Recently I saw a line of cars Eastbound on Market waiting to turn right onto 16th to park in a parking garage. For the Blues playoffs? Big concert at Scottrade Center? No, shift change at the main post office. Seriously.
At right a white car waits on 18th St to turn right onto Market St, 6:50am on 5/26/2016Thew line of cars you see aren’t parked on Market, they’re in the outside drive lane in a line to access the USPS parking garageThese cars, between 16th-17th, are also waiting. The parking is on the upper level(s) of the addition to the main post office shown in the backgroundThis view shows cars waiting next to a line of cars parked on the streetLooking East from 17th the waiting cars are now against the curb because parking isn’t allowed on this blockWhen a car exists another is allowed to enter. Supervisors don;t wait in line, they come up from 16th and enter upon arrival.
A postal employee waiting in line told me this was a routine shift change…waiting for parking. Another said the garage has about 300 spaces…and exposed rebar. I was unable to determine when the addition was added to the East of the main post office. I’d guess 1960s or 70s.
While I did see some workers arrive via Madison County Transit, more need to consider public transit, car pooling, etc. All these running cars, polluting my neighborhood, waiting to park is unacceptable. Recently I posted about intersections that bookend the post office, on 16th & 18th.
Over the last 8+ years I’ve written about the view from my balcony many times, including last Friday. Today’s post is about three locations I’ve covered separately: former CPI building, 17th St, and the former CPI parking lot:
Turns out the Kansas City developer isn’t keen on making 17th Street two-way as I suggested last year — he wants the city to abandon it for his private project. Board Bill 64 cites “Monogram Building LLC will use vacated area to improve safety and security.” What about the safety of everyone else who lives adjacent? Not having access to 17th Street will reduce our safety & security!
Looking South on 17th St from Washington Ave, this bit is one-way in the direction we are lookingThis view looks at the intersection of St. Charles (1-way WB) and 17th toward Locust (2-way)
I get it — they want residents in the Monogram to be able to park in the new building and walk to their building safely, but their safety shouldn’t come at our expense. We all use 17th Street to access Washington Ave via foot & vehicle. We have a vacant commercial space that’s visible from Washington Ave. Also cut off from access to Washington Ave would be the former Dragon Trading building, Blu, Leather Trades. etc.
This block of public property measures 50′ x 150′, or 7,500 square feet. Ideally 17th Street would remain public. But if the city will cave and butcher our street grid again. we get something in return. In exchange, the developer should give 16.5′ of the East end of the lot so the 16th St right-of-way would be 50′, instead of 33.5′. This is 2,475 square feet. This would permit two-way traffic (18′), parking (14′) and generous sidewalks (18′) on both sides. They’d pay to reconstruct the West side of the widened 16th Street.
The significantly narrower 16th St is one-way northbound — the opposite of 17th
Additionally, St. Charles St (which is a glorified alley) should be widened from 38 feet to 50 feet so there’s room for 2-way traffic. trash & recycling dumpsters, moving vans, etc. A would require another 2,184 sq ft (12′ x 182′).
So we give up 7,500 sq ft in public property, but gain back 4,659 sq ft — a net loss of 2,841 sq ft. I’d prefer a zero loss of public right-of-way, but if they rebuilt the West side of 16th I could see it as a fair reallocation that could benefit everyone.
I ask that everyone reading this post to contact their Alderman before Friday and ask them to vote against the bill as written or amend it as I suggest above.
June 5, 2016Featured, Sunday PollComments Off on Sunday Poll: Support Or Oppose A Law Allowing Breaking Into A Car To Save A Child/Pet?
Please vote below
As we get closer to Summer, temperatures are rising. Which means the risk to kids & pets left in cars goes up greatly. Ohio recently passed a law that protects the public if they try to save a minor and/or pet:
Governor John Kasich signed a bill into law Tuesday that protects a person who breaks into a hot car to save a minor or a pet.
Senate Bill 215 allows people to force their way into a locked vehicle if police are not able to get there in time. The law does come with some limitations, however.
The person must call 911, they must check to see if the door is unlocked and if they feel it is an emergency they can break into the vehicle. (Source)
Today’s poll asks you to weigh in on this topic:
The poll is open until 8pm tonight, please share your thoughts on such a law in the comments below.
When you have your windows open in an urban environment you hear all sorts of strange sounds. Two weeks ago we heard a diesel engine plus something odd enough that we paused what we were watching to have a look.
Thursday May 19, 2016, 7:13pm
A tow truck was into a corner after having pulled the Chrysler 200 from the other side of the drive. Curious how this would play out I switched to video.
The Chrysler 200 is a front wheel-drive car — which should be towed from the front. You always want the drive wheels off the ground — except, manual transmission vehicles in neutral can be towed with all four on the ground.
If the car was being towed to a mechanic for repairs, the owner would’ve given the operator the key so it could’ve been pushed away from the wall and towed from the front. The most obvious answer is the car was being repossessed, though parked illegally in someone’s reserved spot is a remote possibility.
Recently my husband and I were walking/rolling back toward our loft from the Union Station MetroLink Station. For some reason we were on the East side of 18th — usually I’m on the West side. However, both sides are equally poorly designed and maintained.
Anyway, we’re Northbound on the East side of 18th as we approach Market St and I notice something I’d never seen before: Northbound vehicles get a green light but pedestrians don’t get a walk signal while the left arrow is on. Since NB vehicles are turning left I get why pedestrians on the West side of 18th St aren’t given a walk signal. You’d never want to give pedestrians the ok to walk while drivers get a left arrow — like at Tucker & Olive and Tucker & Locust.
Why should pedestrians get a walk signal? Pedestrians have the right-of-way except in cases where vehicles are given a specific signal such as a left arrow. In this cases pedestrians must wait, but in the example the only turning cars would be NB ones turning right onto EB Market — they’d yield to pedestrians crossing the street — like most intersections. My guess is this is another instance where the city just didn’t think about pedestrian users.
Let’s take a look…
Vehicles have a red and pedestrians don’t walk, click image to view location in Google MapsNorthbound vehicles get a green light, those turning left onto Westbound Market get a left arrow. But pedestrians on the West side still get a don’t walkThe don’t walk remains as the left arrow goes yellow, then when Southbound traffic gets a green the walk signal to cross market comes onVery quickly the pedestrian signal begins to countdown to zero
Because still images can’t tell the full story I’ve put together a brief video:
Yes, another crossing at this same intersection is done correctly. If this were done right, pedestrians could cross Market St before Southbound vehicles get a green light and potentially make left turns onto Eastbound Market St — they don’ t get a left arrow so they must yield to Northbound vehicles and pedestrians crossing Market.
I see no reason why pedestrians don’t get a walk sign as soon as the Northbound traffic signal turns green.
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