The Connecticut Department of Transportation, specifically those connected to the CTfastrak project, have an actual policy for dealing with Real Hartford:
In 2012, DOT transit administrator did comment on this site. There was an attempt by a public relations official to reach us shortly after, but we were not compelled to speak with an intermediary and did not return the call. From the email above, it can be seen that Mike Sanders continued to review our coverage of the attempts to permanently barricade a city street.
On Twitter, the @ctfastrak account follows that of @realhartford, and just one month before being advised to stop responding, the DOT had this interaction with us; though minor, the tone sounds like the person tweeting on behalf of CTfastrak was pleased with what was written:
As for the negativity, the articles related to the DOT’s shortsighted decision to disobey two rulings to keep a Hartford street open for pedestrians and cyclists sounds negative because the agency’s action is negative. Want positive coverage? Do positive things. Real Hartford has not struck any deals to preserve our parking spaces like certain businesses near the under construction busway, so we have less incentive to gloss over reality.
Chris Brown
I want so many of my tax dollars returned to me right now.
Kerri Provost
It sounds like the engineering firm hired the PR firm, but if the DOT hired the engineering firm…then it’s basically the same thing, right?
It’s much easier to just do the right thing.
Josh LaPorte
Makes me seriously want to make all your posts “gain momentum”.
It is massively frustrating because I don’t think we are the enemies here. Most people I know who live within easy walking distance of the busway seem largely supportive. I personally am very supportive of the busway and really hope it works well, but I am also appalled and angered by the terribly terrible decision to close Flower Street (particularly so late in the process) and the subsequent horrendous response to public remonstrance regarding the closure.
DOT; listen here. The enemies here are all the suburban people who are asking “who would want to go to Hartford or New Britain?”
Kerri Provost
Exactly.
I had planned to use the busway before all this nonsense with Flower Street began, but now, I frankly feel soured on it.
Here’s a story about what happened last week:
I decided to go from Farmington to Broad using the so-called mitigation path that CTfastrak seems to believe alleviates the closure of Flower Street. I had some extra time and wanted to see where a car had recently crashed off the Interstate and landed near this path. So, I walked up that way, saw the still broken fence and some debris, and went to exit onto Broad. My plan was to walk down Broad Street and then head home, where I live near Park Street. But what I saw was that the sidewalk was closed. This was not something I could have known before taking this trip because there was no signage. I could have crossed the busy street, walked down Broad on the other side, then crossed again. That’s not really safe. I could go back the way I came or gone north on Broad, then cross, and so forth. The point is: none of this should have happened had the DOT followed the agency’s own ruling that the street remain open to pedestrians and cyclists unless a bridge is constructed.
Bernardo
Congratulations, Kerri.
Pablo
Three cheers for “momentum.”
Steve Thornton
Remember, Kerri– Image & Perception Are Everything!
Kerri Provost
Are you saying I shouldn’t’ve worn jeans today? Dang. I always forget perception is more important than substance.
Chris Brown
Can I extrapolate from that example that the perception of pants-wearing will save a less substantive person from an indecent exposure charge and/or frostbite?