Where There Once Was A Sidewalk In What Once Was a Residential Neighborhood...

... there is now a drive-thru drop-off area for wealthy guests of a hotel, restaurant, bar, wellness spa, etc., many of whom will be taking advantage of a car valet service.  I can't wait for the blinking, multi-colored neon signs at 6th & Washington to arrive this spring:  VALET SERVICE 100 FEET AWAY WITH DRIVE THRU!  ALL ARE WELCOME!

When Will The Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Be Taking Place This Year? Or Will It Be In 2029?

What I am looking forward to -- and what all council members should be looking forward to (and demanding to know) -- is when someone from HPD can confidently announce to city residents and the council that their new, expanded paid parking system is completely implemented, that all the necessary changes have been made and the serious kinks have been worked out.  So that, just maybe, the city can have a ribbon cutting ceremony or christening of the new paid parking system that is supposed to make things better for everyone and create millions of dollars in parking revenue annually for the city for decades to come.  This announcement should include, of course, the important detail that no more signs or kiosks need to be installed anywhere.  But, from the looks of things, it appears that HPD Captain David Miller, Chief Mishanda Franklin and, possibly, Doreen Danforth have a long, long way to go to make such an announcement or even consider one.  They probably have no idea when all of the parking changes will be complete, when the new system is in fully in place, 100 percent "up and running."  They probably have no idea when the answer to the question ARE YOU DONE YET WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CITY'S NEW PAID PARKING SYSTEM? will be a definitive YES.  Heck, they can't honestly say that everything is in place even on the half block of North 5th Street in the heart of downtown, that's for sure!

Well, At Least The Pocketbook Is Lining HPD's Pockets!

On my walk this morning in the neighborhood (which is no longer strictly residential in nature), I came across three ticketed cars parked at the end of Prospect Street, along the mega-business known as the Pocketbook Hotel and Baths.  One car was from New Jersey, one from Pennsylvania, and the other had NY plates, so it's fairly safe to say that at least two of those cars were owned by guests of the hotel.

There's No Doubt About It, Things Are Going "Great" With Parking! Couldn't Be Greater!!

 

Aren't you so proud of your city and the parking experts at HPD?  Ain't they just killin' it! Who should get the gold star this week for parking sign presentation and all-around professionalism, Chief Franklin or Captain Miller?  How about both of them?

Is Our New Mayor The Same As Former Mayors, Including A Former Mayor Who Is Now The New Mayor's Aide and ADA Coordinator?

 

I had my first opportunity to speak with Mayor Joe Ferris and his Aide and ADA Coordinator, Tiffany Martin, when I visited 520 Warren last Tuesday to ask them a question about a sidewalk that had been completely blocked by snow for over two weeks.  Let's just say that I was not impressed with the results.

Hey, Buddy, Can You Direct Me To Columbia Street? And Where Is 7th Street?

 

"... But I Sure Miss Them Now!"

Yesterday afternoon, I watched a parking enforcer doing his best to issue so-called meter violation tickets in the upper portion of the 500 block of Warren Street.  Of the 5 vehicles parked on the north side between The Whaler and 6th Street, he issued 3 of them (consecutively!) ten-dollar tickets after scanning the registration sticker and taking 3 pictures of each vehicle.  All the while dressed in a dark uniform and mostly while standing or walking along the driver's side of the parked vehicles while traffic rolled by a foot or two away.  One of these enforcers is bound to get struck sooner or later, a hazard that has increased dramatically since the parking meters were removed from the sidewalks.