so let me get this straight,

the town (which is going broke) builds all sorts of 'traffic calming' islands (the ones on the VERY NARROW) asylum are my personal favorites. you can see my previous postings here and here and here. not only were they a GIANT waste of money, they are useless AND DANGEROUS

anyway, i did a posting not too long ago about all of the traffic cameras and new lights i saw going in around town. i tried to find it just now but can't (could it have been a figment of my fertile imagination? perhaps).

we're spending THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS ON TRAFFIC CAMERAS THAT ONLY SEND OUT WARNING MESSAGES? wtf?????????????? IF and i do mean IF they are going to save lives, FINE. but the corner of boulevard and whiting lane? no effing way. during SOME heavily trafficked times there is a school crossing guard there ANYWAY. i can think of 20 other places in west hartford that need that camera MORE than boulevard and whiting lane. is it because the houses in that area are bigger than the houses in OTHER areas? i sure don't know. but come on. THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS and not one legit traffic ticket to offset those cameras?
the following courant article lists some accident data from west hartford AND the particular corner in question. i personally would like to see that data and/or do a bit more investigating on my own. sure boulevard can be a speedway, but isn't that what we have the police for? well one of the reasons.

Camera To Keep An Eye On Speeders In West Hartford
By JOSH KOVNER | The Hartford Courant
WEST HARTFORD — - Speeders beware — you are being watched.

But the speed-detection camera installed this week at Boulevard and Whiting Lane is a kind of compassionate Big Brother that just wants to slow down drivers. Those photographed traveling 45 mph or faster at this 30-mph location will get a photo with a warning letter.

The legislature prohibits using these radar cameras for enforcement purposes, so the joint effort by police, the engineering office and the public works department amounts to a public awareness campaign.

And make no mistake, the public could stand to be more aware. There were 2,626 crashes in town last year, 426 with injuries, and two fatalities.

Assistant Police Chief Robert McCue said excessive speed was a factor in most of the accidents.

The intersection of Boulevard and Whiting Lane — the first in a series of locations for the camera over the next year — has a "moderate" accident history but a high injury rate, said Lt. David Dubiel, head of the traffic division. Eight people were injured in the 11 crashes there in 2008, Dubiel said.........

i don't give a flying

yoo hoo what the mayor, the town engineers or town council or whomever says

THOSE ISLANDS ON ASYLUM AVENUE BETWEEN TROUT BROOK AND STEELE ARE NOT ONLY UNNECESSARY THEY ARE DANGEROUS

not 10 minutes ago i left my father's house. i was parked on the street. not 5 minutes ago did someone hit one of the poles (light poles i think) AVOIDING the island.

i want those gone

PLUS i called the town weeks ago and my sister called as well. one of the street lights is out and it's STILL not replaced. 'it's on the list' is what they told my sister

well list this

those 9 cars and this car SHOULD SUE THE TOWN. i know if i was an actual homeowner on asylum i'd sure the hell look into suing.

lock your cars!

oh and just so you know, i was trying to avoid one of those medians (for traffic calming MY BIG FAT ASS) on asylum the other morning - ON MY WAY TO WORK - sober, at 3 am AND I HIT A CURB. i did some damage to my car. i'm NOT happy. i can't wait till winter..........

Items Stolen From Unlocked Cars In West Hartford

By JOSH KOVNER |The Hartford Courant

WEST HARTFORD — - Police are investigating five thefts from unlocked cars that occurred late Tuesday and early Wednesday on Shady Lane, Whetton Road, Westborough Drive and Uplands Drive.

Among the stolen items were GPS devices, an iPod, a laptop computer and satellite radios.

"All the cars were unlocked," said Capt. Paul Melanson, head of detectives. "Smashing windows makes noise and attracts attention."

Drug users trade stolen electronic items for narcotics, Melanson said. Town police urge residents to lock their cars, leave nothing in plain sight and bring equipment inside.

Shady Lane is off Asylum Avenue; Whetton runs between Asylum and Albany avenues; Uplands and Westborough are off Mountain Road...........

i grew up in the asylum avenue area

my pops and sister and i still live in the hood. both my sister and i (and, as it turned out SEVERAL other people) phoned the town a day or two after noticing all sorts of spray painted hieroglyphics in the street. one of the words said 'island'. that's when we got the scoop. the town did a traffic study (and if they really did one, i was unaware of it. as i said, i have lived in that hood MOST ALL of my life - and i ain't no spring chicken). that's what they used to say they needed those island for TRAFFIC CALMING. TRAFFIC CALMING?????????????????? all i can see is a giant pain in the ass AND creation of dangerous conditions. the day before yesterday NINE CARS CRASHED INTO THE ISLAND BETWEEN PENN AND CUMBERLAND (i don't know about the other islands). my sister observed ALL but the first crash. the islands were NOT properly marked AND the sun was coming down and in the driver's eyes. just think about what is going to happen in the winter. hey town of west hartford, we're on a budget. WHERE DID THE MONEY FOR THE ISLANDS COME FROM?????????????? did you ask the neighborhood residents if THEY thought the islands were a good idea? one more thing, why, the day AFTER the 9 crashes were west hartford police ALL OVER THE SIDE STREETS STOPPING PEOPLE AND 'HEAVILY OBSERVING' people? why weren't they ON asylum avenue?

it's a stupid effing idea. it's a waste of money. when we talked to people 'in charge' regarding the NINE CARS THAT HIT THAT STUPID MEDIAN, there was some talk of people not following the newly painted solid line down that side of asylum. i am bad at directions. it's the side going from quaker to trout brook. well, the line looks like it was painted by someone on acid. it was NOT done very well.

it's all bullshite. THE TOWN DIDN'T DO IT'S JOB

channel 3 had a camera truck out there late yesterday afternoon. they did a little piece on it but i don't believe anyone hit the island yesterday. that doesn't matter NINE IN THE SPAN OF ABOUT AN HOUR the day before last, IS NINE TOO MANY)
http://www.courant.com/community/news/hfd/hc-whdmedian0912.artsep12,0,6967761.story

West Hartford Officials Defend Medians After 9-Vehicle Crash

By JOSH KOVNER |Courant Staff Writer

September 12, 2008

WEST HARTFORD — - Town officials defended the use of "traffic-calming" measures around town after several cars — heading west into the setting sun — struck the new, granite-curbed medians in the center of Asylum Avenue during rush hour Wednesday evening. Police Chief James Strillacci said he viewed the nine-car crash as more of a construction-zone accident, complicated by the glare of the sun, than an inherent problem with the medians, "bump-out" curbs, chicanes or speed bumps that have been installed, or are being built, on at least 10 streets. These include main arteries like Asylum Avenue, Steele Road and Farmington Avenue. West Hartford is about 15 years and $2 million dollars into one of the region's most extensive traffic-calming programs. Strillacci and Town Manager Ronald Van Winkle said the measures have generally had their desired effect — that of narrowing streets, slowing down cars, and forcing drivers to be more attentive. "Asylum Avenue was a drag strip in the 1990s," Mayor Scott Slifka said Thursday. He noted that commuters and others who pass through West Hartford generally don't like the measures, while residents coping with speeding cars in their neighborhoods do............

hey mayor slifka, i take umbrage with your statement about asylum being a drag strip in the 90s. were YOU there? i was. EACH AND EVERY DAY. it was NEVER a drag strip. where did THAT come from? sure, you're get a speeder now and again. that's the same with EVERY street. let's take a side street for example. let's take ummmmm let's say MAPLEWOOD. there are far MORE speeders on THAT street than asylum. maplewood, a cut through street for farmington ave or quaker or boulevard.

hey mayor slifka if i asked the town for the traffic study justifying the islands would you furnish me with one? OR, would i have to get an foi request?
am i pissed? yes i AM pissed (but my sister is even MORE pissed if you can believe it)

picture: The newly installed granite median on Asylum Avenue in West Hartford may be a factor in the nine-car crash on Wednesday. (LORETTA WALDMAN / HARTFORD COURANT / September 11, 2008)