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By Kerri Provost, January 25, 2012 8:56 am

Even with nearly 100 vehicles towed and 500 parking tickets issued during last weekend’s snow event, some streets appeared to have not gotten the memo that there was a street parking ban in effect.

Lt. Chris Mefferd, the Police Department’s Traffic Division Commander, said “vehicles parked on the street were issued tickets, announcements were made over the loudspeaker instructing residents to move their vehicles, and vehicles that were not removed were towed. Through this process, we made our best effort to gain voluntary compliance before initiating tow operations to ensure efficient plowing and clearing of city streets.”

This was not the case for every city street. On Tuesday, some were still not plowed to the curb; in Hartford, Saturday’s “storm” left only a few inches of snow, making removal of it far less daunting of a task than what the City dealt with last January. The October 2011 storm, which left about a foot of snow in the city, did not inspire officials to treat on-street parking with the degree of seriousness that a few inches of powder over the weekend apparently warranted. Continue reading 'Snow is Green: Tickets Mean Revenue'»

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By Kerri Provost, January 11, 2012 2:55 pm

rendering courtesy of iQuilt

As barrels of trash heaved into the pond in Bushnell Park remain there for nearly a week and as the water feature in the playground nearby continues to be broken for years on end, residents and stakeholders were presented with the iQuilt’s dream plan of bring flowing water through the park.

Using identity strategy and enculturation to rally support, those leading this project dismissed skeptics as lacking vision. As much was said twice yesterday at a mini-presentation during a Rising Star Breakfast and in the evening before the Planning and Zoning Commission meeting. The presentation included codewords,  as several supporters described selves as “believers” and even went so far as to say that bring flowing water back into the park would be good for our “souls.”

The presentation included visual appeals to nostalgia and romance. The lovely, verdant design renderings seduced the participant into imagining a pristine urban paradise in which those seeking recreation can choose to wade across a 50-100 foot wide brook, meander through pop up studios and greenhouses, or linger on any of the nine bridges that would be added to Bushnell Park.

Urban design presentations, as a whole, dazzle those from whom they want support, but fail to provide real answers that concerned residents have about what is slated to happen in our backyards.

Prior to the presentation, Real Hartford readers submitted questions they had about this project, which are marked in bold and are direct quotes, unless noted otherwise.

Who is doing the planning?

The iQuilt, in the works for several years now, is described as a “culture based urban design plan for Downtown Hartford.”

The iQuilt is a private/public partnership which receives support from various institutions including the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts, Bushnell Park Foundation, CIGNA, City of Hartford, State of Connecticut, MDC, Riverfront Recapture, Connecticut Light & Power, Northeast Utilities, Travelers, and United Illuminating. Suisman Urban Design has been leading the iQuilt design team. A 501(c)3 was formed recently. Continue reading 'iQuilt: Dotting i’s'»

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By Kerri Provost,

There was a lot of buzz yesterday about the iQuilt project, which many had not heard of despite it being in existence since 2008.

One space this plan focuses on is Bushnell Park.

The photos below were taken on Tuesday, the same day as when Doug Suisman of Suisman Urban Design shared many ambitious ideas about how the iQuilt plan can impact the park. These photos are taken from the perspective of a pedestrian/cyclist commuter, though an effort was made to include some of the park’s attractions. These photographs show the range of conditions and maintenance in Bushnell Park as of January 2012.

Part of the East Coast Greenway runs between the Armory and the Legislative Office Building. This path continues over a highway on-ramp, along the railroad tracks and viaduct, and into Bushnell Park. Sand continuously covers part of this path because of poor maintenance. None of the neighboring entities (Bushnell Park, State of Connecticut, Amtrak, etc.) take consistent responsibility for dealing with the erosion issues.

Continue reading 'Walking Tour of Bushnell Park'»

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By Kerri Provost, January 5, 2012 11:09 am

There will be another iQuilt presentation and public input session on the evening of January 10th from 5-7 at the Hartford Public Library. The iQuilt project deals with improvements to Downtown.

Archived articles about iQuilt (starting with oldest)

“Our Charmingly Irregular Quilt“

“A Somewhat Holey Quilt“

“iQuilt Phase II - 1“

“iQuilt Phase II - 2“

“iQuilt Phase II - 3“

“Whose Quilt?“

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By Kerri Provost, November 17, 2011 11:39 pm

If the police issue several traffic advisories letting the public know that they will likely be unable to use a street during part of the day, and then they barricade that street so that no vehicular traffic can use it, can activists who — after the road has been made impassable already — are physically blocking an entrance ramp on that block be arrested for impeding traffic?

Yes.

A dozen people, including some with SEIU, CCAG, and the machinists’ union, were peacefully arrested after blocking the Broad Street on-ramp to I-84 East. Peter Goselin, with the National Lawyers Guild, said that the arrests were carried out smoothly.

Continue reading 'Ramping Up Demonstrations'»

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By Kerri Provost, November 15, 2011 10:30 pm

The viaduct — that eyesore that divides neighborhoods and requires repairs or removal — will be one site where local activists gather on Thursday for the “National Day of Action for the 99%” (also being called March and Occupy the Bridge for the Jobless).

Nationwide, people will be marching across bridges and in other public spaces to demand that Congress create jobs. Organizers say that “America’s crumbling infrastructure” needs to be addressed. Of I-84, they say “this interstate needs work and so do we. We could create millions of jobs repairing bridges and roads like I-84 in downtown Hartford, as well as schools and parks — fixing up our country will help us meet America’s education, transportation, and clean energy needs.”

Steve Thornton, who is with SEIU 1199 and will be taking part in Thursday’s action, noted that “public safety is not a priority” when it comes to government spending, “but tax breaks” have been in recent years. This action, he said, is designed to shine a light on “upside down priorities.” Continue reading 'Take it to the Bridge'»

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By Kerri Provost, October 31, 2011 4:59 pm

Although many areas in the state have experienced complete devastation, other sections were relatively untouched. A walk from Frog Hollow to the Connecticut River involved no fallen power lines, a few down trees, and many branches strewn about.

All businesses appeared to be open.

Roads were clogged — particularly around gas stations — with impatient and careless drivers. Late last night, the lines at the pumps were only two or three cars deep. East of the Connecticut River, only a few gas stations were open because of the power outage.

Damage could be seen on the State Capitol grounds, in parks, and in residential areas alike. Continue reading 'Storm Alfred: Wreckage and Beauty'»

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By Kerri Provost, October 23, 2011 5:52 pm

Since Thursday, all of this and more has been happening in Hartford: Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk, Patti Smith extravaganza, Creative Cocktail Hour at Real Art Ways, Hooker Day Parade, and the Discover Hartford Parks Tour. The annual bicycle and walking tour began in Bushnell Park and made stops in various city parks, including Colt, Goodwin, Pope, and Elizabeth.

Continue reading 'Discover Hartford Parks'»

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By Kerri Provost, October 16, 2011 11:39 am

The way to view the Hartford Marathon is perhaps not by standing next to the medic tent just past the finish line. Continue reading 'Endurance: Hartford Has It'»

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By Kerri Provost, October 12, 2011 9:27 pm

The Hartford Marathon and Half Marathon will be held this Saturday morning, and every year, despite endless notices, I hear from people who are shocked that their buses were delayed or that their route to work was disrupted.

It seems that this year, even more notice has been given, between signs posted on certain streets, to the use of the “Amber Alert” signs on the interstate. Some downtown employers have distributed this information to their employees. With the canopies now taking over Bushnell Park, it’s hard to not know that something big is going on this weekend.

According to the marathon’s website, from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., Pearl Street, Ford Street, State Street, and the Founders Bridge will be closed to traffic. Asylum Street, Farmington Avenue, and South Whitney will be closed from 7:30-11:30 in the morning. Capitol Avenue and Broad Street will be closed from 7:30-9 a.m. and from 7:30-9:30 a.m., all of the following will be closed: Sheldon Street, Van Dyke Avenue, Weston Street, Rev. Moody Overpass, Market Street, Prospect Street, and Park Street.

If you plan to move about in those areas during Saturday morning and early afternoon, the easiest way to go about that is on foot or bicycle.

For those who want to check out the runners as they cross the finish line, Bike Walk CT will be providing secure, valet bicycle parking in Bushnell Park from six in the morning until one in the afternoon. There are bleachers set up near the Soliders & Sailors Memorial Arch.