A day after the City of Hartford newsletter announced that changes would be “coming soon” to Russ Street, fiberglass planters were installed along the road, disrupting the flow of motorized traffic, essentially shunting east-west traffic back to either Capitol Avenue or Park Street.
The City of Hartford’s Traffic Division describes the changes as follows:
- Russ Street will become a one way from Broad to Putnam
- Drivers heading south on Lawrence Street from Capitol Avenue will have to turn right at Russ Street
- Drivers heading north on Babcock Street from Grand Street will have to turn left onto Russ Street
- Drivers heading west on Russ Street from Broad Street will have to turn left onto Lawrence Street
- Drivers heading west on Russ Street from Lawrence Street will have to turn right onto Babcock Street
Because that makes no sense written out, I’ve made you several maps that illustrate this:
If you are traveling north on Babcock Street, you are given one option at the intersection with Russ Street, and that is to turn left toward the setting sun. If going south on Lawrence Street, you may only turn right.
Does that mean Russ Street is just another one way street now? No.
Also, if you entered Russ Street from Broad Street or points east, guess what?
There are escape hatches installed for cyclists and nothing really changes for pedestrians except for having a better chance of crossing the road without added drama in your life. The mums are a nice touch.
What has not been mentioned in the City’s announcement is that nothing has changed on the section of Russ Street between Broad and Washington, where law offices are plentiful. Hmm.
It also does not acknowledge that the block of Russ from Putnam to Park Terrace is currently closed due to the roundabout installation project.
This is said to be a pilot. That means it can change without much fuss. Good thing for that, because so far people are continuing to turn onto Russ from Putnam Street, disregarding the “one way” signs entirely. There is nothing to physically prevent turning the wrong way onto Russ Street from Putnam Street, and judging from the knocked over detour signs, it basically takes concrete barriers to make some drivers follow the rules. There are also agitated drivers bombing up Putnam Street by the elementary school after finding themselves forced in that direction after coming from Babcock and unable to turn right.
Anyone who has observed drivers’ antics in this area could have predicted that. Since the roundabout construction began, for no apparent reason, people have begun parking in the crosswalk on Russ Street at Putnam Street, interfering with what should be the safest pedestrian crossing in town (despite the road closure signs impeding sidewalk ramp access, but that’s another story). Putnam Heights and Mortson Street, both “one way” streets, have seen an enormous increase of wrong way drivers since the roundabout construction began.
It’s great to see the City of Hartford actually try something different — this is the first project of its kind to happen here — but there are definitely some edits that could elevate the effectiveness of Frog Hollow’s new maze.