New Haven became the fourth city in the U-S tonight, and the only in CT, to pass an ordinance allowing free metered parking for hybrid and alternative fuel vehicle cars. Only San Jose, CA; Los Angeles, CA; and Albuquerque, NM have passed similar legislation.
Said the mayor:
“This isn’t about parking, it’s about public health. Eighteen percent of our kids suffer from asthma, and statewide the number is 10%.”
Stay tuned for an upcoming Privatization Watch which examines the popularly held notion that air pollution causes asthma. Again from the mayor:
“This ordinance sends a powerful message to not only New Haven residents but the rest of the state and even the country that the smallest measures can make a difference. Tonight’s vote is part of a larger effort in New Haven to reduce toxic emissions. This includes converting the city fleet to hybrids, retrofitting school buses with diesel emissions reducing technology, and building two hydrogen fuel cell buses. New Haven is the hybrid capital of Connecticut.”
Oh, so this is one of those branding campaigns. Here’s the whole article (via The Newspaper). Here’s my take on why it’s good for consumers to love hybrids, but not good for politicians to express their love of hybrids through policy. UPDATE: The Grassroot Institute’s Don Newman points out that Honolulu offers free metered parking for electric cars.