It’s an unpopular opinion, but I can’t get sentimental about the Isle of Safety.

  1. Shutting down the street and turning it into a pedestrian plaza — State House Square — rendered the structure irrelevant when people were granted more than a paltry island for their safety.
  2. There are currently multiple shelters in this area of downtown for those waiting for the bus. These bus shelters can be found on both sides of Main Street by the Ancient Burying Ground and Travelers tower, on the south side of the Old State House, on Main by the sea of surface parking near the cigarette kiosk, and on Market Street near Constitution Plaza. They might not be as lovely as this large shelter was, but they are functional and near various bus stops.
  3. This is a clear case of everyone needing to get in their time machines, go back, and make better choices. The trolley system did not simply vanish. It was pushed out. But, the trolley is another thing there is no need to feel nostalgic about. Our present bus system, though it has room for improvement, has flexibility that is not available to a trolley that is constrained to its tracks. If a street is impacted by a crash or construction, a bus can change its path. Our local buses are accessible for those in wheelchairs, and the buses lower to make it easier for riders to board.

Hartford would have done well to keep a number of things — the Park River, the original Hartford Public High School, and the neighborhoods demolished in the name of slum clearance — but trolleys and the Isle of Safety are perfectly fine being kept only in museums.