Okay, Now Who The Hell Is To Blame For This Mistake?! Something Tells Me DPW Was Somehow Involved!

Thanks to Luizzi, the DRI building contractor currently on winter break who the city hired to improve walking surfaces on the city's west end, there is no shortage of much needed new smooth curb ramps for pedestrians and vehicles on Front Street. Luizzi does ramps, for sure, and they appear to do them well! And they all seem to be in the right places!.

Except, that is, for directly in front of Promenade Park!  No surprise here!  Welcome to HUDSON, park patrons!

The results of not paying attention.  The final result will 
be butt ugly!  Notice that the crosswalk will not line up with 
the curb ramp when it is created!  Same for the other side!

I know exactly why this happened.  No one at DPW, 
particularly Rob Perry, was paying attention to make sure 
Luizzi didn't screw something up.  Go ask anyone on the 
Public Works Board, including our ADA coordinator, and 
they will likely tell you the same thing.

Kamal Johnson bears some responsibility for the
missing curb cuts too!
He's also never out walking around looking to prevent or find
mistakes made by contractors we pay millions in DRI money to.  
Do you suppose the same thing would have happened if
this was paid for using city funds?

Curb cut for parking lot done!  No need for any 
additional work in that department.

The line of curbstones was tapered to
create a curb cut.  FOR CARS!  Imagine the
outrage if Luizzi had left a 4-inch curb there!

Shouldn't there be a sign at each missing curb cut?  Something like this that cuts to the truth: 

WE HATE THE PUBLIC, BOTH RESIDENTS AND VISITORS!

WE PARTICULARLY DESPISE THE ELDERLY AND DISABLED!

DON'T EVEN ASK ABOUT THE BLIND AND WHEELCHAIR BOUND! 

WE ALSO DON'T GIVE A SHIT ABOUT PROMENADE PARK.

THANK YOU FOR VISITING. 

SINCERELY, YOUR FRIENDS AT HUDSON CITY HALL.

So, what's next for us when Luizzi gets busy again in a month or two?

Will they have to shape both of their 4-inch curbs with sawzalls to create smooth, 12-foot wide transitions from street to sidewalk (and on to the new ADA-accessible entrance to Promenade Park, our most popular outdoor destination with the million-dollar view of the valley).  Might they take sledgehammers and chisels to the stones to create the curb cuts that for some reason were not created a few months ago?  Let's hope and pray that Luizzi just uses a grinder or two on the expensive stones, a lovely (and in this case, wa$teful) process which spreads silica dust and offers lung cancer free of charge to anyone who inhales enough of the crap. I would prefer that option, wouldn't you?

Whatever you do, Luizzi and Hudson City Hall, keep the cars and trucks moving as smoothly and safely as possible while creating as much hassle and danger for pedestrians and the disabled!  Why don't you just completely forget about anyone who is not in a vehicle and then take a 5-month break from work on Front Street!  Would that be easier for you?  And take your disrespect to the next level by offering it to everyone not in a vehicle who is walking or otherwise headed to and from a popular public park most municipalities can only dream about having on their turf. 

Surely, the plans for the curbs in front of Promenade that Luizzi is following show a pair of wide curb cuts where a 4-inch curb currently exists, right?  

When Luizzi is done hacking and/or sawing away at the stones this spring to create the curb cuts that should be there now, will our DPW finish off the work to create as lovely a final product as they did a few months ago on several curb ramps on upper Warren Street that the DOJ required of us after a visit last year?  

When finally created, will the two required (and expected) ADA-accessible curb ramps in front of popular Promenade Park (helpful for everyone headed to the park, of course) look anything like these ramps? We can only hope and pray for this too!

It doesn't even reach the level of
amateurism; it's just pathetic.

Notice the smooth black asphalt transitions clearly made to please the eyes -- and feet! -- that will be around for decades!  They are all clearly the work of master craftsmen!

Most definitely DPW work!

How much did this cost?  How much will it cost to redo? 
How often will DPW have to redo it?

The words PRIDE, QUALITY and RESPECT
immediately come to mind, don't they?

Thanks so much for your consideration, Luizzi.  We're looking forward to your return to Hudson!  And thanks to Hudson City Hall for doing their best to not keep an eye on Luizzi to be sure they don't make any stupid mistakes that keep them here longer than we'd like and also just might put someone on their face in an instant, an event they may never remember because they never emerged from the coma they found themself in from slamming their head hard on the new sidewalk right next to a newly installed grey ADA bump mat designed for curb ramps. You know, someone just trying to get to the fabulous and peaceful view in the park a few feet away. Like someone in a wheelchair, perhaps.

I've never known anyone confined to a wheelchair, but I'd bet they can't stand being in Hudson (no pun intended!). They probably know better than to stick around Hudson for even 3 minutes.

Was the omission of the curb ramps intentional?

Hey, Rob The Slob Perry -- Why am I so sure that you had something to do with the missing curb ramps in front of Promenade Park?  Was this your idea of a joke so that you could be featured in HUDseen yet again?