Dogs Beware: Last Day to Play on Beaches March 31st
Parks and Recreation Director Jennifer Fava reminds residents that as of April 1, no animals are allowed at Compo, Old Mill, or Burying Hill beaches, in or out of vehicles. This regulation is in effect until October 1. Parking emblems will be required on all vehicles entering town beaches beginning May 1.
For the safety and well-being of our athletic field users, Ms. Fava asks for assistance from the public to help us keep our fields in good playing condition by keeping animals off of ball fields year round.
Ms. Fava stated, “Although we have regulations in place for animals at the beach from April 1 to September 30, dogs are welcome at Winslow Park year round.” Winslow park is located at Compo Road North and Post Road East, and has posted on-leash and off-leash areas.
For more detailed information regarding Parks policies, please visit www.westportrecreation.com.
Talking Transportation: Rideshare Returns
Ride Sharing is Back
How’d you like to save thousands of dollars in commuting costs by car? And at the same time cut the number of vehicles on our highways?
The answer: ride sharing.
With the sudden surge in gasoline prices there’s renewed interest in car / van pooling, as the folks at CTrides can attest. They’re the state agency tasked with selling the idea of “green rides”, though I think it’s the green in your wallet that most captures commuters’ attention these days, not just saving the environment.
But it is true that 38% of all greenhouse gases come from transportation and with the vast majority of car commuters driving solo, sharing the ride can certainly cut down on Connecticut’s terrible air quality, worse in some areas than California’s.
Remember our clear blue skies at the start of the pandemic when nobody was driving?
Census data shows that 76% of commuters drive solo while about 8% share their ride. Transit accounts for only 4.5% while telework (WFH) is about 7%, but climbing. In Fairfield county transit and telework numbers are much higher given the time and cost involved with getting to jobs in NYC. The long term effects of work-from-home are yet to be seen.
The CTrides folks promote all the alternatives to solo driving, ironic for an agency funded by the CDOT which spends billions on our roads.
But the excuses for not sharing a ride are many:
“I like driving my own car by myself”. Well, do you like pay for gasoline and car repairs by yourself, too?
“My work schedule is always changing”. CTrides can match you with others also on your ever-changing schedule.
“What if I need to get home mid-day in an emergency?” CDOT sponsors an Emergency Ride Home program for enrolled companies, paying as much as $200 for an Uber up to four times a year.
There are plenty of benefits that come with ride sharing, aside from the cost savings. Some interstates (I-91 and I-84) offer diamond lanes for car poolers. Employers often offer preferred parking spots at work.
There’s even a federal commuter tax benefit of up to $280 a month for enrolled employees at companies. Talk to your company’s HR department for details.
Still hesitant to share your ride? Thousands do it daily on commuter rail with up to 100 passengers in a single (rail) car: ride sharing on steroids!
Employers find that carpooling often increases morale and employee retention, even if your crew doesn’t join in comedian James Corden’s “Carpool Karaoke”.
CTrides also promotes rail and bus ridership as well as telework… anything to get SOVs (single occupancy vehicles) off the road. They’re optimistic that the increasing costs of gasoline will encourage more commuters to ride share.
To sweeten the pot even more, CTrides offers a rewards program. Just download their app, set up an account and log your “green rides”. Accumulate enough points and you win restaurant discounts and cut-rate tickets to shows and attractions. Participants save money and the environment.
About Jim Cameron:
Jim Cameron has been a commuter advocate for over 30 years, with a special focus on the Metro North railroad. He spent nearly two decades on the Connecticut Metro North Commuter Council, and most recently founded The Commuter Action Group. Jim Cameron’s Talking Transportation was a popular column on the former WestportNow.com prior to its cessation, and joins The Westport Local Press and several other online community organizations. A resident of Darien - he serves on its Representative Town Meeting and is Program Director of the town government TV station, DarienTV79. He can be reached at CommuterActionGroup@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter: @CTRailCommuters
Westport COVID-19 Cases Up 2; State Positivity Rate. 2.64%
The State Department of Public Health reported 2 more cases in Westport over the past 24 hours. The State’s daily test positivity rate down to 2.64% while hospitalizations were up 1 patient, with 100 patients currently hospitalized for COVID-19 throughout the State.
Westport total positive or probable cases: 4,001 cases.
Westport total COVID-19 Deaths: 36 deaths
State Daily Test Positivity: 2.64% [down from 3.25%]
State Hospitalizations: 100 patients [+1]
Governor Signs Emergency Legislation to Suspend CT 25¢ Gas Tax, Public Bus Fares for Three Months
Governor Ned Lamont’s Office:Governor Ned Lamont today announced that he has signed emergency bipartisan legislation (House Bill 5501) suspending Connecticut’s excise tax on gasoline from April 1, 2022, to June 30, 2022. In addition, the legislation suspends fares on public buses statewide during that same period, and it creates a one-week sales tax holiday on clothing and footwear under $100 from April 10, 2022, to April 16, 2022.
The state’s excise tax on gasoline is 25 cents per gallon. The legislation includes language asserting that failure by retailers to reduce the per-gallon price of gasoline by this amount during the suspension period will be considered an “unfair or deceptive trade practice.”
The legislation was approved in the House and the Senate with unanimous support by lawmakers.
Governor Lamont said, “With this bipartisan action, we are taking steps to provide some relief to consumers as they face rising prices due to a number of international dynamics and market instability that go far beyond our state. Connecticut is in a stronger fiscal position than ever before, and I am determined to use every tool available to provide relief for our residents. I am appreciative that legislative leaders from both parties successfully worked with my office to get this done, and I think these actions are a good indicator that in the coming weeks we will be able to once again come to a bipartisan agreement to provide more tax relief to the people of Connecticut.”
Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz said, “Our administration is acting today to provide immediate relief to Connecticut consumers who are paying higher prices at the gas pump as the result of the crisis in Ukraine and international inflation. Putting more money back in consumers’ pockets will help alleviate some of the strain families are experiencing as we emerge from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Senate President Pro Tempore Martin Looney (D-New Haven) and Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk) said, “Today’s legislation will provide genuine, tangible financial relief for Connecticut residents. The gas tax holiday will help drivers as all Americans struggle with the ‘Putin Price Hike.’ Furthermore, free bus transportation and the additional sales tax holiday this April will benefit everyone, but especially low and moderate-income people. We know that every kind of relief is significant in these inflationary times, and we will continue to work to protect consumers and advocate for policies that reduce the tax burden for middle and working-class families.”
Senate Minority Leader Kevin Kelly (R-Stratford, Monroe, Seymour, Shelton) said, “Two weeks ago, Connecticut Republicans called for suspending the gas tax. Today, lawmakers came together in a bipartisan vote to deliver tax relief to all Connecticut families. This is an important first step in providing needed relief to working and middle-class families to combat the crushing impact of inflation. But our work is far from done. We must continue working together to make Connecticut more affordable across the board. From health care costs to taxes, Connecticut families need relief.”
Speaker of the House Matt Ritter (D-Hartford) said, “Years of responsible fiscal policy have put us in the position where we can suspend the gas tax until the end of June, add a second sales tax holiday, and provide free bus service. And today is just the first step – taxpayers should stay tuned because there is more relief to come this legislative session.”
House Majority Leader Jason Rojas (D-East Hartford, Manchester) said, “The ongoing impact of the pandemic has had global implications that are largely out of our control. But as state lawmakers, we have options at our disposal to address the financial pain Connecticut families are feeling at the pump and in their homes. Today, we acted in a bipartisan way to address some of that pain. I’m proud that we have been able to work together to prioritize the needs of our communities.”
House Minority Leader Vincent Candelora (R-Durham, Guilford, North Branford, Wallingford) said, “We can provide instant relief for state motorists with this legislation that was unanimously approved in the House. However, we remain committed to working on sensible, affordable remedies for consumers during this time of runaway inflation. I hope this is just a first step in that direction.”