With the forecast of another snowstorm coming Wednesday evening, my memory turns to the winter of 1993-94. I was living on a long corner on Union Street, in Hamilton Park. By this time in 1994, the path from my front door to the sidewalk was like a snow tunnel, with walls over three feet high. The busy intersection had a crossing guard, and it was important that I kept the corner clear, constantly digging through the plow curl from two directions. The reason I remember that winter wasn't because of my house, but at the time I maintained buildings in center city. My days consisted mostly of salting, chopping and shoveling, one property after another, from one snowstorm after another. Driving my station wagon, filled with 50lb. salt bags, up the alleys was like a kiddie ride at Dorney Park, the ruts would steer the car, no hands were necessary.
This post is somewhat unusual for me. I have for the most part maintained a privacy wall between my business and my blogging. Tomorrow evening, The Tenant Association of Allentown will complain to City Council about slumlords; I thought that in the interest of balance I would give a glimpse into conscientious landlording. Although the meeting might be cancelled once again because of the snow, Allentown's many good landlords will still be out shoveling the sidewalks.
reprinted from February of 2014
photocredit: Billy Mack
Speaking of discontent! Did you see the latest ridiculousness out of city hall? Spend hundreds of thousands to hire consultants to improve traffic safely in the city. Really? Is this necessary? Is everyone down there so brain dead that they honestly don't know? Although this is a very real possibility I suspect this is just an easy way to make it appear that someone is working on the problem. We all know the solution will be worse than the original problem. It won't involve enforcement of traffic laws which for many decades kept our streets safe. Instead, draconian traffic restrictions will be the solution. This will, without doubt, make driving in the city the nightmare it is in the suburbs at rush hours.
ReplyDeleteYou sure are pessimistic. Don't you know that Vision Zero is "an holistic strategy"? Don't you know that drivers sometimes make "mistakes" so the road systems need to be designed to ensure those inevitable "mistakes" do not get anyone killed. How Vision Zero possibly not meet expectations?? Maybe reckless driving, double parking, speeding can all be dismissed (aren't they already??) in favor of better designed streets that will ensure no one is killed by these drivers?? BTW, that money you refer to above is for the study, just imagine how much it will cost to build the needed alterations/modifications to the streets to meet the objectives.
DeleteYou're so right, I'm way to negative. It never occurred to me that holistic approach is far better than just plain old enforcement of existing traffic laws. Perhaps road signs that stress kindness could in time lead to world peace and a return to the paradise of the Garden of Eden. Then we wouldn't even need roads or cars would we? Give city hall the credit they deserve for seeing the big picture.
DeleteWOW! What a SCAM!!!
ReplyDeleteIn my next Life I want to come back as a CON-SULTANT
Gavin Holihan our new District Attorney is going to be one busy guy…solving all the shootings that will be occurring in Allentown, due to people driving at 25 miles per hour or slower.
Then the Mayor will have to bring in another CON-SULTANT to deal with the shootings.
Wonder how they will classify these deaths…because they will be traffic related.
Just Sayin!!!