Is It Time For A Sign Committee?

500 block of Columbia Street,
free of parking rules

As I have noted in other articles, and is likely not news to most who have lived in Hudson for a while, the situation with signs in the City of Hudson is downright ugly.  Even the parking consultant that the city hired recently noticed our "tired" and "confusing" signs, as he called them.  I think it might be time for a committee to keep an eye on our signage to improve things and get some consistency, clarity and sanity.  

Let's take a look at our truck route block by block on Columbia Street between 7th Street and 2nd Street -- a perfect example of how Robert Perry, Ed Moore, and Shane Bower are simply not paying attention.  Or they just don't care.

First, the big picture:  Outside of special parking times noted on signs, vehicles can only park on the north side of Columbia Street.  Generally, there is no parking allowed on the south side of Columbia, and there is no such thing as the Alternate Side Overnight Rule on any of Columbia Street from 7th to 3rd Streets.

Columbia from 7th to 6th has no signs anywhere regarding special parking rules.  Drivers can park their cars on the north side of that block for as long as they want, whenever they want, and never worry about getting a ticket.  The street sweeper never gets to that side of the block -- consequently, there is no shortage of debris, gravel/dirt and junk along the curb and around the cars parked there that never gets touched.  Just the kind of stuff Robert Perry regularly reminds us that needs to be removed from our streets to keep our sewer system from damage.

Columbia from 6th to 5th also has no signs, and, thus, no special parking rule(s).  The street sweeper never gets to do its thing along the north side curb, either, but overnight tickets are never issued.

Columbia from 5th to 4th has 2 NO PARKING Thursday 9pm to Friday 8am signs.  The first one of these signs is located well past the half-way point of the block, along TSL's property.  Is it possible that half of the block has a special parking rule and the other half does not?

Just this half of the block?

Columbia from 4th to 3rd has 5 of the once-a-week NO PARKING signs, but just two of them have the same small sign underneath that reads: April 1st thru November 30th.

April thru November!

April thru November?

Columbia from 3rd to 2nd has enough parking spaces for approximately 32 vehicles.  There is only one sign along the entire stretch of the block, located very close to the end at 2nd Street.  The rule for that block appears to be in effect for the entire year, though maybe it's just missing the little sign.

One block, with just one sign near the end