tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723709701684173708.post2215121358711708796..comments2024-03-28T17:55:31.180-04:00Comments on The Gossips of Rivertown: Shared Streets 2021Carole Osterinkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16010623982526286408noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723709701684173708.post-40762512965255985632021-03-04T19:02:21.113-05:002021-03-04T19:02:21.113-05:00I’m sure they have great signage at Disneyland, bu...I’m sure they have great signage at Disneyland, but do we want to look like Disneyland? Holsthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01799282962642451275noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723709701684173708.post-72623177560865768822021-03-04T18:51:27.311-05:002021-03-04T18:51:27.311-05:00I think that Hudson is unique in that Warren Stree...I think that Hudson is unique in that Warren Street is obviously our main thoroughfare and it is one long strip. I don’t think that elderly visitors want to walk from Promenade Hill to 8th Street and back, that is a LONG walk. Holsthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01799282962642451275noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723709701684173708.post-42744276817643610712021-03-03T20:53:56.208-05:002021-03-03T20:53:56.208-05:00I STRONGLY agree. The people in charge of the Ha...I STRONGLY agree. The people in charge of the Harlem Valley Rail Trail are doing an amazing job. Holsthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01799282962642451275noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723709701684173708.post-91414454082565470742021-03-03T11:20:45.877-05:002021-03-03T11:20:45.877-05:00It's good to see that the city is looking at r...It's good to see that the city is looking at revenue streams and this is some good data for tourism. <br />It's not lost on me though, that pre-pandemic, brining up tourism, growth and sales tax was so taboo and brought out levels of anger from some of the same folks).<br />Yet, now it's embraced.<br />The only difference was it was proactive strategy when things were good (pre-covid) and this is just reactive strategy. <br /><br />One would hope that a lesson would be, you can have multiple ideas and revenues and that it is important to plan for future solvency, even when the going looks good. Rob Bujanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13888505964760213216noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723709701684173708.post-67440923513725411062021-03-03T11:03:57.941-05:002021-03-03T11:03:57.941-05:00Bicycle tourism should be a major focus of the Tou...Bicycle tourism should be a major focus of the Tourism Board. The Albany Hudson Electric Trail, a new rail-trail linking Hudson to Kinderhook, Stuyvesant Falls, and Albany, is now complete and open to the public. Brochures with maps and directions of local bicycle tour routes should be created to distribute at hotels in Hudson. In turn, hotels should offer bike-tour packages that include meals, accommodations, bike rentals, and guided bike tours in the area. The Dudehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11453473795429562541noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723709701684173708.post-35144480865874733772021-03-03T09:31:37.279-05:002021-03-03T09:31:37.279-05:00Assuming Hudson does want to commit to a model tha...Assuming Hudson does want to commit to a model that attracts people from outside of town -- which it sometimes seems to resent -- then open streets that are attractively landscaped are a huge attraction for businesses that rely on sales (rather than services like plumbing and hairdressing, for instance) -- Pearl Street in Boulder, Colorado, and Church Street in Burlington, VT come to mind, as well as numerous other smaller cities that have brought additional revenues to downtown streets through expanding shopping and dining capabilities. There are people such as the former head of one of these programs in Charlottesville, VA, who advise communities on how to succeed. For Hudson, one of the most important things to do, regardless of the open streets, is to provide kiosks for water and beverages (and even ice cream) in the summer. I've had so many visitors stop me desperate to know where to find a non-sit-down restaurant so they can buy water on a hot day. There are no signs telling you where to go for things like this, so you have to keep walking and the blocks are LONG. I would also suggest looking at Fredericksburg, Maryland, which doesn't close streets but which has a very good program including big street banners hanging from light posts showing you what is ahead and what is behind you in terms of food, drink, etc. They are very attractive, as are the ones in Franklin, TN, which also does not close its streets but is a shopping magnet for Nashville. <br />Promotions for "Fred" are here -- https://www.visitfrederick.org/downtown-frederick/ In Hudson, it is very difficult to know if there is a coffee/beverage place handy until you happen upon it. Likewise, seating, with umbrellas. Furthermore, you could provide some jobs for locals by simply implementing some more attractive but moveable decking, planter boxes, etc, than what was cobbled together this summer (good job in adapting, but can be improved). I speak as a landscape historian, a field that includes city layouts, believe it or not, but not as a town planner -- but I know there are resources available to help this succeed and word of mouth is important, esp re whether or not you had an exhausting day or a great day and would go again. The underlying assumption here is that Hudson WANTS to bring revenues to downtown and, hopefully, provide more jobs than some of the single-owner-operated antique shops do. Find a few hubs/anchor points and revolve around those, with the organizing device the axial Warren Street. Pcappshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00595302127312664228noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723709701684173708.post-64367791104542832352021-03-02T18:25:30.556-05:002021-03-02T18:25:30.556-05:00The statistics about city services costing more fo...The statistics about city services costing more for cars that for pedestrians, is that per year? Seems like a random statistic, how could they possibly come to that? Believe me, I’m all in favor of walking and biking! I hadn’t owned a car for 25 years before I finally broke down a bought an old used car last year. I’m a lifelong biker, but I quickly learned when I moved here that Hudson is definitely NOT biker friendly. I grew up in Milwaukee and lived in Albany and Philadelphia, all of which are very biker friendly. Holsthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01799282962642451275noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723709701684173708.post-10059273170169986262021-03-02T18:06:48.646-05:002021-03-02T18:06:48.646-05:00I’m sorry but I have to strongly disagree. Grante...I’m sorry but I have to strongly disagree. Granted, some of the information shared is mildly interesting in an academic way but not at all relevant to our situation in Hudson. I’m sure that someone else could find statistics from other cities that prove just the opposite. Who wants to bother buying a large object from an antique shop on Warren, just for example, when they are told that they cannot drive their car up to the shop? This idea will do more harm than good. People are already free to walk the sidewalks on Warren, why would closing it off to cars somehow improve that foot traffic? Holsthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01799282962642451275noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723709701684173708.post-25493307432563567812021-03-02T17:25:21.908-05:002021-03-02T17:25:21.908-05:00Great, pay someone 12 dollars an hour to sell Huds...Great, pay someone 12 dollars an hour to sell Hudson t-shirts and hats for 6 months of the year a block away from Warren Street. Sounds like big money. When Cece is offering business ideas, we are all in trouble.BILLhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06165652134301551300noreply@blogger.com