New Haven is considering reducing the number of parking spaces on Elm Street to make way for new express bus routes as part of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) program. The city’s current proposed design would eliminate on-street parking on Elm Street altogether along Yale’s campus and the Green, which is from York Street to Church Street.

Business Owners Concerned

Some business owners are worried that the proposed changes would hurt their businesses. José Diaz, who owns the Peruvian restaurant Icaru at 39 Elm St., has a permit for an on-street patio where a bus lane is projected to be. “That’s gonna be a problem,” he said. Diaz also said that he already hears frequent complaints from customers about parking.

The city’s Transportation, Traffic, & Parking Director Haley Simpson shared the proposed plans with the Independent this week, in advance of a planned July 15 meeting at the Elm City Club on this topic. She emphasized that these proposed changes are not final, and the state Department of Transportation (DOT) is still in its design phase for BRT as a whole.

Proposed Plans

The proposed plans would create 28 new on-street parking spots on Chapel Street to help make up for the loss on Elm Street. The city would also create a two-way, multi-use path from York to College, which would then redirect bikers through the Green. The planned Whalley-Grand route will run from Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU), through downtown and into Fair Haven.

Original reporting: New Haven Independent — read the source article.