In December 2020, the Tourism Board agreed to provide the $17,500 needed to fund a parking study. At tonight's meeting of the Tourism Board, Ryan Wallace, who currently serves as Third Ward alderman and chairs the Tourism Board, lamented the fact that the survey for the parking study had only gotten one response. Survey? What survey?
The survey began, unbeknownst to many, on Friday, October 22, and will continue through Saturday, November 6. You have a few days left to complete it, so act now!
COPYRIGHT 2021 CAROLE OSTERINK
People in Hudson assume that street parking is their god given right, but I never hear anyone ever talking about all of the countless garages that go completely unused in Hudson’s alleys. Maybe alley parking should be considered in the survey? Once upon a time I assume that those garages and alley parking spots were used, back when trolleys ran and street parking was not as common.
ReplyDeleteNO. Alleys are used for local deliveries only and as those trucks are increasing in size, they can barely get thru as it is. Residents property is private property. Residents yards open on to alleys. We do not need more traffic making it more dangerous for everyone. Residents do not park on the alley itself, they must park on their property, whether there is a structure there or not.
DeletePedestrians, especially seniors use them as a safer alternatitive, like Columbia St for example, to walk.
Speaking of which, the city does zero enforcement of illegal parking in the alleys. Prison Alley is correct, you cannot park in the alleys, but rather on your private property adjacent to the alley, like a garage or parking space. I think Partition is the exception since it’s so wide and kinda an alley/street hybrid. We’ve had issues with people who work on Warren parking in the alley to avoid paying the meter or an extra block’s walk. They end up blocking in our private parking space and cause bottlenecks for delivery and sanitation trucks. If you call parking enforcement, they’ll curtly tell you that it’s not their problem and to call the police. When you call the police, they’ll pretend to take down the info and take no further action. I assume this is a problem all over, looking at all the various “no parking” signs people have to put up on their property.
DeleteAllow me to reiterate: Jeesh. I certainly wasn’t suggesting that anyone should ever park IN THE ALLEY! But look around, look at all of the underutilized back yards and vacant garages! That’s all I was saying.
DeleteAnother example of the incompetent Tourist Board.One applicant, K 17.5,for answers we already know. Why are they even still around ?
ReplyDeleteSo Tom and Kamal can funnel money to cronies. The Board wasn't designed this way, that's for sure.
DeleteYesterday Nov 1 the concrete Bunker Blocks were removed from Warren st,& about time. Didn't see any of the Tourist Board running around giving objectionable directions to the removers.A vast different story as to when they were being installed. Whatever happened to Gary Purnagen ,was he not hired for K15 to oversee this TOURIST BOARD F--k up.
ReplyDeleteGary was present at the removal of the blocks, as was Ryan Wallace, which is maybe why the management of block removal was so much smoother than the installation.
DeleteIn case anyone would listen to “man bites dog,” I was on the Streets before the DPW was there at 7 AM and helped the coordination of the removal of both the blocks and planters. And I was on the phone with the Crew Chief throughout the day. The DPW didn’t need me standing over them throughout the day. And yes, the DPW did a great job.
DeleteI think I know why there's such a poor response to the survey. Galvan already did their own parking studies for their mega project on 7th Street and they submitted them to the Planning Board. The Planning Board hired a so-called traffic consultant with no experience to review the studies and found no false data and ultimately agreed with Galvan: there is plenty of available parking all over town night and day. Project approved. Why would Hudson waste so much money on another parking survey when we all know that Galvan and the Planning Board have already done the work for us and found no parking problems? Heck, even the Pocketbook factory and Galvan's 140 apartments on 7th won't change that. Why would anyone bother with another survey if it's already been done by the professionals? B Huston
ReplyDeleteThanks for alerting us to this Carole. I completed the survey.
ReplyDeleteI would like to know how this survey was compiled and by whom.
To Holst's point, I happen to have off street parking for one car on one of the alleys. It seems to me that the first question should have been, do you have overnight off-street parking? Then it could have gone down a couple of paths -- if you do, what are the not-at-home parking issues your encounter; what are the issues your guests encounter -- path a.
If you do not have overnight off street parking, what are the issues that you as a resident encounter.
I added comments in my responses, but in my professional work, we frequently design and conduct surveys. This survey needs work. It will be difficult to interpret the responses.
And yes, Holst, there are many alley spaces and we should look at how they are being used.
Margaret Morris
Alleys are not to be obstructed in any way day or night, either by cars of garbage containers. The Fire Department need quick access to rear of building in case of emergency, and don't give me "your emergency is not my emergency."
ReplyDeleteI was referring to actual parking spaces behind houses just out of the alleys, certainly not suggesting anyone should park IN the alley. But when I walk around I see so many wasted spaces behind many houses, some of which are overgrown or full of trash. I also see many old garages that are never used for anything except trash storage, or home to animals. Granted, I do love the crumbling old garages, they are often visually very charming. Some of them are not stable enough to be used for parking, but some are. If people want to address the parking problems that these new developments might create, maybe it is time to think creatively by looking at how the alleys are being used?
DeleteAlso, what’s up with the backyards that are piled high with garbage? Aren’t there codes that need to be enforced?
It seems like a lot of money is wasted in Hudson on these surveys, proposals and analysis. I'd much rather see my tax money spent on actual brick and mortar projects, like the Promenade Park that's sitting there still half destroyed after how much $ spent greasing palms? Why does it cost $17,500 to do a simple survey. What a waste, some folks live a whole year on $17,500, with kids.
ReplyDeleteThat's an amazing amount of money for a traffic study, that didn't include effective outreach, and publication of the survey. One immediate observation is the large number of parking spaces that were eliminated by the permanent installation of concrete blocks, even though very few of the street spaces were activated during the week. I don't know exact stats, but I believe there were fewer shared streets related accidents this year than last, even though the argument for this awful blocks was safety. There are many more thoughtful, effective, and safe ways to manage a project like this, and I sincerely hope it is not under the tourism board purview next year.
ReplyDeleteI think you meant there were *more* shared streets accidents this year than last, no?
DeleteJust another expensive survey that will be ignored because the powers that be have already had their palms greased and the decision made, whether it is best for the citizens or not. Usually not. Like the truck route survey that was completed month ago. Nothing will ever change there either. Same reason.
ReplyDeleteAt you have to do is designate Front Street, No Trucks over 5 Tons, and they have to use the gravel road both ways. Problem solved, cost is whatever it costs to make and install the signs. But lets spend another 100K on surveys and legal opinions. It's like they think they are billionaires and it's their money, not the taxpayers.
ReplyDelete