Recent snow storm and DOTs terrible response

[Cotuit]

My rant:

http://www.gcpvd.org/2007/12/19/ok-lets-talk-about-the-snow/

[runawayjim]

My rant:

http://www.gcpvd.org/2007/12/19/ok-lets-talk-about-the-snow/

[TheAnk]

I noticed the surreal amount of traffic too @ about 7PM.. I say prior snow storms and prior lack of holiday shopping is to blame..

A bigger concern to me.. As a property owner, I have to ensure clean sidewalks everywhere or I get a ticket from the city.. Fact.. The city doesn't have to do sh#t for their property.. They can allow PEOPLE TO BE KILLED because of not clearing sidewalks.. In fact, its safe to say that if you drive around the city, residential driveways and residential sidewalks are generally bare but city property is a mess..

Maybe there are more than just firemen working no show jobs in this disgustingly governed city.. Irate is an understatement..

By the way.. Those driving moves you mention, they aren't the exception in Providence, they are the norm.. The opposite rules of the road apply... The person without the right of way goes and EXPECTS to have the right of way.. Blinkers are not used unless going straight... People run red lights for fun or ignorance, or both.. I swear, the whole city is driving high...

A perfect example of how f#$%ed driving here is.. If you actually use the rules of the road you will cause traffic.. Because everyone else here apparently either just expects to be cut off, to be let in in without the right of way, that there is confusion all the time between the rule obeyers and the bizzaro rule PVD residents, resulting in people just sitting there and not know what to do..

And don't get me started on blocking incoming traffic thing.. If you ever see a guy driving into oncoming traffic in order to not be right-of-way-blocked by some ignorant a-hole who doesn't have the right of way but insists on inching into ongoing traffic to stop the flow of traffic to get in.. Well.. Thats me.. I win at chicken.. I won't brake...

[reverand]

i ahve coutned 15 mirrors knocked off just around my office because the snow wasn't plowed enough for cars to park on the street. I also almost got hit by a car yesterday because i could not walk on the sidewalk because it still had 10 inches of snow on it.

[chemgeek]

On Thursday, my husband was driving home from Taunton. He knew it would be ugly on 95, so he took the Super Secret Back Way . He made it to Thayer Street in about 40 minutes. Then, it took him 5 hours to get to Broadway. Pretty standard tale of woe.

Not once, at any major intersection (or minor intersection), horribly gridlocked, did he see a cop trying to control traffic. Not once. He did, however, see regular people attempting to help (does that make up for all the idiot drivers, admittedly frustrated by their inability to get home? I don't know...). This was *before* all the school bus trauma started to unfold (if you can believe the timeline that has been released) and many officers were out trying to get kids home. So, what I want to know is...where were all the cops? I mean, a week before, every cop on the force was mobilized when someone thought they saw a guy with a rifle downtown. It's not as if the police department doesn't have the capacity to get officers out on the streets. It's beyond me why Esserman got to investigate this travesty when his department seems just as much to blame for what happened in Providence.

And as for the snow removal/sidewalks....ARGH! I didn't have my camera with me, but waiting for the bus yesterday with my 2 year old, my choices were to wait in the street on Westminster, or wait on the "sidewalk" and scramble over a 3-4 foot snow bank (with my two year old) to get to the bus. I can't even imagine what life must be like right now for people who *can't* scramble over the snowbanks, or get out of the curb cuts or just balance through the frozen footprints on the sidewalk.

Last night we got a call from a friend who was at Kennedy Plaza last night (you know, after that dusting of snow), slipped on the ice, and broke his elbow. He's going to need surgery. Kennedy Plaza? Really? I mean, if anyplace in this city should be clear, salted, sanded, it should be there. I'm probably the least litigious person I know, but I think he should sue the city - at the very least to send a message that it's totally unacceptable that the city cut corners by not clearing snow from public areas.

....grumble, grumble...

[runawayjim]

you know... i see all these articles about people getting killed by snow plows because they couldn't walk on the sidewalk or slipping and falling on ice and snow covered sidewalks. and the responses from the cities and towns is just "we don't have enough people". well, i wonder if they'll have enough money if some of these people who are injuring themselves or families of the deceased decide to start suing the cities and towns because they can't keep their cities livable.

my street is small and still covered in ice, now completely holes in the ice to toss you around. i don't drive fast on it because it's really narrow and the sidewalks are about as wide as my foot (ok, that's an exaggeration, they're as wide as both my feet put together). people walk in the street. we can't shovel our sidewalks because there's nowhere to put it except the street (and chances are, the city will just plow it back). this morning, i nearly jumped up onto the sidewalk with my car because of the crappy condition of my street.

there is absolutely no excuse for any of this. does calling or writing to the office of neighborhood services actually do anything? i know it worked when i lived in elmhurst, but they don't seem to give a sh*t about federal hill. heck, they fixed walk lights and traffic lights within 3 days everytime i wrote to complain about something when i lived there. now when i write, i just get ignored.

[Patrick Ward]

there is absolutely no excuse for any of this. does calling or writing to the office of neighborhood services actually do anything? i know it worked when i lived in elmhurst, but they don't seem to give a sh*t about federal hill. heck, they fixed walk lights and traffic lights within 3 days everytime i wrote to complain about something when i lived there. now when i write, i just get ignored.

[matt]

Traffic in town last night was unbelievable. I don't know what has happened to the people of Providence, but everyone has forgotten how to drive.

I tried to get from college hill to federal hill last night and all I saw was break-lights across town. I opted to go around.... way around. I drove from Angell St to Smith St to Douglas Ave, to River Ave to Eagle Sq to Atwells ave. I don't think I saved any time, but I kept moving - at least until I got stuck on Atwells for 10 minutes in one spot.

However, during my trek around the city, I saw people running red lights, people blocking intersections, people blocking intersections while running red lights, and inexplicable traffic jams.

I know it's the holidays, I know there are events downtown, and I know the roads are messy, but have we all forgotten how to get around? Have we given up on all the rules?

Mark it zero.

[runawayjim]

Traffic in town last night was unbelievable. I don't know what has happened to the people of Providence, but everyone has forgotten how to drive.

[basachs]

My big fight has been with the Providence Head Start Administration building on Almy St. They are the worst neighbors I have. It has been a week and they refuse to shovel their sidewalks. This is made worse by the fact that they are on the corner, and have 3 huge sidewalks. Almy St between Broadway and Westminster is basically a drag strip, with people racing down with little care for pedestrians. With Head Start not shoveling their sidewalks, people are forced to walk in this dangerous street. My wife almost got run over yesterday.

I have called: the ONS, DPW, Code Enforcement, and the police. I also spoke to Head Start who replied that they are "working to get it shoveled". Unacceptable.

ONS, DPW, and Code Enforcement have all proven to be useless. The police dispatcher said they have been dealing with complaints all week. It is realy just unacceptable that Providence refuses to strictly enforce the ordinances on the books.

[runawayjim]

My big fight has been with the Providence Head Start Administration building on Almy St. They are the worst neighbors I have. It has been a week and they refuse to shovel their sidewalks. This is made worse by the fact that they are on the corner, and have 3 huge sidewalks. Almy St between Broadway and Westminster is basically a drag strip, with people racing down with little care for pedestrians. With Head Start not shoveling their sidewalks, people are forced to walk in this dangerous street. My wife almost got run over yesterday.

I have called: the ONS, DPW, Code Enforcement, and the police. I also spoke to Head Start who replied that they are "working to get it shoveled". Unacceptable.

ONS, DPW, and Code Enforcement have all proven to be useless. The police dispatcher said they have been dealing with complaints all week. It is realy just unacceptable that Providence refuses to strictly enforce the ordinances on the books.

[jencoleslaw]

Elmhurst has a very high voter turn out. Second only to the East Side. Federal Hill not so much.

[mimesis]

i do not think it is voter turn out, or lack thereof that keeps Federal Hill from getting the services it needs from the city.

[Patrick Ward]

i do not think it is voter turn out, or lack thereof that keeps Federal Hill from getting the services it needs from the city.

[Mothra]

What do you think the problem is?

[yossarian]

With regard to the politics v. turnout discussion, it is probably some of both. Elmhurst gets good city services regardless of whether the 5th ward councilman is a friend or a foe of the mayor (see e.g. Patrick Butler). The ward is one of the largest in the city and has exceptional (by Providence standards) turn out. As a result, it is very difficult to win city wide if the 5th ward is voting against you. Therefore, a mayor with an axe to grind has to think long and hard about settling scores by withholding city services. In contrast, with Federal Hill he can punish an enemy without taking as much of a hit.

[yossarian]

Is there information available to the public about voter turn-out in different regions of the city? I would be very interested to see this.

[urbie]

In contrast, with Federal Hill he can punish an enemy without taking as much of a hit.