A Thing Or Three About Our "Double Woods"

Here are a few fun facts about wooden utility poles in the City of Hudson:  In all but the very rare case, they are owned by the huge utility National Grid.  Even if it's a very old-looking pole, it is owned by National Grid.  If it is a very new-looking pole, it was installed by National Grid, and they own it.  If a utility pole is knocked over or blown over, National Grid will be the company to replace it.  Other utilities, such as Mid-Hudson Cable (MHC), Verizon, get permission from National Grid to use their poles, and I believe there is some sort of lease agreement involved.

However, if you see a new utility pole directly adjacent to an old pole, somehow National Grid does not own that old pole, and they are not responsible for removing the old pole once they install a new pole next to it.  In this upside down, WTF world of utility pole replacement, what we tend to get stuck with are known as double poles or double woods.  Double woods are a big issue all over the country, and a simple Google search shows that the problem began to garner attention about 20 years ago.  The issue is still alive and kicking here in Hudson, that's for sure.  Why we have so many double woods here should come as no surprise when considering a few more salient facts.

Does City Hall care when old pole #12
is finally removed at Columbia and
2nd?

Double wood at 3rd and Union. Notice the 
signs that DPW recently installed on the
old pole that should have been removed 
long ago.  Even DPW wants that old pole
to stay where it is!

Here is what is supposed to happen when National Grid decides to replace an old utility pole in the City of Hudson: (Removing an old pole and placing a new one exactly in its place is not possible, so the new pole is installed next to the old pole).  Once National Grid installs a new pole in the ground and transfers their equipment and lines (known as facilities) to the new pole, they are supposed to contact the remaining utilities who have facilities attached to the old pole.  Essentially what they are supposed to tell Mid-Hudson Cable and/or Verizon is:  "We have replaced pole number 12 at the corner of 2nd and Columbia in Hudson.  Come move your facilities to the new pole.  Goodbye."  And that's it!  As far as I know, National Grid never has to follow up with anyone or make sure that the other utilities are transferring their facilities from old poles deemed unworthy by National Grid.  One call (or email or fax) and done!  

In an ideal world, if the call, email or fax from National Grid is even made, MHC and Verizon would send someone to 2nd and Columbia to transfer their facilities to National Grid's new pole #12.  Guess what?  Sometimes it just doesn't happen.  Actually, a lot of the time it doesn't happen.  I think it rarely happens.  Maybe in Hudson it never happens, especially of late.  It's obvious, in Hudson at least, that no one is policing the utilities hanging their wires all over the place.

This is the most recent of the three
double woods at the intersection
of 5th and Union. It appeared last year.

It gets stupider, though, and I am not making this up:  Under New York State law, the last utility to transfer its facilities from the old pole is responsible for removing that old pole.  This means that National Grid is rarely responsible for removing old poles they decide to "replace," even ones they may have installed in the ground years ago.  Can you see why Verizon and/or MHC have not been to the corner of Columbia and 2nd to transfer their facilities to new pole #12 that was installed last year or the year before?  Do you know what a major pain in the tail and expense removing a utility pole is?  If no one is telling you to transfer your facilities and then remove the old pole, why would you bother?  Do you think MHC even has the ability to properly and safely remove a utility pole?  Verizon?  Neither of these companies installs poles in Hudson, but they are both responsible for removing old poles AFTER National Grid decides, for whatever reason, that they need to replace an old pole.  It's like some sort of children's game for grownups wearing hard hats, called Last One On The Pole:  Ha Ha, you were the last one on the utility pole -- NOW YOU HAVE TO REMOVE IT!  Don't cry to your mommy!

 A 4th Street double wood that appears 
to have been there for a long time

In 2008, the New York State Public Service Commission, now known as the Department of Public Service, published a lengthy report titled Improving the Equipment Transfer Process For Utility Poles In New York State. Here is one sentence from the introduction that sums up the need for the report: "Over the last decade Electric and Telecommunication staff observed increasing numbers of double pole conditions and identified this as a potential area of concern." Then there is this, focusing on the double wood problem in other states: "The New Jersey legislature amended an existing law that required all poles and debris be removed within 90 days of completion of facilities transfer. Municipalities in New Jersey are authorized to impose a fine of up to $100 each per day, after 90 days, until the condition is corrected." I am almost certain that our state's law regarding the utility responsible for removing an old, unwanted utility pole came from the Department of Public Service, and that no such "authorization" exists in New York.

Forgotten on Green Street?

The most common reason for National Grid to replace a pole of theirs is because they feel the pole is no longer safe or adequate.  All things get old and decay -- especially wood in the elements -- and they need to be replaced.  Since there are more facilities on poles than ever before, it's a really smart thing for National Grid to be proactive and preventative, because the last thing they (or we) want or need is for an old, decayed, splintered pole of theirs full of wires and such to fall over.  Wisely, they regularly replace the poles they own and are responsible for, while leaving the old, decayed, and sometimes ancient poles for someone else to be responsible for and maybe remove. 

If that old pole finally falls over and hits a few people on the head, National Grid is likely not responsible for those damages or deaths.  This is a concern to many communities, and many have taken matters into their own hands by imposing fines on utilities who do not attend to the double woods.  There are plenty of examples online of this, though Hudson is not found among them.  In our city there appears to be no issue with double poles and with utilities leaving their facilities on old poles for years and years or decades.  Our DPW Superintendent should be proactive about the issue of double woods that are so prevalent in Hudson, but he is not.

March 2023, new utility pole installed 
on Prospect Avenue by National Grid

On the 7th or 8th day of March this year, with snow on the ground, I watched as National Grid installed a new, thicker wooden utility pole on Prospect Avenue.  National Grid transferred their facilities and the streetlight to their new pole, and spray painted a large X on the old pole.  4 months later, what do you suppose has happened with the other utilities' facilities still attached to the old pole that has not been removed?  Why would anyone expect MHC or Verizon to do anything, especially if it requires removing an old pole, when they can just ignore it? 

Why would we expect anyone from City Hall to get on the phone with both of those companies (and maybe National Grid, too) to remind them of their unfinished business on Prospect Avenue or anywhere else in town and to demand that double woods are attended to properly and immediately in the future? Is it because it doesn't matter and there is no issue or problem with double woods?   Who would handle this if it were considered a problem worth trying to end?  Robert Perry at DPW?  The Mayor's Office?  Code Enforcement?

Does City Hall, including DPW
 care how much longer this lasts?

Here is National Grid, on May 24th of this year, in the process of "replacing" ("adding"?) a new utility pole in the 200 block of Allen Street. It took them at least a day and a half to finish the job, with the street blocked to traffic in both directions most of that time. The other pictures were taken nearly two months later.

Here is National Grid, on June 13th of this year, preparing to "replace" a utility pole of theirs in the 700 block of State Street.  The second picture was taken a month later.  It's really difficult to say if National Grid is done there.  Those are their cones, still there -- waiting for what or whom?

Digging a hole for a new pole

Pole in, waiting for another utility to 
finish the job, perhaps?  Who is on it?

And on it goes, including a super rare TRIPLE WOOD, found on Prospect Street...

On two occasions, I have seen a Verizon 
employee in a lift working in that large box
still attached to the old pole that National
Grid supposedly "replaced."