Today, Hudson got the attention of The Transit Guy on Instagram. (The Transit Guy is actually Hayden Clarkin, a transportation engineer and planner.)
What The Transit Guy didn't realize is that one of these commercial corridors is not Hudson but Greenport--built not for people, as Hudson was in the 18th and 19th centuries, but for cars.
Thanks to Peter Spear for bringing this to Gossips' attention.
Is the dude suggesting that if only Fairview Ave had sidewalks, its taxable value would go up? Or is he saying that if it were more pedestrian friendly people would walk to Walmart?
It's not what would happen, it's what already happens, and has for years.
So many people risk their lives to walk – gasp, bike – to ShopRite that a well hewn path is there for you to observe for yourself TVP, that is if you care to frogger the trash, rubble, and patches of sod bordering that godforsaken stretch of road.
Survey the kids after school trying to navigate Joslen blvd, heading toward Fairview, without any sidewalk, hell, any shoulder at all. Greenport is an embarrassment in just about every single category of spatial engineering.
Our Empire State Trail "share the road" signs on Joslen – how, where? Notwithstanding most drivers are insulted anyone has the temerity to use that stretch of road in anything but a four thousand pound oil cage.
In Hudson, we've lost countless green spaces – a key component of our architectural heritage – to parking spaces for freshly leased muskmobiles and minicoopers.
The auto-entitlement, the greed, crosses politics, and landscape.
Do we have to look at this as an either / or situation. I'd certainly like to see more walkable development, but I think the actual problem is how to integrate big box stores and lots of cars with pedestrian shopping streets. A town like Madison, Connecticut has a big box shopping mall behind the old walkable main street and parking sandwiched between the big stores and old main street. This arrangement gets you to the library, a great independent bookstore, little local shops and the supermarket without moving the car. Convenience, vitality and ice cream all in one trip.
The vast majority of Americans, including officials who work at the Department of Transportation, consider motor vehicles to be the only legitimate mode of transportation. Accordingly, environmentally-friendly, healthy forms of transportation such as walking and cycling are given short shrift. Constructing good walkways and a bike path would make Fairview Avenue more accessible and safer for the dozens of pedestrians and cyclists who risk their lives on the shoulder of the road every day of the year, rain or shine.
I don’t think this is necessarily a car v. Pedestrian issue so much as it is a landscaping vacuum. Strip malls are surely hideous in and of themselves. But many municipalities require landscaping, particularly along street frontage and within parking areas which, when done properly, make these commercial area better looking, pedestrian friendly(er) and shadier. Greenport seems dedicated to ugly, unfortunately.
Consider the strip mall at 11 Warren Street in Hudson. Instead of pedestrian-friendly landscaping, we have an enormous parking lot. The building itself will always be a monstrosity. The single best way to improve the site would be to eliminate the parking lot and turn it into a pedestrian plaza, like the one in front of Hudson Home at 366 Warren Street. Of course, that would create a severe shortage of parking. That's why 11 Warren Street is a no-win situation.
The administrating board of Greenport has been lacking any soul or intelligence since time began. It would take a miracle to transform this chaotic mess of a place where otherwise people would be drawn to enjoy the avenue and linger. In a sane world, you'd think someone would notice, panic and be motivated to do something in a hurry.
Is the dude suggesting that if only Fairview Ave had sidewalks, its taxable value would go up? Or is he saying that if it were more pedestrian friendly people would walk to Walmart?
ReplyDeleteI'd say neither one would happen.
It's not what would happen, it's what already happens, and has for years.
DeleteSo many people risk their lives to walk – gasp, bike – to ShopRite that a well hewn path is there for you to observe for yourself TVP, that is if you care to frogger the trash, rubble, and patches of sod bordering that godforsaken stretch of road.
Survey the kids after school trying to navigate Joslen blvd, heading toward Fairview, without any sidewalk, hell, any shoulder at all. Greenport is an embarrassment in just about every single category of spatial engineering.
Our Empire State Trail "share the road" signs on Joslen – how, where? Notwithstanding most drivers are insulted anyone has the temerity to use that stretch of road in anything but a four thousand pound oil cage.
In Hudson, we've lost countless green spaces – a key component of our architectural heritage – to parking spaces for freshly leased muskmobiles and minicoopers.
The auto-entitlement, the greed, crosses politics, and landscape.
Do we have to look at this as an either / or situation. I'd certainly like to see more walkable development, but I think the actual problem is how to integrate big box stores and lots of cars with pedestrian shopping streets. A town like Madison, Connecticut has a big box shopping mall behind the old walkable main street and parking sandwiched between the big stores and old main street. This arrangement gets you to the library, a great independent bookstore, little local shops and the supermarket without moving the car. Convenience, vitality and ice cream all in one trip.
ReplyDeleteThe vast majority of Americans, including officials who work at the Department of Transportation, consider motor vehicles to be the only legitimate mode of transportation. Accordingly, environmentally-friendly, healthy forms of transportation such as walking and cycling are given short shrift. Constructing good walkways and a bike path would make Fairview Avenue more accessible and safer for the dozens of pedestrians and cyclists who risk their lives on the shoulder of the road every day of the year, rain or shine.
ReplyDeleteI don’t think this is necessarily a car v. Pedestrian issue so much as it is a landscaping vacuum. Strip malls are surely hideous in and of themselves. But many municipalities require landscaping, particularly along street frontage and within parking areas which, when done properly, make these commercial area better looking, pedestrian friendly(er) and shadier. Greenport seems dedicated to ugly, unfortunately.
ReplyDeleteConsider the strip mall at 11 Warren Street in Hudson. Instead of pedestrian-friendly landscaping, we have an enormous parking lot. The building itself will always be a monstrosity. The single best way to improve the site would be to eliminate the parking lot and turn it into a pedestrian plaza, like the one in front of Hudson Home at 366 Warren Street. Of course, that would create a severe shortage of parking. That's why 11 Warren Street is a no-win situation.
ReplyDeleteThe administrating board of Greenport has been lacking any soul or intelligence since time began. It would take a miracle to transform this chaotic mess of a place where otherwise people would be drawn to enjoy the avenue and linger. In a sane world, you'd think someone would notice, panic and be motivated to do something in a hurry.
ReplyDelete