egrets, hawks, and turtles, as well as several families of swans who delight the community each year with their signets. The Waite Street causeway is a valued place in Hamden where walkers, joggers, cyclists, bird watchers, and families with strollers can come to enjoy Lake Whitney.

The new design was to have increased the bridge’s load–bearing capacity from 11 tons to 40 tons. Large trucks such as tractor trailers which are currently restricted from Waite Street would have had open access to this road creating a major cut-through between Whitney Avenue and Dixwell Avenue for heavy commercial and industrial traffic. However, more than half the causeway would have been left entirely unimproved by this project, and lacking either a sideway or shoulder. Heavy trucks speeding down the narrow Waite Street causeway would have put pedestrians and bicyclists in harm’s way.

Our group, Neighbors of Waite, which gathered more than 500 signatures opposing the new bridge plans, has not stopped our activities with the cancellation of the bridge project. Since then we have met with representatives of the concerned neighborhood associations, officials from the Region Water Authority, Hamden’s Deputy Mayor, and town council members; we also plan to meet with other interested parties in the near future. Our goal is to help facilitate an agreement with a wide base of community support to make the Waite Street causeway and nearby Mather Street, which is intersected by the Farmington Canal Trail, safe for pedestrians, bicyclists, and cars. We also wish to preserve Lake Whitney as a safe source of drinking water, and a home for wildlife.

We believe the New Haven Register should be praising Mayor Henrici for trying to strike a balance between the needs of the community for safe access to enjoy open spaces, and the need to facilitate traffic flow. The Mayor had the courage to make a difficult decision that was right for the community. In an era of $4/gallon gasoline we all need to think increasingly about how bicycles and pedestrians can safely use the road. A bigger bridge on Waite Street was not a better bridge for the Hamden community. If the editorial writers at the New Haven Register think this sort of vision is “short-sighted,” we would hate to live in a community led by those they see as far-sighted.

Neighbors of Waite Street

NoW Worldwide by David Mason

David Mason, friend and neighbor, sent us this for our enjoyment.
http://neighborsofwaite.myphotoalbum.com/slideshow.php

Critical Mass ride over Waite Street Bridge!

Hello Hamden Cycling Community,

The next Hamden Critical Mass ride is the coming Friday, August 8. Please help spread the word and post flyers up around town. Feel free to make up your own flyer, or reply to azalea.mitch@aya.yale.edu. Azalea will e-mail (pdf or ppt) or provide hard copies of ones - let her know your preference.

The June CM was a great success with over 40 participants. The July ride was successful, but there was only about 1/2 the riders of June's ride.

Help spread the word, so we can bring attention to cycling as a mode of viable transportation in Hamden and eventually get bike friendly streets and neighborhoods.


http://criticalmass.wikia.com/wiki/Hamden,_Connecticut
http://www.elmcitycycling.org/

Follow-up article in the New Haven Register

Ann DeMatteo published today a follow-up on our story.

“Just because someone’s willing to pay for a bad idea doesn’t make it right,” said Henrici.

You can find the full story here.

Mayor Henrici is Green!

August 1, 2008

Ms. Judy Gott
South Central Regional Council of Governments
127 Washington Avenue
North Haven, CT 06473

Re: Waite Street Bridge

With regard to the above, it has been determined that the re-building of the bridge as designed is not in the best interests of the Spring Glen neighborhood and the entire Town of Hamden.

In view of same, Hamden hereby withdraws from the program and considers the entire project permanently terminated.

Thank you for your kind attention to this matter.

Very truly yours,

Craig B. Henrici, Mayor
CBH/gt

Enclosures

cc: State Representative Peter Villano
Fourth District Councilperson Gretchen Callahan
Fifth District Councilperson Kathleen Schomaker
First District Councilperson Matt Fitch
Legislative Council President Al Gorman
By email to Marsha Walsh
By email to Spring Glen Civic Association
By email to Neighbors of Waite.org

Breaking News!

This morning, four members of our group, Neighbors of Waite, three members of the Spring Glen Civic Association, Kath Schomaker, Legislative Councilwoman from the Whitneyville district, Gretchen Callahan, Legislative councilwoman from Spring Glen, Matt Fitch, Legislative councilman from the 1st district, Scott Jackson, the deputy to the mayor, and Mayor Henrici, met at the mayor's office.

The Mayor was very receptive and sympathetic to the concerns raised by NoW and SGCA regarding the Waite Street bridge project. The Mayor said that he had never received this many emails and calls from the community on any issue, not even on tax issues.

We pressed the Mayor very hard to formally withdraw the plans for a 40 ton capacity bridge, originally designed in 1998. The Mayor agreed with our position and stated that the town would not proceed with the bridge project!

The Mayor told us that he will be issuing a letter very soon confirming this position publicly. It is always a very difficult decision for a mayor to cancel a project. Mayor Henrici is willing to make a decision which puts the neighborhood, the environment, and community values above commercial interests and a "business as usual" mentality.

Please call and email Mayor Henrici to thank him. Let him know how appreciative you are of his leadership on this issue.

Thank you ALL for all the support, commitment, help, involvement, feedback and friendship in this common effort.

"Civic involvement always has its rewards!" (Representative Villano upon hearing the excellent news.)

Hamden does not lose money

We have heard from a well informed and knowledgeable source that the funding for the Waite Street bridge project may be transferred to other transportation projects in Hamden, particularly to projects that are already "on the shelf". This transfer could be accomplished relatively quickly for projects that already have a design proposal.