2nd Annual Hartford Bike Tour!

For those of you that missed it, this past Saturday was the second annual Hartford Bike Tour which in over 1,000 bicycles took to the streets of Hartford to celebrate the city and our favorite mode of transportation. The ride went off without a hitch and easily gathered as many riders as last year. I have not seen any reporting of the ride from the Courant(kind of hard to drop the ball on this one as its not every day over 1000 bicyclists are simultaneously riding around Hartford), nor has the CCBA blog been updated so I can only guess as to the number of riders but I would conservatively put the number around 1200 perhaps as many as 1500. The ride organizers did a great job of laying out a very diverse and creative route which traversed every corner of the city,



The police were far more present than last year and were very effective at controlling traffic at the major intersections. Resultantly the ride was exponentially safer for all riders as many were obviously inexperienced at riding in the city and in large groups. This made for a few sketchy moments as kids darted in front of other riders and as apprehensive cyclists slowed down movement through intersections. Lets be patient, however, and keep in mind that practice makes perfect and only by getting riders out there and out there often can we all learn how to behave and react on the road. Of course this does NOT make it acceptable for the woman who nearly ran Meg off the road to have told her to "F*@$ off" when Meg told her to pay closer attention to the road! Not the vibe we are going for people.

For a further recap of the ride and more pictures click on the title as I apparently have killed the "Read More" functionality of this post!!!





I knew EMS would be set up and that John their bike tech would be there so I was hoping to borrow a couple cone wrenches to tighten up my rear hub, no such luck, he brought just about every tool you can think of except cone wrenches!!! Turned out ok as this was a far less annoying problem than my severely worn hammock-chain which I am surprised I only dropped once on the whole ride! Here is my Panasonic resting up for the ride.


The crowd gathered all over the South side of Bushnell Park and as you can see it was a good size lot. Many ooogled and crooned over this odd transportation device as they waited for the ride to start.


Familiar faces were to be found all over.


Quite a good mix of people. All ages and bike preferences were represented.


As you can see turnout was great and we had quite the line up at the start. Took a good 10 minutes to get the ride really moving I know not the 5 Boro but still impressive for the Beat).



Sonny and I are ready to roll though Will has disappeared leaving his bike behind.



Finally movement! Elm Street is filled with bicycles! A wonderful sight.


There is Will, he looks so dapper in his orange vest! Dawn certainly thinks so. Watch out guys a crowd of cone-headed recumbent riders are chasing you down! Yes these are the same birthday hats you will find strewn all over the city for the coming weeks as many of the riders couldn't control them.


The peloton crests the hill! As I mentioned the hills were a challange for some and resultantly plugged up the road causing delays. Charter Oak was perhaps the worst as the narrow road slow riders combined for a tricky ascent.

The "climb" was well worth it though as the multitude of riders got to see the beautiful architecture perched at the top of the hill...


We passed Colt's and headed for the river...


Through Riverfront Park..


Over the highway towards Kensington Street...

And down Kensington...

Everyone had to fall in single file to get through this gate in order to pass the site of the Hartford Circus Fire. This slowed down the ride and bordered on chaos as everyone tried to get past one another. We just sat an watched waiting for some of our group to catch up.

We turned onto Barbour Street to see these political activists and entreprenuers selling street wares, Yes We Can! Obama!

We then made our way into Keney Park. A rest stop in the park was the site of our group's first flat (Ben's first of two), though also provided a good chance to reorganize and grab a few snacks. Here Ben is trying to get enough pressure in his tube. Stupid mini pumps...

After we headed out of the Park we rode down Waverly and Love Lane before popping back into the Southern part of Keney...


Here Will and Dawn are enjoying a relaxing ride through the park...


From there we rode down Woodland Street and turned onto Ashley Street...

It was a chance to display some of the great preservation work that has taken place in Asylum Hill. I overheard many riders commenting on how impressive the homes were in this area and how excited they were that the ride took them into such hidden areas of the city that they might otherwise never have visited. From there we made our way up Asylum towards Elizabeth Park. We sat at the intersection of Prostect and Asylum for a minute observing the behavior of cyclists in the intersection, very few took the lane.

Will, Dawn, Megs leg, and I...
Meg, Sonny, and Mo keeping it real...


There goes Joel...


In the park we all raced for the Yellow Jersey.

Though it found Will celebrating a bit too early as Alberto Contador surely beat him to the line, oh wait thats Sonny.


After these feats of racing Sonny displayed his graceful over-the-handlebars-flying-uphill-flip! Sheer genius though it doesnt seem the Pink Dropshadow enjoyed it so much.

The Ride then traveled through the West End, across Pope Park, into the South End, traversed Goodwin Park, and headed through these tunnels near Brainard Rd.



A large group took a wrong turn and rode up a steep hill onto the levys above the water treatment plant. A nice spot but not where we were supposed to go.


It did offer a great view of the city skyline, just ignore the foreground.



Brainard Road had brand new bike lanes though I have to argue why put bike lanes out here where no one needs them, no one will use them regularly, and where the traffic doesn't necessitate it? Oh right so the city can boast that they added so many new miles of bike infrastructure this year, lanes to nowhere! And in this case not even painted correctly, am I wrong or is this suggesting bikers should be riding in the shoulder? Maybe it was the city's attempt at separated bike paths, ala here.


After turning onto Murphy Road and then Reserve Road the ride headed down Van Dyke, past an optional loop through Charter Oak Landing, and then past the beautiful old Colt Factory.


Back downtown Bushnell Park welcomed us back to the start of the ride.

After the ride everyone was starving for food and beer. Kenny's was close, has outdoor seating, and copious space for bike parking. We really packed it in there.


Meg like beer, me like beer. Good thing we got these shirts with registration as we were all pretty sweaty and gross.


Perhaps this is why Dawn is hiding behind this pole? Will seems fine with pictures through.


So many bikes, including one crazy recumbent that this guy was showing off to Will and I.


Odd machines but not my style.
We all hung out for a while, ate, drank, and socialized. From there some went home and some prepared for the evening's Ally Cat. We'll have to wait to see how that went.

Read more!

Riding in the Rain (Again)

So my afternoon commute found me riding home in the pouring rain and to be honest I was fine with it. As some of you may know I decided some time ago to ride rain or shine yet as the season begins to change I've had to think about what adjustments to make as we move into cooler weather. Rather than riding in rain pants and t-shirt today I decided to ride in long sleeves and vest. Turned out to be a good decision. The ride was relaxing, comfortable, and refreshing, it was nice to have a bit of cool weather. I think the only down side was the wet feet, literally...



I may have to research some shoe covers, anyone have any opinions?

Another piece of good advice was what Will gave me when he checking into the store as I was leaving. Turn your light on in the rain even if its not dark. I passed another biker on my way home (Josh was that you on Tunxis?) that had his light on and I only saw the light not the rider. Several more that I passed later I could hardly see.

I got a pretty good soaking over all but it was nice, made me realize how we take dry clothes for granted.



Wet Bag.




Rain soaked me!
Read more!

It's time....for the Threat Down!

We may think it's a little hard in Hartford to bike, what with all the deadly sandpits, potholes, glass-strewn streets, poorly designed bike lanes, unlabeled routes, and rude drivers, but there's a threat out there that puts all of our worries to shame.

That's right, the number 1 threat to American bicycling commuters today:

BEARS!!!!


These godless, killing machines have begun to turn their murderous rage against anything on two wheels. These brave heroes may have escaped and lived to tell about it, but how many uncounted Bianchis, Treks, and Cannondales have been dragged off to the soulless, rampaging marauders' dens of murder? Stay vigilant, Nation!


With apologies to Stephen Colbert.


Read more!

Sandpit update

After going through the sand this morning on my ride to work, I ran into DPW in Bushnell park doing some mowing and sweeping. A lot of the stonedust next to the park's paths has gone into the paths. Intrigued by the presence of brooms, I asked them if there going to doing anything about the sand our blog discusses. Sadly, they said no. It's not City property on the other side of the bridge. So, there you have it.

Wait, no! That's not good enough. I knew I could figure out who owned the sand. Part of my job is constituent services, right?

Awhile ago, I met the chief of the Capitol Police, a fellow named Michael Fallon, and he told me to ring him up if I had anything issues that he could help me with. It looks like now I have a reason to say what's up.

ps. I hope you're happy, I like riding through the sand.

Read more!

The Sandpit of Deathpart Saga Continues

The Sandpit of Death before last week's gorilla clean-up! I will replace with an up-to-date photo manana.

The first BBB post about The Sandpit of Death on the pathway between Bushnell Park and the LOB/Armory area was mostly about the clean-up done by Hanna, Maureen and I. This was last week. I ended the post with the beginnings of an attempt to have the city via it’s 311 program handle the rest of the work needed on the entire sidewalk including the very dirty bridge. The soft sand was dangerous to ride over and muddy to walk through after rain. Many, many people use this pathway every day.

Brendan recently reported the sand was returning. It certainly has! We scraped, shoveled and swept that sidewalk to bare concrete last week. I passed through it Monday night on a ride with Krash. Its baaaack! All this rain has caused a shitload of sand and dirt to once again cover the sidewalk. AARRGG!!!!

A culvert and minor construction is needed to fix this problem permanently. My neighbor, David Corrigan, is on the North Frog Hollow NRZ committee and told me there were plans to fix up the whole pathway including lighting! Nice! That will be great...when it happens. But what about now?!?!

Something has to be done. But what? Perhaps some hay bales to prevent the sand from flowing onto the sidewalk in heavy rain?

At a minimum, the city needs to send a street sweeper over that area after every rainstorm to keep it safe. Let’s make that happen. We can do this.

Please help us help ourselves by calling and/or emailing 311 and asking the city to fix this dangerous situation. If enough of us call, something has got to happen! Please leave a comment below about your own call!


Landline - 311
Cel phone - 860-522-4888
Website 311

there's no more to read! Read more!

Lights

I broke my light this morning on the way to work. It fell off on Capitol near the Park Terrace intersection. The clip, so that I can clip it on to by under-saddle bag, broke or fell off. Other than that, it still works. I don't want really buy a new one, because this one still emits light. Any suggestions as to how I can make this functional again?

Sorry about the boring post about a light.

Read more!

Bicycle Tours and Alleycats in Hartford this Weekend

The second Annual CCBA Discover Hartford Bicycling and Walking Tour is this Saturday, September 13th. We had 1200 people ride the tour last year and it was a blast! Check in and Registration opens at 7:00am,Tour starts at 9:15am. This is an anti-sprawl, pro fun, pro sustainable city, anti pollution, anti-couch potato, pro bicycle, pro pedestrian event.
Check the link for more info, pics and video from last year and last minute registration info.

There is also a Friday night $5 pre-ride pasta dinner and celebration @ the Bushnell Park Cafe located in the southeast corner of the park. Drink specials too! And live music! This sounds like a great way to start a wonderful weekend in Hartford. See you in Bushnell Park!


if yer hardcore...

Then, after the tour take a rest and relax...and then, if yer hardcore enough, ride F'n hard and fast til you wanna puke @ the Hartford Alleycat 4 race. I almost puked last year from riding too hard and well, i reakon that tobassco shot i had to shoot at a checkpoint early on didn't help matters much either.

Sponsors include: Manhattan Portage Messenger Bags, Baileyworks Bags, and PBR.

Register @ 60 Evergreen Avenue backyard. 6pm start. Ride safe, Ride fast. I'll be rockin' the Gunnar and protecting my dome. I think TJ's even gonna ditch the fixie and ride with brakes and gears on his Bianchi and try and dust Valdez. This is gonna be a crazy-ass competitive race. Krash, the only way you are beating me is if I flat out...sucka!


The afterparty/show will be at South Whitney House @ 8pm. HipCops, the 40's. Oil Tanker and one more TBA. Bring some loot to donate to the show. Proceeds go to Recycle a Bike in New Britain. Read more!

On First Impressions, Mistaken

Anyone who knows me knows that I am wrong more often than I am right. Nevertheless, I cling to the notion that my first impressions and gut feelings have some value. In the last week or so, I have twice been reminded that this is not so. In one instance, my wrongheadedness was bike-related and perhaps edifying. In the other, it was just silly:

1. Last week, I was riding home from my Hartford office and I had a suit jacket neatly folded and secured to my Crossrack. As I was heading west on Park Street/Road, some guy heading east in an SUV honked at me and made some sort of gesture while saying some sort of words. Of course, since this fellow was encased in an SUV and was wisely keeping his windows shut and (presumably) his AC on, I couldn't hear him and presumed it was something along the lines of, "You pesky young lawyers with your folding bicycles! You should leave the pristine boulevards of West Hartford for automobile travel, gosh darnit!" After all, this was just a few blocks from the place where some maroon tried to educate me (erroneously, of course) on the General Statutes of the great state of Connecticut as they relate to bicycle riding. Anyway, a few blocks later, I casually glanced back and saw that (horrors!) my suit jacket had slipped the bonds of its confinement and absconded to parts unknown. And then it hit me: the guy was saying, "You dropped your suit jacket, you lummox!" So I went back and there it was, right where the SUV driver had honked at me.

Moral: Sometimes, drivers are nice, and it's not a bad idea for people like me to buy their suits at Target (which I do).

2. Today I did my car-bike-train-bike commute to Bridgeport, and on the train I found myself looking at this ad for Delta airlines:



My first thought was, "Wait a minute! Liberia isn't in Central America!" This was a good thought because it allowed me to spend most of my train ride imagining a humorous scenario in which the adventurous and rakishly bourgeois young man in the ad sets out to backpack through Central America, and quickly finds himself on an inordinately long airplane flight. Then he disembarks and is pleased with how well everyone speaks English, confused that nothing seems to match up with his Lonely Planet guide, and, well, you can imagine all the hijinx that would ensue (he tries to ask for directions in broken Spanish; the natives look at him like he is crazy and ask him if he speaks English). It would be like "Spies Like Us," sort of, but dumber.

Well, the matter kept nagging at me, so when I got to the office I did a little googling and discovered that Liberia, in addition to being a country in West Africa, is a city in Costa Rica. Who knew?

Moral: Despite that one time in Washington, D.C., many years ago when I totally charmed a hot Liberian girl at a pizza parlor by knowing the capital of her nation (Monrovia) and the year it was founded (1847), I am not nearly as smart as I would sometimes like to think. Read more!

News

I know that we don't talk about professional cycling on here much, probably because we don't care about it that much. However, here's some breaking news for you guys who like to sport yellow wristbands. 

This also begs the question of who's going to run his bike shop in Austin.

Read more!

Connecticut, the new Iowa?

It was really difficult to ride on the bike path! Photo credit to Bill Owens of Granville, MA.

So, Johanna and I went for a ride yesterday. It was a very nice one and a very nice day. Since I think mapmyride is cool, I mapped it on there. I was surprised to learn that in 60 miles, we had an altitude change of only 850 or so feet (~425 up and ~425 down). I realized that there weren't any long climbs, but I have to admit that I'm a little surprised. I must have found the secret flattest route in the state. I didn't realize that I was such a wuss.

Also, the dreaded sand is returning to the Capitol/Bushnell Park path.

Read more!

Man, sometimes craigslist is so . . .

. . . I don't know, not exactly shady, but questionable. Case in point, this ad from the eastern ct site. It offers a Dawes Lightning aluminum road bike for the reasonable price of $500, presumably to be picked up in Wallingford. The ad promises the bike is "brand new" except for the fifty-ish miles that the owner has already put on it. OK, not a bad deal. Because if I wanted a brand new bike like that, I'd have to pay more, right? And if I wanted clip-on aero bars (which the craigslist seller doesn't offer but are maybe nice, if you're into that sort of thing), that would kick the price up more still, right? And then I'd have to get the bike shipped from the dealer, which could cost even more, right? Well, actually, no. I could get the exact same bike new, in a variety of sizes, with clip-on aero bars, for $495.99 with free shipping. (That's $4.01 less, if you're keeping score at home.) So the question is this: Is the craigslist seller dissatisfied with the bike he purchased from Bikesdirect.com and simply trying to recoup his money, or is he, in fact, a brilliant middleman, posting similar ads all around the nation, marking the price up just a little bit each time, not even bothering to order the bike from Bikesdirect until he has a craigslist buyer lined up, then reaping benefits through shear volume of business? Or does he charge $4.01 in labor to remove clip-on aero bars?


Here's the bike in question, as offered by BikesDirect.com.
And here is the rest of it. Read more!

We don't need no...

There was some discussion on this blog last month about the overall driver/biker viewpoint-rift that exists which is demonstrated specifically in the comments section of the Courant. We also talk a lot about the need for better bicycle infrastructure around this region as well as more education for rude drivers and noob cyclists. I found this post about bike education over at Bike Commute Tips Blog to fit in pretty well with some of the topics that were raised here and on the Courant discussion forums (minus the ignorant haters).

That blog, run by a dude named Paul Dorn, is a pretty excellent site that's worth a read if you're into community bicycle advocacy. Paul does a really good job at aggregating stories from newspapers around the country (he's picked up Hartford Courant articles often) that pertain to urban commuting, infrastructure, and advocacy, without including every little "Area Man bikes to work" article. He also makes insightful and forward-thinking commentary on each.

Anyway, as far as education goes, it's pretty difficult to get the bicyclists who really need it any type of bicycle education. All that can be done on our level is to continue shouting at people riding on the wrong side of the road and publicize the CCBA and classes such as the ones at REI. Including more bicycle awareness education for DOT drivers licensing tests is an option that probably won't get looked at very seriously.

For my part, before I started commuting by bike every day, I got my hands on a copy of Bicycling Street Smarts by John S. Allen and read it. Just doing that, I became much more confident about my role and responsibilities are as well as more aware of common hazards and dangerous situations that I would encounter. It's brief and basic, and I recommend it to anyone who is either starting out commuting or feels hesitant about biking around the streets of greater Hartford.

http://www.bikexprt.com/streetsmarts/usa/index.htm

Read more!

Back in the Saddle Again

Photo: I'm back to riding my Xootr Swift on the regular. Hooray!

Ahhhhhh! So good to be back in good health and riding the bicycle again. After a miserable bout with pneumonia, followed by extreme hectic craziness at work (when you do a lot of education law, this time of year can be busy), I'm finally riding my beloved Xootr Swift again. What a difference it makes in my mood to be getting some quality time on the bike: I am absolutely more jolly.

And the Xootr Swift, which was provided to me free of charge by the good folks at Xootr for testing and publicity purposes, is holding up like Oussama Mellouli. (Who is that, you ask? Only the first Tunisian every to medal in an olympic swimming event, which he did in fine fashion by taking gold in the men's 1500 meters, all of which you probably missed because Michael Phelps is a superhuman water cyborg with funny ears, and NBC spent exactly two seconds on Mellouli before turning back to coverage of Americans). So let me regale you, dear friends, with further details of recent rides and of the stellar performance of my bike. But, you know, after the jump.

I have the good fortune to have some friends, Lisa and Chauncey, who have some parents (well, they're Lisa's parents, Chauncey's in-laws) named John and Joan, who own a house in the Berkshires. John and Joan, lovely people both, were kind enough to take a trip to Egypt that left their Berkshires house unoccupied, allowing Lisa, Chauncey, my dear wife Anna, our respective kids (two for them, two for us), and I to step into the breach and enjoy a country Labor Day on John and Joan's behalf.

So I carried the Swift up to Great Barrington for the long weekend, and Chauncey, who loves fancy stuff with fancy names, carried his Pegoretti Palisanto. You should hear him say this - he does it with tremendous gusto and a funny, spicy, quasi-Italian accent entiring disconnected from his bland, Woodstock, Connecticut upbringing. Also, Chauncey's bike, shoes, helmet, socks, shorts, and water bottle are all color-coordinated. What does this tell us about Chauncey? I am not going to say. He is a good friend.

Anyway, as you might expect of someone who takes the time to color-coordinate his socks and his bicycle, Chauncey is a fairly strong rider - stronger than me, anyway - and his Italian-accented bike is definitely faster than the Xootr Swift (but doesn't fold!). So when Chauncey proposed a hilly 35-mile loop in the environs of West Stockbridge, I was concerned I would be a drag. But I also really wanted to have a nice ride, and I like scenery and stuff, so I said OK, with the warning to Chauncey that I might not bring as much Alps-stage ruckus as he does. As mentioned, Chauncey is a good friend and assured me it would be no problem. Also, I think he was just excited to be out in public in his well-coordinated yellow and red cycling kit.

In the end, the ride was scenic (see photos farther down the page) and the Xootr performed like a champ, to the point where I didn't even have the sense that I was too much of a brake on Chauncey's Breaking Away-style truck racing. I replaced the stock saddle, which was kinda spongy, in an all-purpose comfort sorta way, with a rather hard old saddle from a ten speed, and it was remarkably more comfortable, even without padded bike shorts (which are too expensive for me to purchase in good conscience). And my touring bar setup is butter for long rides. And luckily, in the middle of the ride we stopped at the West Stockbridge General Store for a snack break. That is where I deployed my secret biking-energy weapon:


Fanta Orange + Donuts = Folding Bike POWER.

Here are some other pictures from the ride:


Chauncey on the Pegoretti Palisanto.






Scenery x 3.


Back home (sigh).

Actually, I shouldn't sigh about being back home. Yesterday I got to ride to a hearing in (Hard Hittin') New Britain, which was nice because it provided me with a longer ride (about 18 miles in total) than going straight to work, and it gave me the chance to see New Britain's lovely scenery:


And today, I had a hearing in East Hartford, which again provided me with a nice, longer ride. (Sorry, I didn't take any pictures this time, but I can report that the view of downtown Hartford from the Charter Oak Bridge was top notch, and I was reminded once again of how much nicer it is to cross a river by bike than by car.)

So, in closing, life is good.
Read more!

Bike Lanes?

(Not Farmington)

So I headed out for a ride after work today despite the nasty black clouds and rolling thunder. I worked my way over one of my favorite hills (Buena Vista Rd. in West Hartford) and then past the Uconn Health Center, and over into Farmington. The entire stretch was wrapped in rain and clogged with traffic. It was not a pleasant way to start a ride. However, as I turned onto Rt 4 in Farmington I came across what seemed to be DIVIDED BIKE LANES! I wish I had my camera (I left it at home due to the rain but I will head back over soon to get follow up pics) but there was a newly placed asphalt curb to the right of which was a pair of white lines about 3 feet wide running parallel to the road. I was ecstatic as I rode somewhat protected along the wet road for the albeit short distance between Rt 10 and Town Farm Rd. To make things better as I made my turn onto Town Farm Rd. the skies split open and the sun came out to dry the rest of my ride. It was a gorgeous shower of light and mix of sun and clouds, made better by the (perhaps fleeting) idea that there were divided bike lanes so close to where I live. Fleeting because they may just as likely be eventually filled with concrete and made into a sidewalk, but I can dream can I not? In the meantime the barrier is a huge mental boon to cyclists riding along this pretty sketchy stretch of road.
Read more!

More defeat!

Does anyone know if they still hold that 'cross race in Southington? I've decided I want to shiver and do poorly in a new kind of racing this year. The only New England races I could find are Northampton and further away. Let me know. Read more!

IMPEACH LIEBERMAN!

So I'll be honest that this has nothing to do with bicycling (besides perhaps just doing the right thing) but I'm too furious and embarrassed not to make this post. I'm not a lawyer or constitutional historian but the little research I've done has shown that it is not possible to impeach a state senator but regardless I would like to make the initial steps towards a demonstrative impeachment of Senator Joe Lieberman. If any of you watched the Republican National Convention tonight you saw a Connecticut Congressman who has clearly separated himself from the interests of his own state and who has leeched himself into the flesh of a failed and floundering Republican constituency. This post is a call to all of you who may have the skills, knowledge, connections, and drive which might make it possible to petition for the impeachment of Lieberman if only it is a fleeting demonstration of our dissatisfaction.

Just now im watching as St. Paul police tear gas protesters, not a good finish to the evening.

Make your comments and voice your dissatisfaction for Joe Liarman!!!!
Read more!

The Sandpit of Death Clean-up

before the clean-up!


after the clean-up!

This is the Sandpit of Death if you are riding a bicycle on the pedestrian sidewalk and bridge connecting Bushnell Park to the LOB/Armory area. Well, pedestrian except for the all the various police cars that drive across the narrow bridge! The soft sand has been threatening many a riders’ balance for years now, but it’s gotten much worse in the past few weeks. Many of us have almost busted our asses here lately, especially with skinny tires! I made a spur of the moment plea via texts and emails Sunday afternoon to friends while eating lunch at JoJo’s on Pratt Street. As fate would have it, Maureen had ridden through the sand only minutes earlier and thought someone was gonna bite it soon there. She and Hanna volunteered to help out at 6pm! Good on ya, mates!


We met up at my house for a beer and some delicious homegrown salad. We happily packed up my bike with a snow shovel, a heavy metal rake, one spade shovel, 2 brooms and a pickaxe garden hand tool thingee.


Here’s me, Hanna and Maureen taking a break as a Statey watches us from his cruiser in front of the LOB parking garage. We were certainly not looking for attention, but figured, due to the location between Amtrak and the National Guard, we’d be getting harassed. But up to this point, no one had paid us any attention and he soon drove off without a word.

There was a whole lot more dirt and sand than we had realized. Most of it was at least a few inches thick and the middle half was all 3-4 inches thick with a very solid bottom layer. We had a bit of an assembly line going for the thicker parts. First the heavy metal rake or spade shovel was used to loosen it up. Next was the snow shovel to move the stuff to the edge of the sidewalk. Most often the above was repeated, as the dirt was quite stubborn. Finally the broom whisked away the remaining dust. And it was quite dusty indeed.

Hanna and Maureen helped with most of the job before leaving due to dinner plans. Helder of Mira Hartford passed by with his doggy minutes later as I was continuing with the work. Soon after that we were joined by the Statey who pulled up to us in his cruiser, got out and walked over to us.

Click Read More for the rest of the story and more pics!




The officer walked up politely and asked what I was doing. I explained that the dirt and soft sand had made the sidewalk super dangerous for bicycles and a few calls to 311 had not gotten the walkway cleaned (311 is a city services phone line). I mentioned the situation had gotten considerably worse in the last few weeks. He agreed that skinny tires were super sketchy on that type of service and asked, “ And so y’all just decided to clean it up yourselves?”
“Yeah, pretty much” I answered, “We’re sick of almost bustin’ our asses here!”
He laughed and explained he had seen us and needed to check it out and left with a smile. No worries, no problems! I had also worn my 2007 CCBA Discover Hartford Tour t-shirt…perhaps that gave me the bicycle cred I needed!


I pretty much finished it up except for some very damp, sticky dirt that wouldn’t move easily. It’ll dry up in the sun manana and then be easy to scrape and sweep away.


This kid passed by Hanna, Maureen and I on a scooter. This would not have been possible an hour earlier due to all the sand! Great job guys!


Here’s the next mission. I will call 311 again on Tuesday and see what happens. There is quite a bit of sand on the lower right side of the bridge where water tends to pool up due to drainage issues. Also, both sides of the bridge sorely need a sweeping. The whole bridge would benefit from a sweepin’ actually. Hopefully the city can send over that sweet street sweeper gator thing and make it happen.

Mad thanks to Hanna and Maureen for all their help with the hardest, thickest and most brutal part of the battle with the sand monster. Helder pushed a broom for a bit until his doggy protested with much vocal vigor. My landlord, Mary Lee unknowingly helped as I used a broom from the garage and Joey Babaganoush unknowingly hooked us up with a snow shovel.

UPDATE TUESDAY, SEPT 2ed.

here is the email i sent to 311:
Good morning,

The sidewalk and bridge connecting Bushnell Park with the Armory and LOB is in need of a very good sweeping. There is much dirt, sand and broken glass along the walkway.

There are also two spots with drainage issues, that will continue to cause a sand problem after it rains, the southwest end of the bridge and the sidewalk along the armory.

If possible, could the larger cracks in the sidewalk also be repaired. It is easy to trip on them while walking and can damage bicycle wheels.

Thank you for making the city cleaner and safer for cyclists.

William


Read more!

Unclear on the concept

this is funny...but sad. encouraging or dissappointing? Read more!