However, the story of the four stop signs several blocks away at the intersection of Warren & 2nd Streets is -- and looks! -- quite different. There has been no urgency at all on DPW's or Luizzi's part for the past several months to replace the permanent stop signs that were removed before the intersection's sidewalks were torn up in June or July by the DRI contractor Luizzi. We've had four lovely temporary stop signs standing on wide legs in the street there since before August (my earliest picture is from August, but work began well before that picture was taken!). That's July, August, September, October, November, December, and now half of January 2025, which adds up to more than 6 months. And counting! Those lovely signs won't disappear from the street anytime soon, maybe in April if we are lucky.
Luizzi, the DRI contractor WHO THE CITY HIRED, ripped out the sidewalks/curb ramps at the corners in July (June?) but never replaced them with new concrete until about two months ago. All the while, the temporary signs in the street have been there doing their best to stop vehicles from running over pedestrians trying to cross the street. Not to worry, though, everything is all back in order and safe at 7th & Columbia, hoorah! One wonders if four "temporary" signs remaining in the street at an intersection for several months would have been acceptable in more well-off areas of the city, such as on Allen Street or at 6th & Warren.
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| After how many months can "temporary signs" still be considered temporary? They sure look permanent after all these months of being there! |
The picture above shows the base of the new signpost at 7th & Columbia. Notice that there is a short piece of metal sticking out of the concrete that is attached to the actual signpost. That support piece is called a breakaway. It is designed to remain embedded in the concrete should a vehicle run into the signpost above it. Ideally, the post will break away from the breakaway so that a new signpost can be attached to the breakaway for efficiency's sake. You get the idea, right? Sign breakaways are a time and money saver when they work as intended, but since the breakaway at 7th did not hold up to whatever impacted the signpost, it needed to be replaced altogether.
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| Monday, December 30th, soon after impact, work in progress. Remnants of the breakaway removed, concrete shattered, temporary stop sign in place, time to gather supplies and prepare the job. (By the way, all of our curbs should be these types -- curved, not angular! They are so classy and safe!) |
Over the years of attending so many joyful informal council meetings, I have heard Rob Perry mention his department's use of breakaways on a few occasions during his picture-filled DPW reports, brought to us while he is lying on his couch at home with his laptop on his tummy. Let it be known: DPW does breakaways! Rob Perry believes in them! Rob Perry is a wise man! He is a BREAKAWAY MAN!
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| At one point, the wind (or someone) flipped this temporary, one-sided sign around. |
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| This "temporary" sign remained at the corner for about one week BEFORE IT WAS NO LONGER NEEDED! Fast work, good idea! |
As you can imagine, and as Rob Perry and the entire nation's DPW gurus know all too well, there are just two ways to install breakaways into concrete sidewalks. The first is the ideal one. If DPW is planning on installing a new sidewalk, they plant the breakaway as deep as they can where they want it to be sticking out of the concrete, then pour the concrete sidewalk and, voila, we have just about the most secure breakaway money and time can buy. You don't wait for the concrete to harden AND THEN install the breakaway by drilling a hole in the new fucking concrete - only an idiot that can't pay attention would do something as backwards and wrong as that, right?
Optionally, if a sign post needs to be replaced on a concrete sidewalk, and the concrete sidewalk is not going to be replaced (or if a breakaway fails), your ONLY OPTION is to drill a hole in the concrete, remove what is left of the old buried breakaway, shape the hole as you need it, fill it with wet concrete, install the breakaway, fill the surrounding spaces with concrete, smooth to a finish with the existing concrete, let dry, attach sign post to breakaway and hope breakaway holds next time a vehicle makes its way onto the sidewalk. As you may have guessed, the first option is aesthetically and financially preferrable. Plan ahead! Avoid drilling into new concrete if you can!
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| Not real pretty and not real secure, but it will have to do. |
Well, folks, that is exactly the charming situation at 2nd & Warren that we have been in for the past few months, tomorrow and for at least the next few months. Luizzi or DPW must now (in April, perhaps?) drill holes in the new concrete of each corner which we paid thousands of dollars for, stick wet concrete and a breakaway in each hole and wait for them to dry before attaching the post so that there are no longer stop signs in the fucking road after 9 months.
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| Rob Perry can't say it has been too cold to replace the temporary signs with permanent ones embedded in the sidewalk where they are supposed to be, now can he? |
Why no one thought to FIRST set the breakaways in the ground BEFORE THE CONCRETE SIDEWALK WAS POURED IN OCTOBER is beyond me. Who do you suppose should have made it happen months ago? It seems that getting those temporary signs off of the street was not a priority of Rob Perry's, Kamal Johnson's, anyone on the Public Works Board (including the former DPW Commissioner and head of the board), and especially the paving contractor Luizzi. Who the fuck cares if four temporary stop signs flapping in the constant wind with wide support legs remain in the street at one corner where residents live and businesses exist in a portion of town that is, well, a bit neglected and underserved?
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| Saturday, October 26th at 3 pm!!! Almost 3 months ago! And counting! |
At a recent Public Works Board meeting, I heard two of the members moan about Luizzi's delays, apparent slow work schedule and why the temporary stop signs at 2nd & Warren were still in the street after so many months. I chuckled and dropped my head! They mentioned the poor aesthetics of the signs and how they would get in the way of DPW's snow plowing and street sweeping. Everyone agreed this was a problem. Of course, since our DPW Superintendent is not part of the Public Works Board, it's probably not worth any members' time asking Rob (if one even could!) why the temporary signs are still in the street and if he feels they are a problem being there for so long, is it?
But strangely, during Perry's recent council meeting DPW reports, done while he is lying on his couch with his laptop on his belly and a beer or soda at his side, he offers regular updates on the progress of the DRI project, even mentioning the name Luizzi on occasion. Make no doubt about it, our DPW Superintendent is involved in the DRI and what Luizzi is and isn't doing. He's just not involved when there is a problem that roils the Public Works Board and others (residents near and far from 2nd & Warren!) who see the signs in the street for what they are: inconsiderate, unsafe, ugly, unacceptable, and fucking stupid! Has Mr. Perry ever once offered pictures of the temporary stop signs still in the street after so long? Of course he hasn't, but it's not like he hasn't had the opportunity to do so in the past few months. Why the fuck would he bother, since someone might conclude that it's his fault that the fucking ugly and signs in our street (DPW's street!) are still in the sidewalk, not permanently on the sidewalk, and that he didn't think to install (or be sure to have Luizzi install) the four breakaways before Luizzi's concrete set two or three fucking months ago.
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| August 14th, 2024, exactly 5 months ago! This was a month or two after work began when the four sidewalks were removed and left as gravel for months! Notice the curb stones are in place. Notice the "temporary" stop sign in front of the parked car and the one on the left on 2nd Street! Those fucking "temporary" signs IN THE STREET, and the other two, are all still there!!!! |
Folks, we have a serious communication and accountability issue at City Hall. A very serious one that is not being properly addressed or addressed at all! (Time for a City Manager!!!!!)
The permanent stop signs will eventually be installed (in the wrong manner, of course) and things will move on for the next DPW shitshow. The takeaway is not that DPW and Rob Perry have a problem with installing traffic signs properly. No,it's a much bigger, systemic issue which will continue to rear its ugly head in so many different ways, as it has been for far too long. This is just about the only reason that HUDseen exists! If City Hall weren't so dysfunctional, there would be no need for HUDseen!!!!
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| FOR WELL OVER ONE YEAR! |
Then there's this. If it took DPW a week or two to replace a stop sign on a street corner recently -- even replacing a breakaway! -- why is it taking several months to do the same exact fucking thing on the new concrete. Because, at this point, that is DPW's only option. Option number two -- the one that should be avoided when possible.
I can only imagine that if Rob Perry were to be asked why there are still no permanent stop signs at 2nd & Warren, he would have his response ready so that the discussion would end. "I don't know anything about those signs in the street, it's not a DPW task. Talk to Luizzi. Talk to the Public Works Board. Talk to the DPW Commissioner if there is one. I can't help you."
"No, Mr. Perry, it's not that you can't help us. It's that you aren't interested in helping or making things easier for everyone else. Do you really make over $117,000 a year? And you allowed Luizzi to pour their concrete on four corners before installing the breakaways you rely on and install yourself all over town? Are you feeling well these days? Are you able to pay attention? Who is your supervisor?"
It also doesn't help that the DPW Commissioner decided to jump ship recently.
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| No breakaway or permanent sign needed! Not at Allen & Front at a busy and important establishment near the fucking train station! (January 8th). You can continue to tolerate this for a few more months, can't you? "I suppose. Thanks for asking. You are asking, aren't you?" |
CAN YOU FUCKING IMAGINE?
NO NEED TO IMAGINE! JUST TAKE A WALK!
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