Instead of screaming into the void of Twitter, I bring you a weekly highlight reel of what it’s like going places in Greater Hartford when one is gloriously car-free. These posts are on a slight time delay because nobody needs to know exactly where I am when I am there.
KNOW YOUR WORTH
Less than someone randomly parked across from the Farmington Avenue police substation (again).
Less than someone loading a truck on Park Terrace.
But the one image that really captures it:
Profits over people.
But if you walk or bike or bus as your main way of getting around, you already know that you regarded as a second class citizen. You time, space, comfort. . . none of those are valued.
AUGUST MALAISE
We are on Day 8 or Day 800 or Who Even Knows Anymore of this damn heatwave. It’s made me swearier. Sweatier. Or maybe that’s just perimenopause.
I prefer walking to taking the bus, but also prefer not passing out from heatstroke, so it’s been almost an entire week feeling somewhat detached from where I live. Plus, there’s been some added distraction, so between that and the heat, forgive my inability to string words together this week. We’ll make it quick.
The most I can say is that I did some top notch bonding with another rider who summoned me to stand behind one of the painted bus shelters because that sort of blocked the harsh sun. She had an umbrella opened. We were both wondering why nobody bothered planting trees around the bus stop, or why the shelter was placed in an area that receives no shade from nearby buildings. I forgot to place air quotes around “wondering.” We know why. The people who do the designing and the planning don’t seem to be the ones to use it.
PEDESTRIAN-FRIENDLY STREETS
Some towns give you surrender flags.
Hartford provides you with walking knives.
THERE’S FUCKERY AFOOT
If you aren’t a regular transit rider, it may have slipped right by that for the last several weeks, there’s something going down at CTtransit.
How do I know?
Just look through CTtransit’s social media updates:
August 9, 2022:
August 8, 2022:
August 6, 2022:
August 5, 2022:
August 4, 2022:
August 3, 2022:
August 2, 2022:
August 1, 2022:
That’s about half of the “service modifications” from the last few weeks. Good luck trying to figure out if your bus is coming or not.
If there’s sickness going around, perhaps evaluate why that is and require protection again on the buses instead of the current free-for-all.
If this is some bullshit power move, try showing solidarity with your fellow workers and use a bargaining tactic that does not interfere with their ability to get to their jobs.
And then there’s this:
If you aren’t up on what the $210 million ground transport center spending looks like for bus riders, go poke around the Internet. Prepare to be underwhelmed.
THE TWEETS THAT SAVE
In the meantime:
and
WHAT NEXT
Mark your calendars!
On September 1, 2022, The Street Project will be screened at Real Art Ways with a panel discussion to follow that I can personally guarantee will be at least 30% lit.