Rubble Rousing

I tried to drive up Fair Oaks to get to Shakers yesterday. I was going to photograph the finished Fair Oaks Construction Project median there. Instead, I got stuck at this corner and ended up unable to make the right turn because there wasn't enough room to maneuver around the latest rubble.

Incidentally, this rubble comes from the demolition of the new crosswalks that were all improperly installed. (I might ask why they didn't demolish the adjoining new traffic-blocking, pedestrian-endangering, cyclist-unfriendly bulbouts while they were at it.)

Oh well. At least that new streetlight is pretty.

Well, it IS in the eye of the beholder...

The list of Fair Oaks Construction project snafus keeps getting longer. The bulbouts have disrupted traffic. The asphalt won't hold up to heavy street usage. The concrete crosswalks poured over the asphalt were not installed properly have already cracked. Local businesses have downsized -- or shut down. The new medians in the center of Fair Oaks make it difficult for fire trucks and other safety vehicles to quickly respond to calls. Limited access to stores and offices during months-long construction has discriminated against citizens with disabilities -- possibly violating the Americans with Disabilities Act.

But, hey! The new street lamps are kinda nice! Too bad they didn't replace all of them. The combo of old 70s lamp posts interspersed with faux antique ones gives the street a kind of thrift-store sensibility.

The picture above was taken this week on State Street, outside of OSH. I wasn't sure why the project needed to put medians in this stretch of road. It is already bordered by a bushy retaining fence, and the street itself acts like an extension of the 110 freeway on ramp. Nevertheless, part of the funds went toward installing this new median and filling it with plants. The official word used was "beautification."

Yeah, right.

(De)Construction

Today is the first day of the month, and that means it's Theme Day for participating City Daily Photo bloggers. Today's theme is Under Construction.

In South Pasadena's case it might as well be called Under Destruction. The city continues to wait (in traffic) for the finished result of the Fair Oaks construction project. I'm no statistician but it seems to me that most residents disagree with the bizarre design plan of curb bulbouts, center medians and loss of right turn lanes. (Just read some of the comments from my column about this subject over at South Pasadena Patch.)

The city's merchants have taken the hardest hit as months of open trenches, detours and general gridlock have kept shoppers away from the business district. Several of the city's firefighters have expressed concern about the medians impeding ability to answer emergency calls. Handicapped citizens have pointed out that the construction has all but destroyed accessibility, possibly violating the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Will the finished product make sense? Will it enhance traffic flow, add to pedestrian safety and beautify our main thoroughfare? That's what some city authorities have said -- the few who have actually offered any kind of explanation for this expensive project. Maybe they're right. But count me among the many who are dubious.

For other construction examples from around the world, check out examples presented by my fellow City Daily Photo bloggers. Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Detour

We can't seem to escape the orange roadwork signs as the Fair Oaks construction project branches out to side streets. How does everyone feel about the progress so far? Feel free to rant (or rave) in comments.

(This week, I will have a little fun with iPhone camera apps. Here, I used the free MoreMono app and cropped the image into a square.)

And so it goes...

Fair Oaks construction. Any constructive thoughts about it?

Storm over Fair Oaks

I snapped this shot the other day when the winter storm was approaching. Now, Fair Oaks is dealing with another kind of black cloud. Business owners are struggling to get by with the massive gridlock caused by the city's street improvements. Several spoke out at the last city council meeting with stories of lost revenues and layoffs.

Those of us who have maneuvered Fair Oaks know that the situation has impacted the business community because it's such a hassle to get to the shops and offices. Both sides of the street are torn up with open trenches. Work vehicles regularly block traffic in the two remaining lanes. You might be tempted to walk, but good luck finding sidewalks that haven't been turned to rubble.

Look, we can complain about this and wonder about the way it was executed but that won't help our neighbors who are taking a huge economic hit. I believe each of us should make an effort to patronize one of the Fair Oaks establishments this weekend, even if it means getting cement dust all over the car.

Grab champagne and ribs at Gus's brunch. Too much? Then go for a Napa salad at Shakers or an Italian chopped salad at Wild Thyme. The coffee is worth crawling over rocks to get into Starbucks or the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf. The tarts at Union Bakery are as good as you remember. And nothing, I do mean nothing takes away the headache caused by a loud jackhammer quite like a Raymond Sundae from Fair Oaks Pharmacy.

There are dozens of other shops and stores I haven't mentioned. Go to one of them. They need our help.

Fair Oaks Construction

I think it should be called Un-Fair Oaks Construction.

Tell me again how this is going to help?