As you know, ECC and the Bike Plan Subcommittee has been working in
detail on plans to improve bicycling infrastructure in New Haven.

Although long-term planning for bike racks, safer routes through the
city, greenways etc is a major priority for all of us, one of the best
ways for the city to immediately create more pleasant streets for
cyclists is to identify problem areas such as potholes, rough streets,
road debris (including glass), dead animals on the street, depressions
in the road, and the like, and immediately fix them. According to the
city's official plan for bicycling, streets must be maintained and
accessible to road bicyclists -- meaning they must be smooth and free
of obstructions -- particularly along designated city bicycle routes.
If we're going to keep it that way, we need to report problems to the
city in an efficient way.

Based on feedback we have received from Aldermen and others, one of
the best ways to do this is to report problems immediately through the
city's new Web311 service.

If you see any problems affecting bicyclists, no matter how minor, we
would like to very strongly encourage you to visit
http://www.cityofnewhaven.com/Ask/index.asp (the Web311 page, which is
also linked directly from the city's home page under the "Government"
tab), click on "Make a Service Request", choose an appropriate
category and enter detailed information about the problem. The city
is tracking all inquiries in a database and if people take the time to
report issues, they will be fixed as quickly as possible. If you get
any feedback, please post it to the ECC list so we can all be aware of
the resolution.

Of course, for the most serious issues, like the ones discussed on the
listserv last week, it always helps to call on your Alderman, CMT and
city departments as well.

Also, some of you may be interested in this new city initiative, which
seeks to encourage use of the Web311 system:

http://www.newhavenindependent.org/archives/2008/02/go_undercover.php

It would be really great to have a cyclist represented in this
program... just let me know if you want me to put in a word for you to
Emily Byrne.

Mark