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The Reporters: Erik Engquist (212) 210-0745 Matthew Sollars (212) 210-0267 Crain’s Insider is available Tuesday through Friday by 6:00 a.m. Reproduction, forwarding or reuse in any form is prohibited. For customer service, call (888) 909-9111. City Council members were not especially prepared for the spike in gas prices or the new political correctness of driving a high-mileage car, an Insider survey has found. Only four of the 51 members drive hybrids: Eric Gioia of Queens, Tish James of Brooklyn, Oliver Koppell of the Bronx and Rosie Mendez of Manhattan. Mendez’s 2006 Honda Civic is the best performer, squeezing out a whopping 40 miles per gallon in the city. The other 31 members’ cars whose mileage could be determined get 18 mpg, on average, in city driving. The number would probably be even lower if it included the mileage of the 13 members who failed to respond to the survey. Two Manhattan councilwomen, Gale Brewer and Chris Quinn, do not own cars, although insiders discount Quinn because as speaker, she is frequently driven to events in a city-owned sports utility vehicle. Brewer thus gathered kudos for being the least car-dependent council member. “It doesn’t surprise me that it’s Gale Brew- er,” says Wiley Norvell, a spokesman for anti-car advocacy group Transportation Alternatives. “She’s somebody who always has transit, biking and walking on her brain.” The group would not comment on the types of vehicle driven by the other 49 members—neither Mendez’s hybrid nor the 14-mpg fuel hogs driven by several council members Sara Gonzalez, Vinny Ignizio, Jimmy Oddo and Annabel Palma. The single councilman who clocked in with the lowest mileage was Mike McMahon, whose Lexus gets just 12 mpg. “For us, it’s about car or no car,” Norvell says. “It’s a challenge to fund a world-class transit system or apportion street space for bikers and pedestri- ans when so many of our elected officials and decision-makers see our streets through a windshield.” NAME/PARTY/BOROUGH CAR MODEL/YEAR CITY MPG NAME/PARTY/BOROUGH CAR/MODEL/YEAR CITY MPG Gale Brewer, D-Man. Does not own a car — Simcha Felder, D-B’klyn Honda Odyssey 16 MPG Christine Quinn, D-Man. Does not own a car — Robert Jackson, D-Man. Volvo V70 2008 16 MPG Rosie Mendez, D-Man. Honda Civic hybrid 2006 40 MPG Melinda Katz, D-Queens Ford Edge 2008 16 MPG Oliver Koppel, D-Bronx Mercury Mariner hybrid 2007 34 MPG Thomas White Jr., D-Queens Infinity Q45 2003 16 MPG Eric Gioia, D-Queens 1 Mercury Mariner hybrid 28 MPG David Yassky, D-B’klyn Mazda MPV Minivan 2003 16 MPG Tony Avella, D-Queens Toyota Corolla 2009 27 MPG Michael Nelson, D-B’klyn Cadillac SRX 2008 15 MPG Hiram Monserrate, D-Queens Honda Civic 2007 26 MPG Domenic Recchia Jr., D-B’klyn Honda Pilot SUV 15 MPG Leroy Comrie Jr., D-Queens Honda Accord 2005 25 MPG Helen Sears, D-Queens BMW 1994 15 MPG Joseph Addabbo Jr., D-Queens Chrysler Sebring 2007 24 MPG Sara Gonzalez, D-B’klyn Jeep3 14 MPG Alan Gerson, D-Man.2 Honda Accord 2006 23 MPG Vincent Ignizio, R-S.I. GMC Envoy SUV 2007 14 MPG James Gennaro, D-Queens Toyota Rav4 2003 22 MPG James Oddo, R-S.I. Jeep Wrangler 2002 14 MPG Lewis Fidler, D-B’klyn Infinity G35 21 MPG Annabel Palma, D-Bronx Chevrolet Trailblazer 2003 14 MPG Letitia James, D-B’klyn Toyota Camry Solara hybrid 2008 21 MPG Michael McMahon, D-S.I. Lexus LX 570 2008 12 MPG Jessica Lappin, D-Man. Volvo S40 2001 20 MPG David Weprin, D-Queens Honda Accord 2007 n/a Melissa Mark-Viverito, D-Man. Volkswagen GTI 2003 20 MPG Maria del Carmen Arroyo, D-Bronx Press secretary stated, “If the councilwoman Daniel Garodnick, D-Man. Toyota Avalon 2003 19 MPG wanted to give you that information, she would have called you back by now.” John Liu, D-Queens Honda Accord 2003 19 MPG Inez Dickens, D-Man. Press secretary stated, “We’re not at liberty James Sanders Jr., D-Queens Lexus IS 350 19 MPG to release that type of information. It’s not James Vacca, D-Bronx Mitsubishi Galant 2003 19 MPG important, and we don’t like it to be public.” Erik Martin Dilan, D-B’klyn Volkswagen Passat 2000 18 MPG Mathieu Eugene, D-B’klyn Secretary stated, “That information is private; I will not give it out.” Peter F. Vallone Jr., D-Queens Cadillac CTS 2008 18 MPG Charles Barron, D-B’klyn Toyota Camry 2000 17 MPG The following council members did not return calls: Maria Baez, D-Bronx; Anthony Como, R-Queens; Helen Foster, D-Bronx; Miguel Martinez, D-Man.; Darlene Mealy, Vincent Gentile, D-B’klyn Chrysler 300 1999 17 MPG D-B’klyn; Diana Reyna, D-B’klyn; Joel Rivera, D-Bronx; Larry Seabrook, D-Bronx; Kendall Bill de Blasio, D-B’klyn Ford Taurus Wagon 1999 16 MPG Stewart, D-B’klyn; and Albert Vann, D-B’klyn. 1-Often travels by subway. 2-Travels primarily by train and taxi. 3-Did not call back with details; data are based on 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee. n/a Not available. Research: Amanda Wheat. Sources: http://council.nyc.gov/html/members/members.shtml, www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/findacar.htm .