Today, Hartford smells like bad manners.
This is an ongoing battle.
Every year, this event organizer decides that despite downtown having an overabundance of parking, they will fence off a portion of a public park — for several days — to use for storing private vehicles.
It doesn’t seem to matter that this is not permitted.
It doesn’t matter that this means blocking multiple sidewalks and paved paths, creating unreasonable detours for everyone and especially impeding those who cannot easily use uneven surfaces.
It doesn’t matter that this blocks the route between downtown and Frog Hollow. There are no signs to indicate this closure on either side, so people who don’t know or care about this event will find out by walking up to it and then having to back track.
It doesn’t matter that this blocks the route from Frog Hollow to Union Station. People not willing or able to hop a stupid fence may end up missing their bus or train because of an unexpected detour.
It doesn’t matter that this blocks the East Coast Greenway.
The important thing is that, regardless of the inconvenience to everyone else, a totally unnecessary parking lot has been created inside of Bushnell Park for the weekend.
Note: The photos show openings in the fence, but that’s because these were taken before the event began.
S
I was shocked when I was biking through the park and being confronted by an Audi driving on the sidewalk. This doesn’t only happen on the weekend of the Jazz Fest. Every time there is a concert or event there are cars driving through the park, which is maddening.
Kerri Provost
That’s a related and separate issue, but yes. You would think parks are a place where you can relax and let your kids run around, and it’ll be safe. You hear about people in other places driving into crowds of people. This is that waiting to happen.