Earth To Superintendent Perry! Explanation, Please!

 

As part of this year's NY State DOT-funded CHIP's repaving project that went to the lowest bidder, Peter Luizzi & Bros. Contracting, North 3rd Street from State Street to its end past Robinson Street was milled and then paved with new asphalt.  This included the entire box of the intersection with State Street.  As such, Luizzi was expected to create crosswalks across all four sides of the intersection, which they hired a professional pavement marking company by the name of A-Line Striping to do.  Those crosswalk lines (and others around town) were installed in mid to late May, and Luizzi's CHIPs project was finished soon after.  Indeed, during his DPW report to the Common Council on June 9th, Rob Perry said that Luizzi's CHIPs project was, "except for a few crosswalks, basically complete." 

May 16th, Union Street portion complete
and ready for pavement striping at intersection

But Luizzi also repaved Union Street from South 5th to East Court Street, including the entire box of the intersection at 5th.  So why isn't that intersection also surrounded by white lines in the form of pedestrian crosswalks meant to keep people on two feet safe by reminding drivers that they are operating a multi-ton vehicle that is approaching an intersection where a person, a few people, a child, an elderly person, a disabled person or an entire family just might be crossing the street or getting ready to do so?  Why did one of Luizzi's repaved intersections get a full complement of crosswalks while a nearly equally busy intersection they repaved got nothing?

July 22nd.  No free crosswalks, no free stop lines.
Nothing.

Could the reason for this glaring and ridiculous omission be that Rob Perry can't possibly pay attention to everything that is put in his lap?  Below is a copy of an email which our DPW Superintendent sent to Luizzi on May 19th, soon after their paving work was complete.  Perry is telling (reminding?) Luizzi which of their five paved intersections need to have crosswalks installed (which, in and of itself, is a big red flag).  Notice that Union & 5th did not make the list, while one crosswalk for the intersection of Union & East Court did.  Of course, the 4 crosswalks at State & 3rd are included on the list.  Apparently, Rob Perry saw no need for crosswalks at Union & 5th.  Our distracted DPW Superintendent didn't want NY State DOT to pay for crosswalks at a busy intersection one block from Warren Street.  Maybe he'd rather have Hudson taxpayers pay for the crosswalks if they ever show up.  Or maybe he'd rather keep Union & 5th as dark and dangerous as possible for pedestrians.  Honestly, you have to wonder what the heck is going on with this guy.

What was Perry apologizing for so late in the project?  That he
had forgotten to tell Luizzi where crosswalks were to be installed?

This is the only crosswalk that Luizzi provided us as part 
of their repaving work on Union Street.  The crosswalk is 
at the end of East Court, and it's not even on new pavement.
Luizzi's repave job didn't reach 4th Street.  Why did it end where
it did?  It looks like they ran out of asphalt!

New asphalt, but no crosswalks 
or stop lines.  They were left off the list!
(picture taken May 20th)

July 23, 2 months later.  Still nothing,
not even one stop line.

July 23rd

If DPW were to install 4 crosswalks at 5th & Union, which is now our only option, it would cost city taxpayers at least $1,200 to do so, including labor and materials.  I wouldn't be surprised if the cost would be over $2,000.  We pay at least $44 for each 6-foot crosswalk line decal.

And on May 14th, at a freshly paved State & 2nd (also part of Luizzi's CHIPs project), DPW installed a stop line that cost us close to $200 in materials and labor.

Here is what that stop line looks like two and a half months later.

It gets more curious and concerning.  As part of Colarusso's CHIPs repaving project in early 2024, they provided both a stop line and a crosswalk across the ends of the following streets at Columbia Street: Frederick, McKinstry and Fairview, none of them exactly hubs of pedestrian activity.  DPW did not do that work, nor did we pay for it.  The NY State DOT paid for it all.

Colarusso's lines are holding up well, and they 
didn't cost city taxpayers a dime.  Maybe just a 
nickel, as CHIPs is funded with State DOT funds.

You can tell that these lines were not installed 
by DPW.  Look at how well they are holding up 
after a year and a half!  City taxpayers did not 
pay for these lines.  Notice the stop line that came 
with the crosswalk.  AT NO EXTRA CHARGE!

Two weeks ago, DPW freshened up the four crosswalks at the intersection of Warren and 5th, one very short block away from the very dark pavement at the intersection of Union & 5th where pedestrians can also be found.  I counted 43 lines among the crosswalks, meaning that at least $2,100 in city revenue was spent to keep that intersection safer for pedestrians for the next few years.  Heck, for over $2,000 in taxpayer funds spent on one intersection, you'd think there would be at least one stop line, maybe even three, one for each direction.  No, sir!  This is Hudson, after all, where nothing much makes sense and there continues to be a concerning lack of coordination and consistency coming out of Rob Perry's DPW!

How are intersection crosswalks looking one block from Warren in the less advantaged part of town?

Such charm!

Such respect and respectability!

Back to the CHIP's project, where it gets even curiouser!  Notice on the last line of Perry's email to Luizzi regarding crosswalks where he wrote, "crossing south 2nd @ Allen =1," meaning that Perry wanted just one crosswalk for that 3-way intersection.  But Luizzi installed three crosswalks (and three stop lines), not one.  Perry got it wrong.  Or Luizzi got it wrong.  Or they both got it wrong.  Whatever! It's just another indication of the poor communication coming from our DPW Superintendent!

Then there is this head scratcher. Early this year, Perry announced to the council the upcoming CHIPs project, showing what streets were to be repaved when the contract was awarded in the coming month or two.  Notice, in the screenshot below of that document, that it says Union Street from South 5th to South 3rd Including Intersection was to be repaved. (Intersection is singular, not plural!)  From 5th Street, Luizzi didn't pave past East Court Street, let alone reach 4th Street, leaving more than one (long) block of Union unpaved.  Has Rob Perry ever offered an explanation as to why Luizzi didn't pave the entire two blocks of Union as he told us would happen?  Has he offered any explanation as to why the plans were changed and who made the cuts?  Of course not!  Clear communication expected of a professional is not his modus operandi.

Why are there no new ADA curb ramps
on Union at City Hall Place?  When was the decision made 
to not install it, and who made that decision?  Was it 
Luizzi or was it Rob Perry?  

The proof of all this incoherence, mess and squandered money and opportunities is literally written on Union Street and will continue to be there for months or years.  (Don't take my word for it, go have a look for yourself if you haven't already noticed.)

Exactly two months after DPW paid Luizzi for their CHIP's repaving work (5 checks totaling over $604,000 were issued on May 30th, all of which was reimbursed to DPW by DOT), you can still read the spray painted messages at corners on the old, unreplaced pavement of the 300 block of Union where SOMEONE AT DPW was trying to make sure Luizzi knew where they needed to install ADA-compliant curb ramps (with red plastic mats!!!) before repaving the street.  "Over here Luizzi! Be sure to install a curb ramp here!  Don't forget!  It's part of your contract!"  But they never did.  And Rob Perry doesn't seem to care that that free, State-funded work never materialized.  Otherwise, he would have offered an explanation to the Common Council and the public in May, June or July, right?  I counted 8 corners in the 300 block of Union that someone wanted new curb ramps installed on that never came to be. EIGHT FREE ADA-COMPLIANT CURB RAMPS THAT SOMEONE DECIDED WEREN'T NECESSARY AFTER ALL!  EIGHT OLD, UGLY, DANGEROUS AND NON-ADA-COMPLIANT CORNERS THAT SOMEONE FELT SHOULD BE REPLACED BUT THEN RECONSIDERED. Gee, I wonder who that someone was (and still is).

How long will this sad reminder be with us?

Why was this corner slated to get a new curb ramp at no
 cost to the city? Because the 300 block of Union 
was supposed to be repaved, ALSO FOR FREE!
(Picture taken June 30th, well after
Luizzi's CHIP's project was finished)

Finally (!), who do you think installed the 8 crosswalk lines across 4th Street at Union on July 10th?  Why it was DPW, of course.  Was the money spent by DPW for that crosswalk reimbursed by DOT?  Of course it wasn't!  Would that crosswalk have been paid for with DOT CHIP's funds if Luizzi had repaved the 300 block of Union, as Rob Perry told us would happen?  Yes, indeed, that crosswalk across 4th Street would not have cost city taxpayers a dime if Luizzi had repaved both blocks of Union, from South 5th to South 3rd!  No new free pavement gets us no new free crosswalks, free ADA curb ramps, free stop lines or free crosswalks.  We had our chance. 

Not free, but it could and should have been.
(Probably at least $400 in labor and materials)

Confused, concerned, fed up, questions?  Here is Rob Perry's most direct phone number, a number that he does not reveal on his own department's web page.  518-965-5235.  He would love to hear from you, and I'm sure he has a perfectly coherent, sensible explanation about all of this.