If memory and Gossips posts serve, it's been two years since the public has heard anything about Hudson Connects, the DRI-funded complete streets improvements for the area of the city below Second Street, being planned by Arterial, the street design studio chosen for the project back in 2019. The last public workshop was in August 2021. At that time, it was predicted that work would start in Fall 2022 or Spring 2023.
Since then, the project has progressed out of the public eye, but the "progress," it seems, has mostly been scaling things back to try to bring the project within the budget of almost $4 million in DRI money. The one thing we do know about the project is that this aspirational concept for the Second Street stairs . . .
We don't know if this element of the Hudson Connects improvements has been scaled back, but it's probably a good thing that no work has begun on the project. As we learned last night, Hudson Housing Authority is proposing closing State Street to vehicular traffic between Second and First streets, which would render most if not all of the proposed improvements unnecessary.
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The second street stairs should be condemned. They are eroded, many broken with rebar protruding. Recent rain has eroded surrounding soil and left debris on what remains of the steps. This is an accident waiting to happen, with a lawsuit against the city to follow.
ReplyDeleteI suppose it's nothing some cement patch and a coat of red paint can't fix. It just has to be maintained, patched up on an annual or biannual basis.
DeleteGood idea to close lower state, better would be to also make State St one way going uptown between 2nd and 3rd. That would be a big neighborhood improvement that would cost the city next to nothing.
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ReplyDeleteIn reality who uses the 2nd Street stairs? When I walk down to the train station or the riverfront I just stay on Allen street to get to Front Street. It seems to me that the people that most use those stairs are people staying at The Wick, so wouldn't it benefit the hotel to lobby the city to have them repaired if not to simply pay for it themselves? I understand it's not the hotel's responsibility, but what a terrible first impression of Hudson: you've checked in, dropped off your bags and these ramshackle stairs are the first thing you see?
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