Parking, the bane of Hartford's existence?

[Luca Brasi]

What do you think of closing Pratt to vehicular traffic? There aren't that many spaces on the block anyway.

[jcrc]

What do you think of closing Pratt to vehicular traffic? There aren't that many spaces on the block anyway.

[Whaler0718]

I have suggested this in the past. Pratt St. chould be closed during warm weather and used as a pedestrian mall much like Lincoln Rd. in Miami. All restaurants would have to put outdoor seating in the street with large umbrellas. There are enough eateries to make this happen. This would actually become a destinatation in the summer.

[Luca Brasi]

They did this during the summer of 2004. From about 11:00 am until 2:00 pm Pratt was closed to vehicular traffic. I remember standing in the middle of the street by what is now The Russell (then Cozi) eating lunch and watching them tear off the front of the Civic Center. I thought it was really nice, tables and chairs in th middle of Pratt Street, and perfect for such businesses as the Rose Gourmet, which doesn't have seating inside.

[JimSawhill]

I remember that too, but I'm talking permanently. From Memorial Day to Labor Day. Russell, Cugino's, Vaughn's, Joe Blacks, Jojo's, No Fish Today (or its replacement), the second floor Thai Restaurant, Sweet Jane's, Woody's ... and whoever else, could take advantage of this. Each restaurant would pick up much more seating during the summer months.

For anyone who doesn't know, Lincoln Road in Miami is a major street that was closed to vehicular traffic and converted to a pedestrian mall. It is loaded with shops, bars and restaurants and all the restaurants have outdoor seating in the middle of the "street". Although Lincoln Rd is 20 times longer than Pratt, I think it can work here too but on a smaller scale.

[Theophrastus Bombastus]

Get the word out.

Trade a car for a bus, save a chunk of change: study Tue Jan 9, 11:02 AM ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A household with two cars that swaps one vehicle for public transportation for daily commutes would save about $6,200 a year even after paying transit fares, according to a study released on Tuesday.

The study, released by the nonprofit American Public Transportation Association, offers some relief to U.S. consumers who have taken a beating at the pump.

According to the study, conducted by consultants ICF International, a two-adult household where one adult relies on public transit instead of a car for work commuting can save $6,251 a year compared with a household without transit access.

That's more than the $5,781 the average U.S. household spent on food in 2004, and slightly less than the $6,848 paid in yearly interest on the average home mortgage, the study said.

"Who says there's no such thing as a free lunch?" said association President William Millar, calling for Congress and the Bush administration to boost incentives for public transportation.

Most of the savings comes from not paying for fees for maintenance, insurance, and loan payments on one automobile, which comes to about $5,586 a year including depreciation, according to 2006 American Automobile Association figures.

In all, current public transportation use has reduced U.S. gasoline consumption by 1.4 billion gallons a year, or about 91,000 barrels per day. That's enough to fill the gas tanks of about 108 million cars, the report said.

One barrel holds 42 gallons.

The United States, the world's biggest oil user, burned about 9.3 million barrels per day of gasoline in 2006, according to U.S. government estimates.

[JimSawhill]

Get the word out.

Trade a car for a bus, save a chunk of change: study Tue Jan 9, 11:02 AM ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A household with two cars that swaps one vehicle for public transportation for daily commutes would save about $6,200 a year even after paying transit fares, according to a study released on Tuesday.

The study, released by the nonprofit American Public Transportation Association, offers some relief to U.S. consumers who have taken a beating at the pump.

According to the study, conducted by consultants ICF International, a two-adult household where one adult relies on public transit instead of a car for work commuting can save $6,251 a year compared with a household without transit access.

That's more than the $5,781 the average U.S. household spent on food in 2004, and slightly less than the $6,848 paid in yearly interest on the average home mortgage, the study said.

"Who says there's no such thing as a free lunch?" said association President William Millar, calling for Congress and the Bush administration to boost incentives for public transportation.

Most of the savings comes from not paying for fees for maintenance, insurance, and loan payments on one automobile, which comes to about $5,586 a year including depreciation, according to 2006 American Automobile Association figures.

In all, current public transportation use has reduced U.S. gasoline consumption by 1.4 billion gallons a year, or about 91,000 barrels per day. That's enough to fill the gas tanks of about 108 million cars, the report said.

One barrel holds 42 gallons.

The United States, the world's biggest oil user, burned about 9.3 million barrels per day of gasoline in 2006, according to U.S. government estimates.

[jcrc]

They did this during the summer of 2004. From about 11:00 am until 2:00 pm Pratt was closed to vehicular traffic. I remember standing in the middle of the street by what is now The Russell (then Cozi) eating lunch and watching them tear off the front of the Civic Center. I thought it was really nice, tables and chairs in th middle of Pratt Street, and perfect for such businesses as the Rose Gourmet, which doesn't have seating inside.

[Whaler0718]

Luca:

The palm trees would look nice on Pratt Street, too!!

In all seriousness, outdoor seating would be great, but not in the fall winter or spring when it is raining or snowing (or sleeting). Miami doesn't have to worry about snow or sleet -- unless GLOBAL COOLING is starting up.

JimS

[Luca Brasi]

Luca, is Lincoln Road closed permanently to cars? I think Burlington Vermont and old Montreal have something like that as well, I don't know what they do in winter. I think for it to truly work, Pratt Street has to be closed not just from 11 to 2, but until late at night so places can get dinner and bar crowds.

[JimSawhill]

Charlottesville, VA has a fabulous pedestrian mall downtown. http://www.charlottesville.org/Index.aspx?page=177. This is, frankly, what I had thought Front Street would be like, except for the recent article describing the retail options as "convenience." Meanwhile, they're expanding Evergreen Walk. It kind of drives me mad that the region is this fabulous market for retail and commercial development, and it's all in the form of the suburban mall. Evergreen Walk (outdoor lifestyle center, or whatever they call it) is a better model, but just think how great it would be if it were Front Street? Amaznig. So sad.

[Bill Mocarsky]

The Hartford Courant

Should Downtown Hartford Street Go Carless?

[ctman987]

Was thinking about the whole car free Pratt Street and then headed downtown Saturday night and drove down Pratt Street on my way to City Steam and waited for about 15 minutes in traffic on Pratt Street. There were a lot of people downtown (but not enough for a jam on Pratt). It turned out that traffic was backed out because there was valet parking at Joe Blacks and ProPark had cars all over the street and drivers were forced to squeeze through....and the valet service had also taken up numerous Pratt Street parking spaces.

Max Downtown and Trumbull Kitchen do valet services but do not cause a whole fiasco like the ones caused by ProPark on Pratt

[MadVlad]

Well, Pratt is one lane, Trumbull St is 4....

[jcrc]

The Hartford Courant

Should Downtown Hartford Street Go Carless?

[paul514]

Theo Bomb:

That is great except -- PUBLIC TRANSIT is not for everyone. Buses don't run at night so second and third shifters would need to drive. If you don't live near a bus stop -- or work near a bus stop, you might drive your car in.

A friend bikes to the local bus stop (3 miles away), gets on the bus for Tampa (buses do have bike racks here) and then bikes 7 blocks to his office -- at his office, they put a shower so he showers and put on his suit and work. Most people can't do that -- I sweat alot, so I can't bike to work.

JimS

[Whaler0718]

Check out this article in the Times regarding parking solutions.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/25/automobi...70&emc=eta1