As part of our effort to elevate policies that promote a more sustainable future for all Norwalkers, Sustainable Streets Norwalk has identified 12 priorities we’d like to see city leaders focus on to promote sustainable development. We sent each 2025 mayoral candidate a questionnaire about their stance on these priorities, and after reviewing their responses and other public statements on these issues, we have assigned each of them a grade on the issues that matter to us.

All of the candidates attended a Sustainable Streets meeting on Tuesday, October 21, to find out what grade they earned, and were given ten minutes to respond or take questions from our members. Based on the quality of their in-person statements, some grades were adjusted, which are included in the table below. 

John Kydes

We applaud unaffiliated candidate John Kydes’ willingness to engage in civil discourse despite our disagreements. Nonetheless, we gave him the lowest overall score due to his firm opposition to our position on housing.

We commend John Kydes for his support for improved walkability and bikeability in Norwalk. He demonstrated impressive familiarity with the work of Norwalk’s Bike/Walk Commission, and offered statements of support for alternatives to car transportation, although clear commitments were lacking. His statement: “Traffic in Norwalk is at an all-time high and steps must be taken to take cars off the road in a way that will also benefit the environment” represents a good starting point for working towards transportation alternatives.

Despite our shared interest in multimodal transportation, we strongly disagree with Mr. Kydes on the issue of housing. Mr. Kydes’ campaign has been characterized by a resolute opposition to new rental construction, stating “One of my top priorities is to stop new apartment development in Norwalk”, and reiterated this position at the meeting. He also showed a lack of imagination when it comes to diversifying home ownership opportunities in Norwalk, arguing that there is nothing the mayor could practically do to help. Home affordability is elementally linked to supply and demand; high demand and low supply gives landowners the power to demand outrageous prices. Mr. Kydes’ opposition to any city-led efforts to increase Norwalk’s housing supply stands in direct opposition to our goal to improve housing availability for all.

Vinny Scicchitano

We gave Republican candidate Vinny Scicchitano a middling score due to his mixed level of support for our priorities and general lack of understanding about the policies that matter to us. 

Mr. Scicchitano offered some good ideas for improving transit infrastructure, particularly regarding bus shelters and broader mobility goals for the city. His proposal to bring business and homes closer together aligns well with a mixed-use development pattern that could help make Norwalk more walkable and alleviate traffic woes. His statement “We need to reduce travel distances between home and work by increasing business development that encourages alternate modes of transportation” shows an understanding that mixed-used development is needed to reduce traffic and promote economic development. 

While he communicated abstract support for walking and biking, a number of his responses prioritized outdated and ineffective solutions to traffic congestion, such as roadway widening, instead of backing viable alternatives to driving. His statement “First priority [regarding a shared-use path on Connecticut Avenue] is to reduce traffic congestion…We cannot make a bad situation worse. CT Ave. needs to have a plan that is sustainable for the next 30 years. A shared-use path needs to be incorporated with widening CT Ave.” shows support for a shared use path, which we commend him for, but also advocates for widening CT Ave, which will only induce more demand and result in more traffic.

On housing, he indicated an openness to nonspecific tax policies to facilitate the construction of owner-occupied housing, but his support for multifamily development is tepid. This, in addition to his skepticism around parking reform, puts him out of alignment with Sustainable Streets’ housing priorities.

Barbara Smyth

We gave Democratic candidate Barbara Smyth high marks for her well-informed responses, demonstrating a solid understanding of bike-walk policy and a commitment to improving active transportation.

Ms. Smyth gave good answers on public transit, reflecting both an institutional familiarity with the system’s details as well as a workable vision for its improvement here in Norwalk. Her statement “We need to make bus ridership more appealing to all of residents – no one should be standing in poor weather with no place to sit while waiting for a bus” shows a willingness to take action on bus infrastructure improvements, which are badly needed in Norwalk.

On housing, she expressed qualified support for forward-thinking policies such as duplex allowances and reduced parking minimums, while advocating for a cautious approach. At the meeting, she emphasized that doing too much too fast stirs resentment, and that housing development in Norwalk must be paired with resident consultation, with special attention paid to prevent gentrification.

Erik Vitaglione

We gave Mayoral and Common Council candidate Erik Vitaglione the highest marks due to his excellent responses, outlining ambitious goals.

Having spent 20 months living car-free, Vitaglione has a high degree of familiarity with Norwalk Transit District’s strengths and weaknesses. His statement “I rode the bus for 20 months, everyday […] Not for messaging but necessity. There is a severe lack of benches, shelter, and signage along all stops.” is a testament to his personal familiarity with the issues that bus riders in Norwalk face today.

While there were some misunderstandings about procedural aspects of municipal policy, his position on duplex housing was solid. Mr. Vitaglione was neutral on eliminating mandated parking minimums downtown, though he expressed an interest in studying cities that have successfully implemented similar reforms. Sustainable Streets commends his experiential knowledge, and his statements reflect the highest degree of alignment with our priorities of any mayoral candidate.

We would like to thank all the candidates for responding to our questionnaire, joining us at our general body meeting last Tuesday, and for engaging in respectful dialogue. While we criticize some candidates’ policy positions, we applaud their willingness to listen and accept criticism graciously.

Sustainable Streets Norwalk is a volunteer association that advocates for improved walkability, bikeability, public transportation, housing for all, and urban green space. Guided by these foundational goals, we aim to elevate those elected officials whose policies align with our vision for a more accessible, connected, and sustainable Norwalk. We encourage all readers who share our values to take into consideration this candidate report card when they vote in this year’s mayoral election.

Editor’s note: This piece is an opinion article. The views expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the perspectives of the publication or its staff.