Real Hartford

I’ll Pahk My Cah up Yah…

I’ll admit to being either very lucky or very picky about my residential parking situations. Let’s go with picky. In my old neighborhood, I had access to a lot with a designated space, and eventually parked in a one-car garage. The reason for moving into the garage had to do with my car getting broken into twice, and of those two times, once it was stealthily borrowed, let’s just say. In all, I had to replace an ignition, passenger window, windshield, radiator, and hood due to these two break-ins. But on the bright side, as far as I can tell, nothing was stolen out of the car (besides the radiator, and oh, the car). This was in a lot with fairly decent lighting and lots of people in the vicinity. It was stolen maybe twenty feet from where I was sleeping.

Given that experience, when it came time to move, I was extremely picky. When making calls, I hung up as soon as someone said “on-street parking” or “we can’t guarantee a spot.” I don’t drive all the time, but I’m not quite ready to get rid of my car yet. It’s a Honda, and if it does what a Honda is supposed to do, should last awhile still. It’s got too many miles to appeal to most buyers at this point. Where I am now, there’s gated parking, a designated parking spot in a very well-lit area, a camera near my spot, and probably a quarter of the residents have to pass my spot to leave. I didn’t demand all that, but it’s much more security than I’ve had anywhere I’ve lived in recent years. And I still lock the car and put on the anti-theft steering wheel bar.

I was this selective because I had heard plenty of stories from friends and foes alike regarding ticketing, towing, and theft. Some people have to park blocks away. Several streets have parking on one side only, and that changes depending on what day it is. I remember wanting to look at housing on a certain lovely street in the West End, but knew I’d be handing over half my paycheck every month because my inability to remember what day it is would result in tickets. I can just hear the cops chuckling to each other– “I don’t have money to take the kids to see that new Hannah Montana movie.” “Don’t sweat it Earl. Go ticket the blue car down on Oxford.” “Right.”
Continue reading I’ll Pahk My Cah up Yah……

The Benefits of Biking to Work

Here is a short video that may (or may not) convince you of the merits of biking.

Bike Racks

If you have ever felt frustration about parking your bike safely in Hartford because of the lack of racks, now is your chance to tell the City of Hartford where you think racks are most needed. A quick survey allows you to name up to ten specific places throughout Hartford. Not that I’d try to sway anyone’s opinion on this, but there’s a real absence of racks in the State House Square area and on Pratt Street.

“He’s got an interstate runnin’ through his front yard”

There will be a discussion on the I-84 viaduct tomorrow evening at the Hartford Public Library. What has been a convenience for some, has proven to be an enormous inconvenience and eyesore for others. “The Hub of Hartford: A Citizens’ Forum” will begin at 6pm, with light refreshments available. There will be “experts” on hand from The City of Hartford, The Capitol Region Council of Governments, The Connecticut Department of Transportation, and people/institutions from the neighborhoods affected by the highway.

Nick Caruso, in “A Coordinated Urban Initiative in Hartford”, writes:

Let’s start with the growing “Hub of Hartford” movement to de-emphasize I-84 through the middle of Hartford. The decision to run the interstate highway through the center of the city was perhaps the most regrettable planning decision of the last century. The Hub group is exploring ways to minimize the damage.

Much of the highway corridor includes land where the central branch of the Park River use to flow. In tangent with the Hub project, the Capitol Region Council of Governments wants to run Hartford’s East Coast Greenway segment through the same area, taking advantage of the urban gaps left by the now-buried river.

Continue reading “He’s got an interstate runnin’ through his front yard”…

Central Connecticut Bike Week

There seem to be more and more cyclists on the road in recent weeks, thanks I’m sure to the warm weather and rising price of gasoline. It generally takes me less time to ride somewhere in town than it takes to drive, and that is with obeying traffic laws.

CCBA has several events planned for the upcoming National Bike-to-Work Week.

Schedule of Events

Friday, May 9, 7:00, as a pre Bike Week kickoff CCBA is hosting a “Bike to the Movies Night” at the Alchemy Juice Bar in Hartford

Wednesday, May 14, Bike to Dinner, 5:30 PM, Lena’s First and Last, Parkville, Hartford.

Friday, May 16, Bike Happy Hour, 5:30 pm, The Corner Pug, thecornerpug.com

Friday, May 16, Bike to Work Breakfast in downtown Hartford, 7 to 9 am, Old State House sponsored by Departments of Public Health, Transportation and Environmental ProtectionThere will be groups of riders cycling to the events together. The CCBA website has the full schedule of events, bike pool information, event details, great bicycle commuter tips, and bike to work resources – http://www.wecyclect.org/btw.htm

Bike to work events take place rain or shine.

Ride of Silence on May 21

The ride will leave the Rose Garden at Elizabeth Park at 7:00 pm. It will be about 10 miles at a slow pace and will be led by Dave Ringquist. For more information check out: http://www.rideofsilence.org/main.php

Towing Ceasefire (almost) in West End

Amy explains some new parking rules at the Kinko’s lot off of Farmington Avenue. This will hopefully ease some of the concerns people have about getting towed when they park in a lot that’s otherwise unused at a certain time of evening.

CRCOG’s Active Transportation Initiative

The Capitol Region Council of Governments has completed their Regional Pedestrian and Bicycle Plan. The goal of the plan is to significantly increase the number of people who regularly use biking or walking as their transportation. On Thursday April 10, there will be a public forum at the Hartford Public Library (6 pm) so that people can give their input on this plan.

Their goals by 2015:

all major commute routes to employment concentrations will have appropriate bike
facilities (bike lanes, bike shoulders, wide curb lanes, or parallel multi use paths)

the East Coast Greenway will be completed through the region

all commercial developments will have safe and convenient pedestrian access

all new residential development will provide the option of non-motorized access to
surrounding neighborhood destinations

standards for bicycle and pedestrian facilities will have been adopted throughout the
region

all the region’s towns will have adopted bicycle and pedestrian plans

bicycle commuting in the region will have increased significantly (to 5000 individuals)

one percent of all non-commuting automobile trips will have shifted to bicycling or
walking (a shift of 67,000 vehicle miles of daily travel.)

a robust regional trails fund will insure the ongoing construction of multi use paths.

It seems that they based some of their goals on the results received on the Active Transportation Initiative Survey that was active from November 2007 to January 2008. In their plan, they also compare Hartford to other metro areas in the country. Madison WI is one place that does much better than Hartford CT when it comes to alternative transportation.

Later in the plan, they outline how to make a case for their goals. They explained that about 30% of the population does not drive, though that does not mean that 30% rely on biking or walking alone.

You can read the full plan on the CRCOG website.