Thursday, July 9, 2020

Shared Streets: Improving the Appearance

One criticism of the Hudson Shared Summer Streets program has been disappointment about the tacky appearance of the barriers at street corners, signaling drivers that they must share the streets. That situation is in the process of changing for the better.
Photo Hudson Hall
Marc Scrivo and a team of students from Operate Unite he is training in carpentry skills are building planter boxes on wheels, which serve as barriers to traffic during Shared Streets hours and are rolled to the curb when not required.
Photo: Hudson Development Corporation
Photo: Hudson Hall
So far, just one of the planters has made its appearance on the street, at northwest corner of Warren and Third, but soon they will be everywhere.

 "Foster parents" are now being sought for the planters. The proprietors of businesses near the corners are encouraged to adopt a planter--which involves watering the plants and rolling the planter into place during Shared Streets hours and rolling it back again. Anyone interested in adopting a planter should send an email to hello@hudsonhall.org for more information.
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7 comments:

  1. PETER SPEARJuly 9, 2020 at 2:33 PM

    Thank you, Carole.

    It was tacky, because it was cheap.
    And it was cheap on purpose.

    The Trial Weekend cost the City of Hudson a total of $370 (the cost of the blue laminated signs).

    Everything else was either already City property (the wooden barriers), done by City employees on regular shifts (no overtime), or donated by volunteers.
    
This is one of the core principles of Tactical Urbanism, on which the Shared Summer Streets program is built.

    That is to give a community an actual lived experience of a proposed change, without investing a lot of money.
    
In other words, it cost us $370 to begin a process of re-imagining Warren Street as a vehicle for public health and for economic recovery.

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  2. The DudeJuly 9, 2020 at 5:44 PM

    It's a lot of fun (and much safer) to ride my bicycle on Warren Street thanks to the Summer Streets program. I hope this encourages more people to take up cycling! A leisurely ride on Warren Street is a very relaxing way to end the day at sunset on a warm summer evening.

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  3. Virginia MartinJuly 9, 2020 at 9:23 PM

    I just love what Marc Scrivo and Operation Unite are doing!

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  4. Dan JacobyJuly 9, 2020 at 10:39 PM

    The new planters look marvelous!

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  5. unheimlichJuly 11, 2020 at 10:40 AM

    There's way too much text to read on the signs, and all of it too small, for anyone in a vehicle to both read and negotiate traffic.

    It's something to think about when even a single misstep is totally unacceptable.

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  6. raedancerJuly 11, 2020 at 12:18 PM

    Fantastic use of an amazing Community Organization and local craftsman!

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  7. JenniferJuly 11, 2020 at 2:15 PM

    I really appreciate the efforts to do something different and to help small businesses and I think the fact that all of this has cost $370 is amazing. Thanks to all the volunteers who has made this possible. Thinking outside the box is great, for once some vision, and I for one think it's working, regardless of what naysayers are saying.

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