Union Place station...and a few other misc. thoughts from my time in Hartford today

[blink55184]

Don't know how great a news this is, but Dunkin Donuts has opened inside of the station, where one of the ticket booths used to be. I am still so dissapointed at the use of the station. I went up some of the old stairs to the tracks that arent used anymore and everything is just so abandoned. Cant even get to the trains from the nice auditorium like room with the beautiful entrace. Something really needs to be done to the bus area too, its just so unefficiently used and falling apart. I went through Worcester on the bus this morning, and they just opened a brand new bus terminal, attached to the gorgeous train station they have there- It is now state of the art.

The only picture I could find of the new terminal end

A news article on the new terminal

http://www.telegram.com/apps/pbcs.dll/arti.../608050353/1116

And the Train/Bus station overall

Hartford's station would be magnificent if touched up, and the bus terminal re-designed. Hopefully this could get done before commuter rail service would start.

One other random thought of what I saw today.....A Hartford traffic ticket woman rolling around checking the meters on a segway(sp?)....

Like the one seen here

It looked brand spankin new and shiny, arent there better things for Hartford to be spending money on?

And not to be a jerk, but the woman looked like she could use the exercise of walking...

[MadVlad]

I always marvel at Worcester's Train Station when I drive through on 291. It looks great....

[mikel]

I'm just happy and relieved that Hartford's station survived the wrecking ball...

I think eventually it will be used better. Hopefully soon the half-hourly commuter rail will be making its way into the terminal, thus more people. Also, I hope the silly "busway" is turned into rail, so we'll have even more lines and people using the station everyday.

It's a beautiful station, someday it will be a grand entrance to Hartford once again.

[mikel]

Also, regarding the meter maids on segways, I see them constantly downtown. The Central Parking Authority runs the meters now, not the city. HOWEVER, instead of buying segways, they should have implemented the electronic kiosks at the corners and receipts on the dashboard like every modern city is doing (even Providence). However, we're stuck with digging for loose change and buying segways instead.

[Luca Brasi]

Those ticket giving nazis are really making it tough to give people a reason to come downtown. I understand its a source of revenue, and certain parkinmg laws (like parking in a no parking zone that is used for a commuter lane between 3:30 and 6) need to be enforced. But if I run into my office and buy 20 mins at a meter only to come out 25 minutes later with a ticket, it goes a little too far. And this has happened to me repeatedly over the last year. You see these ticket givers (and that's all they really are) EVERYWHERE downtown. Enforce the laws, but be a little more community friendly and realize that you need to attract people dowtown. Not scare them away.

As for the train station - I think there are only two daily trains that come through now. Its sad because Hartford's Station could really be nice if it had the necessary traffic.

[ctman987]

I love Union Station and hopefully in the next 10 years when the commuter rail line is finally completed it will be hustling and bustling again.

Im not sure how many Dunkin Donuts you can have downtown but I guess its nice to see another one....there is also Hot Tomato's on the backside of the station and the station serves as the headquarters for ProPark.

And on the parking subject we were discussing this in another topic a few weeks ago and today I just sent out letters about the downtown parking situation.....I know some people have...everyone should because we dont want to ruin people's first visit to the city with a ticket

[mikel]

Those ticket giving nazis are really making it tough to give people a reason to come downtown. I understand its a source of revenue, and certain parkinmg laws (like parking in a no parking zone that is used for a commuter lane between 3:30 and 6) need to be enforced. But if I run into my office and buy 20 mins at a meter only to come out 25 minutes later with a ticket, it goes a little too far. And this has happened to me repeatedly over the last year. You see these ticket givers (and that's all they really are) EVERYWHERE downtown. Enforce the laws, but be a little more community friendly and realize that you need to attract people dowtown. Not scare them away.

As for the train station - I think there are only two daily trains that come through now. Its sad because Hartford's Station could really be nice if it had the necessary traffic.

I don't have a problem with the meter maids following the rules and ticketing people who break the rules.

My only problem is that the meters are poorly designed. With electronic kiosks, which are literally in cities everywhere these days, you can use cash, you can use credit/debit cards, you can add time from any kiosk, and you can even add time via mobile phone. It's difficult to have 2 hours worth of change on you, and to have to return back to your car to refill.

Hopefully this problem will be addressed.... EVENTUALLY.

Also, the Amtrak shuttle comes through Union Station 16 times a day, not twice.

It's just sparsely used because of the high price.

[blink55184]

Also, the Amtrak shuttle comes through Union Station 16 times a day, not twice.

It's just sparsely used because of the high price.

Isn't the shuttle just that, a bus shuttle to Springfield????

I am 90% sure there are only 2 trains through Hartford a day, The Vermonter and a regional train.

[mikel]

Isn't the shuttle just that, a bus shuttle to Springfield????

I am 90% sure there are only 2 trains through Hartford a day, The Vermonter and a regional train.

No, it's the Amtrak shuttle train that goes from Springfield and New Haven and back.

It goes through Hartford 14 times a weekday. (7 to New Haven, 7 to Springfield).

The Vermonter goes through twice.

[drc72]

I don't have a problem with the meter maids following the rules and ticketing people who break the rules.

My only problem is that the meters are poorly designed. With electronic kiosks, which are literally in cities everywhere these days, you can use cash, you can use credit/debit cards, you can add time from any kiosk, and you can even add time via mobile phone. It's difficult to have 2 hours worth of change on you, and to have to return back to your car to refill.

Hopefully this problem will be addressed.... EVENTUALLY.

Also, the Amtrak shuttle comes through Union Station 16 times a day, not twice.

It's just sparsely used because of the high price.

Well they bother me!!!! The meter maids are to ticket happy. As Luca said, we don't need to be discouraging people from to going downtown. Hartford in years past, use to be a lot more easy going.

[mikel]

Well they bother me!!!! The meter maids are to ticket happy. As Luca said, we don't need to be discouraging people from to going downtown. Hartford in years past, use to be a lot easy going.

But if people were constantly breaking the rules, there would be no spots for store customers and newcomers. If nobody checked the meters, they would be occupied by workers arriving early and leaving late.

I think people should pay to park and follow the rules. It just should be easier to follow the rules. If people get a ticket yet they could've used their mobile to add time, or paid by credit card at any kiosk to add time, they wouldn't have anything to complain about.

It is difficult now for sure. With coins and meters that only go up to 2 hours (even in 8 hour spots), we're really behind the times.

[Cotuit]

One other random thought of what I saw today.....A Hartford traffic ticket woman rolling around checking the meters on a segway(sp?)....

Like the one seen here

It looked brand spankin new and shiny, arent there better things for Hartford to be spending money on?

And not to be a jerk, but the woman looked like she could use the exercise of walking...

They could have bought new cars for the meter people, and pumped them full of $3 a gallon fossil fuel. Segways are an economical, efficient, environmental way for someone like a traffic enforcement officer to get around. The Downcity Improvement District workers in Providence use them.

[blink55184]

They could have bought new cars for the meter people, and pumped them full of $3 a gallon fossil fuel. Segways are an economical, efficient, environmental way for someone like a traffic enforcement officer to get around. The Downcity Improvement District workers in Providence use them.

How about walking like they do in Boston?!!?

Downtown Hartford is the size of a football field!

[HartfordTycoon]

How about walking like they do in Boston?!!?

Downtown Hartford is the size of a football field!

Give em a break though. I know I would appreciate a segway doing a job where all I do is walk all day.

[jcrc]

Those ticket giving nazis are really making it tough to give people a reason to come downtown. I understand its a source of revenue, and certain parkinmg laws (like parking in a no parking zone that is used for a commuter lane between 3:30 and 6) need to be enforced. But if I run into my office and buy 20 mins at a meter only to come out 25 minutes later with a ticket, it goes a little too far. And this has happened to me repeatedly over the last year. You see these ticket givers (and that's all they really are) EVERYWHERE downtown. Enforce the laws, but be a little more community friendly and realize that you need to attract people dowtown. Not scare them away.

As for the train station - I think there are only two daily trains that come through now. Its sad because Hartford's Station could really be nice if it had the necessary traffic.

It's a sad way for the city to get its revenues, and in the long run it hurts the city. If Hartford spend the same energy and efficiency on retaining businesses, maybe Ch 3 and ING will stay in the city instead of bolting to the surburbs. How's that for losing revenues?

[MadVlad]

It's a sad way for the city to get its revenues, and in the long run it hurts the city. If Hartford spend the same energy and efficiency on retaining businesses, maybe Ch 3 and ING will stay in the city instead of bolting to the surburbs. How's that for losing revenues?

Parking is the biggest farce going. They have a huge force of parking authority people, yet the neighborhoods can't get police assistance. It's nonsense....

[HartfordTycoon]

Parking is the biggest farce going. They have a huge force of parking authority people, yet the neighborhoods can't get police assistance. It's nonsense....

They are called priorities and us in the North End understand where we fall.......

It is what it is and what it always has been. Oh Well.

[mikel]

They are called priorities and us in the North End understand where we fall.......

It is what it is and what it always has been. Oh Well.

Yeah but it's also privatized, and the company who handles it makes more the more parking tickets they write, thus the amount of attention that goes into it.

[MadVlad]

Yeah but it's also privatized, and the company who handles it makes more the more parking tickets they write, thus the amount of attention that goes into it.

Which is BS. That's almost a criminal mindset. "Harrass more people that may or may not want to come back after the hassle...."

[mikel]

Which is BS. That's almost a criminal mindset. "Harrass more people that may or may not want to come back after the hassle...."

You know I saw the same thing in Italy even. Just as we parked, the meter maid was walking by. To avoid this, all you have to do is pay really. You can't expect to park for free in any city in the world. I would just like to see a more modernized system of paying to park, but I don't mind that the rules are being enforced, otherwise we'd never be able to find a parking spot.

And the city earns money by doing this, it cannot be compared to policing a neighborhood.

[drc72]

It's a sad way for the city to get its revenues, and in the long run it hurts the city. If Hartford spend the same energy and efficiency on retaining businesses, maybe Ch 3 and ING will stay in the city instead of bolting to the surburbs. How's that for losing revenues?

BINGO!!! You hit the nail right on the head. I've already talked to a few more people who are getting overly irritated with the parking Nazis. If your 2 to 3 minutes late, odds are you are gonna get a ticket.

[jcrc]

You know I saw the same thing in Italy even. Just as we parked, the meter maid was walking by. To avoid this, all you have to do is pay really. You can't expect to park for free in any city in the world. I would just like to see a more modernized system of paying to park, but I don't mind that the rules are being enforced, otherwise we'd never be able to find a parking spot.

And the city earns money by doing this, it cannot be compared to policing a neighborhood.

Issuing parking ticket should not be the way for Hartford to earn money. Harford should earn its money thru property tax, just like any other city and town in the US. The fact is Hartford totally screwed up its urban planning and let its property value went to the dumpster. Now it is trying to take what seemed like a quick and painless route to get some revenues. Unfortunately, generating revenues via ticket nazis is a short sighted and wrong way to run the city. If you are ticketed almost immediately after the meter expired, then why is that if your car widow was smashed, it took the cop forever to show up. That is if they bother to show up at all. How can Hartford be so efficient in one area, but totally inefficient in another? The very obvious message Harford is sending to people is they gonna screw you anywhere they can. If not by the window smashers, then by the ticket Nazis.

[redbaron]

BINGO!!! You hit the nail right on the head. I've already talked to a few more people who are getting overly irritated with the parking Nazis. If your 2 to 3 minutes late, odds are you are gonna get a ticket.

They don't know you're 2-3 minutes expired, most the time... I don't mind paying the meters, just get some updated ones, I don't always have coins on me...

[robm324]

Agreed. If you are going to park on the street follow the rules. Period. Having said that, I think the system should be updated so one can pay with Credit card, add money remotely via cell phone...that type of thing..make it easier for people to follow the rules.

There may not be much motivation on the part of city to government to implement changes like this where they would incur significant costs when they could just continue the current process of issueing tickets, which I am sure brings in a significant load of cash to the city.

[ctman987]

I wrote a letter about the parking situation to members of the parking authority as well as some other city officals and was very suprise to get a response. I had someone call me at my house to talk about the situation. This to say the least suprised me but I was very impressed.

Now on the parking matter. I for one do not mind having to put money in the meters and all that. But I know a lot of people who get frustrated by the downtown parking system and all the tickets....and yes I know many of you would tell them to not come downtown at all then. Well that is not the answer, Hartford needs the support of its residents as well as the residents of Greater Hartford (meaning the suburbs).

A few things:

1) Someone talked about modernizing the meters. I just returned from Philadelphia, Baltimore and Ocean City and I know that they have new meters where there is one box for a certain amount of spaces. You go to that box, insert money or a credit card and then it gives you a slip that you put on your car. They do this in Ocean City, MD which is a beach resort with a lot of sprawl....we should be doing this in Hartford...NOW. This would also take some of the meters off the street, making it look more pleasant.

2) There are hundreds of signs about parking. You need an engineering degree sometimes to figure out if you can park somewhere. There's loading zones, 2 hour spaces, spaces open between certain hours, valet areas, etc. Why do we need all these obnoxious signs???

3) Hartford should also not be getting all its money by parking tickets. I am aware that all the parking is outsourced to another company and then when you get a ticket you send it to NY to pay it. The city should be getting its property taxes.

4) One more just random parking thing. Everyone talks about more parking to accomodate the new jobs, new residents, new stores, new this and new that. If we have all this parking we are just making Hartford another suburb. In succesfull urban cores like New York, Boston and Philadelphia do we see tons of parking garages and surface lots galore...No we dont. It sickens me sometimes to see all the parking we have downtown. Most of the downtown office towers having parking so employees can drive right into the city and right out. There is parking galore for the civic center at Hartford 21, the Hilton Lot, the Saints Lot and the lot at Church and Ann. For example the Metro Center has its own parking garage yet right next to the Metro Center is the Saints Lot which part of is used by Saint Patricks Saint Anthony's Church. Across from the metro center is another surface lot. And yet all the developers and the city talk about is more parking. The Bank of America building wont happen if theres not more parking, we need more parking at the convention center, etc. etc. etc. We need to fill in the parking and then use the rest of the space for development