Downtown/Wooster Square

Ideat Village permits for Pitkin Plaza have been curtailed from having any amplification after 7:45pm, impacting most of our free, outdoor, participatory programming. This decision is arbitrary, and not in the best interests of the public at large. We have diverse, eclectic programming scheduled to go until 10pm, as we have done downtown, in the City of New Haven, for the last 9 years.

Recent layoffs have meant that as of February 28, 2011, the total number of hours that the New Haven main library branch opens have been reduced from 185 hours per month to 148. The branches have taken the brunt of the reductions, with monthly hours reduced from 136 to 96 including elimination of Saturday hours.

http://www.newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/branches_make_last_saturday_loans/

The closing of the libraries is a crucial issue of public space and civic vitality in New Haven. Libraries should be active community hubs where neighbors can meet and cement relationships, not abandoned buildings.

Public Libraries are educational agencies that provide materials and services to all members in the community from preschoolers to seniors. The library is accessible to students for study and research when public schools are not open. The library provides the only computer access some public school students have to complete their homework assignments.

Public Libraries help build a strong economy. Our unemployment rate has been at least 12%, and likely to be above 50% among youth in some city neighborhoods. Many employers have transitioned to online employment applications. Public Libraries provide the only access some people have to computer technology and job searches.

Please "vote" here if you believe that the City of New Haven should immediately restore all of the eliminated library hours, either through re-hiring of laid off employees or through other measures.

Information, updates and additional ways to advocate for this issue will be posted here and you will receive them if you request to be notified of updates.

(I have posted this at the request of an elderly New Haven resident who no longer has access to the internet, due to closing of library hours on Saturday in her neighborhood)

The bridge on Court Street between State and Artizan is unbelievably dark. The same bridge on Chapel has 2 lights and yet far more people travel via Court from downtown to get home to Wooster Square. Please fix!

Nominate New Haven Here:
http://www.google.com/appserve/fiberrfi/public/options

For More Info Visit:
http://bit.ly/cpfchk

Join the Facebook Group:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=309439846644

Google is planning to build, and test ultra-high speed broadband networks in a small number of trial locations across the country. They will deliver Internet speeds more than 100 times faster than what most Americans have access to today with 1 gigabit per second, fiber-to-the-home connections. Google will offer service at a competitive price to at least 50,000, and potentially up to 500,000 people.

This is a thread to discuss issues related to the ongoing problem of violence in some areas of New Haven and surrounding towns. Please vote here if you want to see this problem addressed and if you agree:

1. Every citizen has the right to freedom from fear: a safe neighborhood and a safe house.

2. No child living in New Haven or anywhere else nearby should have to hear gunshots every week in their neighborhood (I currently do!).

3. A friend recently said "it is easier to get a gun than a quart of milk in my neighborhood." This is obviously not an acceptable situation.

4. A comprehensive community strategy is needed to stop the violence. Elected representatives should be able to explain exactly what they are doing to support the community's strategy.

5. The constant outdoor gunfire at the police training range is not acceptable. People living in Newhallville and Beaver Hills hear constant gunfire from this range and it sends the wrong message.

Please post ideas for community organizing to stop the message, links to relevant pages, etc -- and send the message to everyone that enough is enough!

Related articles:
http://www.newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/bike_enthusiast_shot_dead/
http://www.newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/murder_in_the_hill/
http://www.newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/coffe_crueller_and_a_chair/
http://www.newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/murder_on_button_st/
http://www.newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/double_homicide_on_front_st/
http://www.newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/while_friend_clings_to_life_shooting_/
http://www.newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/another_year_no_white_/

When I drive down State St. (which is often) I see this graffiti tag that reads "Supa-Thug". This needs to be removed ASAP, it is an eye sore to the community, especially in downtown New Haven, I don't thing we need to be looking at the words "Thug" when we are around town; it's disgusting that whomever is responsible for the property hasn't fixed this already.

*Elizabeth Nearing has given us permission to share her story*

Last night, our friend Elizabeth Nearing was in a car accident on her bike. Despite bruises and a severely bent helmet, she's ok — resting, but okay.

Elizabeth was on her way to present at the Pecha Kucha on her work as Community Engagement Manager at Long Wharf Theatre. Coming from Long Wharf, she turned onto Olive Street from Water Street. It was dark, so she was wearing a reflective raincoat with both front and rear lights. She was also wearing her helmet and riding far to the right of the lane.

As she was passing Wooster Street, a car going 25 mph turned into her. Elizabeth's helmet was severely bent and the car's windshield was cracked.

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As a friend of Elizabeth, I am extremely grateful that she is safe.
As a citizen, I am extremely concerned.

Olive Street needs be a safer place for all folks — pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists — to travel safely. To start, there are a few core things that could be implemented:

-Better lighting for visibility
-Signage for bicyclists
-A stop sign at Olive and Wooster
-A protected bike lane

Would love to hear others thoughts and continue this conversation.

This is what the street looks like at 9:30AM. Massive excess of road capacity which leads to speeding, combined with poor conditions for pedestrians and cyclists.

A buffered bike lane, which is a standard in NYC and Philadelphia now, would make the street safer for all road users by narrowing it and reducing speed.

This is a very popular bike route and with an actual lane, bike use would triple overnight (based on experiences of other cities that do this). This would free up more parking for local businesses to thrive and hire more staff.

Yet another 8 cars (at least) in the Wooster Square area have been broken into with crow bars early in the morning of 11/12/10. NHPD were on scene as at least 2 perpetrators were witnessed fleeing the area. The Wooster Square area has been under siege by this rash of car break-ins over the past several months. Enhanced NHPD patrols are needed between 12a and 5a to catch the thieves/vandals in the act. Countless vehicles have been hit in the past 3 weeks, despite no visible items or other items of value in the cars.

Huge pothole on the middle of the street. Took out 2 of my tires.