Caroline’s Record

It has been a full, packed first term serving you on the New Haven Board of Alders.

See below for highlights of what we accomplished together. As I reflect on the term so far, there continues to be one common theme and central belief for me: When we bring people as a community around a shared goal, we can get so much done — together.

Investing in Infrastructure, Safe Streets, + Quality of Life

Investing in infrastructure can make our streets safer for all our neighbors — to walk to our neighborhood grocery store, bus or walk to school, get to work, and head to a friend’s place. Below are a few highlights:

  • Improved safety on James Street: Worked with the Engineering Department and neighbors to install new speed bumps and crosswalk markings on James Street — a cross-neighborhood street in Fair Haven — and Market Street

  • Launched I-91 Neighborhood Reconnection Initiative: Worked alongside the City, my colleagues, and community partners to be granted $2M to launch the I-91 Neighborhood Reconnection Initiative, an effort to reimagine the I-91 highway to reconnect neighborhoods, increase traffic safety, and create opportunities for housing — Read more here

  • Invested in Amtrak bridge: Advocated alongside my colleagues for necessary infrastructure improvements beneath the Amtrak bridge on Lombard and James Streets to increase safety

  • Repaved Lawrence and James Street: Worked with Public Works, including a drive-around with city staff, to repave sections of both Lawrence Street and James Street

  • Secured bikes for East Rock School: Partnered with East Rock School and their PTO to secure a $5,000 CTDOT Safe Routes to School grant for a 16-bike fleet for their after-school Bike Club, co-organized New Haven Bike Month for the 9th year, and raised funds for bike giveaway during Fair Haven Day — Read more here

  • Worked to Recruit a Willow Street Crossing Guard and Crossing Guard at Lombard and James Street: Worked with the TT&P Department, JCARR, and East Rock School to hire a new school Crossing Guard to increase safety for students at Willow and Nash Streets — Read more here

  • Fixed sidewalks, potholes, street lamps, and signage: Advocated for numerous sidewalk-level improvements — including sidewalk and pothole fixes, new street lamps, new street name signage, new pedestrian crossing signs, and new stop signs throughout the Ward

Building Economic Opportunity in Our Neighborhoods

Local businesses across the city contribute to more resilient neighborhoods: providing jobs, activating our storefronts, and increasing access to quality food. Investing in small businesses has been a priority for me — below are a few highlights:

  • Advocated for Streamlining the Permitting and License Process: Partnered with CitySeed and the City to host listening sessions to hear feedback from entrepreneurs on how to improve the permitting and licensing process — resulting in the launch of new multi-lingual Office Hours for entrepreneurs, a new upcoming portal, and a new upcoming weekly cross-departmental meeting to improve turnaround permit approval times — Read more here

  • Invested in Grand Avenue: Partnered with the Grand Avenue Special Services District, Town Green, Alder Sarah Miller, and others to write and secure $160,000 grant for Grand Avenue business corridor

  • Celebrated New Business Openings: Cheered on numerous business openings throughout Ward 9, including East Rock Breads, Vintage Deli, Fairy Flower Meadow Shop, East Street Deli, Spruce Coffee Shop, Ascent Climbing Gym, and The Crooked Goat coming soon — many featured in a New Haven Independent article on Upper State Street — Read more here

  • Honored AAPI Heritage Month in New Haven: Partnered with the Mayor’s Office and AAPI New Haven to officially proclaim May as Asian American Heritage Month and celebrate our city’s 100+ and growing Asian-owned businesses — Watch more here

  • Co-Hosted 3rd Start in New Haven Pitch Night: Co-hosted a 3rd community pitch night to bring community together to support new startup ideas — Learn more here

  • Organized Clean Ups, Snow Shoveling, and more: Co-hosted and participated in many events to support our business corridors — including an Upper State Street clean up, clean ups with the Fair Haven Youth Crew, and a snow shoveling volunteer brigade during a snowstorm

Supporting Community, Youth, and Public Spaces

One important investment we can make is directly into our community infrastructure — including spaces to build connections among neighbors and supporting opportunities for our city’s youth. Below are a few highlights:

  • Launched Mill River Underpass Park project: Partnered with East Rock and Fair Haven neighbors to launch an effort to transform the State Street underpass into a park, including building a team of 30+ New Haven high school students to lead the design and visioning — Read more here

  • Piloted Lawrence Street Plaza initiative: Worked with neighbors to launch the Lawrence Street Plaza, a month-long pilot to pedestrianize Lawrence between State and Mechanic to improve traffic safety — Read more here

  • Installed Welcome to the Neighborhood Posters: Partnered with Atelier Cho Thompson Studio to install Welcome to the Neighborhood posters in the former bike share ad stations, including a QR code to a community guide — Read more here

  • Launched Alder For a Day program: Partnered with JUNTA for Progressive Action to launch Alder For a Day to introduce civics and public service to New Haven high school students — Read more here

  • Advocated for New Haven Public Schools funding: Joined teachers, colleagues, and others to call for more school funding from our state and federal government — Read more here

  • Celebrated Fair Haven Day Festival: Worked alongside many community members on the Fair Haven Day Festival — Read more here

  • Supported our local LGBTQ+ community groups: Recruited volunteers to support Rainbow Elders, a group dedicated to serving our elderly LGBTQ+ community, to build their website and social media

  • Co-hosted community events: Partnered on numerous events — including Kids Craft Nights with Atelier Cho Thompson, Run Across New Haven with New Haven Run Club, phone banking parties during the election, and more

  • Launched New Haven T-Shirt Design Competition to Promote City Pride: Partnered with Atelier Cho Thompson Studio to launch a New Haven T-Shirt Design Competition to encourage residents to design t-shirts that celebrates New Haven’s history, community, and culture — Read more here

  • Co-Launched “Know Your Neighbors” Fund to Bring Neighbors Together: Partnered with Miles Lasater and the Arts Council of Greater New Haven to co-launch micro-grant program to support New Haven residents to spark projects that bring neighbors together — Watch more here

  • Co-Published City LGBTQ+ Toolkit to Reaffirm Commitment to LGBTQ+ Rights: Led effort with community partners and the City of New Haven to design, publish, and release a City LGBTQ+ Toolkit to reaffirm city’s commitment to being a welcoming community for LGBTQ+ neighbors — Read more here

  • Worked with Alders, Employers, and Schools to Launch Neighborhood-wide Fair Haven Anti-Littering Campaign: Worked with the Fair Haven Economic Development group to launch “Fair Haven. Clean Haven. Great Haven” anti-littering campaign — Read more here