Comment

Posted By: Buck Chips Honda I

From: buckchipshonda1st@hotmail.com To: jgott@scrcog.org Subject: RE: rt. 34(tunneling would save it-tunnel jacking is safer, and cheaper too(Boston`s big dig use this method Date: Thu, 6 Nov 2008 11:53:19 -0500 Dear Judy Gott. I may not be able to get to New Haven on nights that there would be public input meetings, so this is my input: here The route 34 freeway can be saved via tunnels, either cut and cover type, or tunnel jacking(this was used in the Boston's big dig project--and it is safer, and cheaper too. From What I`ve seen highways in cities have been tunneled directly under city streets, like subways do in New York City. Well here is my take on this: Cut and cover type: Build the westbound tunnel under North Frontage road,and the east bound side under the South Frontage road/leigion Ave. starting from apx. Church St., and continue until you reach the West River, and either continue the tunnel under the river, and park, or come up and bridge the river, and park, AND continue the freeway at least the BLVD section of 34 near the West Haven/Orange town line. Tunnel jacking method: The Big Dig features other tunneling innovations, as well. For one portion of the tunnel running beneath a railroad yard and bridge, engineers settled on tunnel-jacking, a technique normally used to install underground pipes. Tunnel-jacking involves forcing a huge concrete box through the dirt. The top and bottom of the box support the soil while the earth inside the box was removed. Once it was empty, hydraulic jacks pushed the box against a concrete wall until the entire thing slid forward five feet. Workers then installed spacer tubes in the newly-created gap. By repeating this process over and over, engineers were able to advance the tunnel without disturbing the structures at the surface. In short you can go right under the buildings, highways, bridges, railroads-without damage to them that are above. I would keep the 34 freeway above ground as is(I`ve seen the round about they put in), and use the freeway for downtown access. As for the tunneled express portion of the freeway, I would start that at the I-91/I-95/CT 34 Freeway interchange, and tunnel this freeway all the way the Ella T. Grasso BLVD. The ramps from this interchange would split, one for the tunnel(signed CT 34 through express)and the other for the surface 34(signed 34 downtown New Haven), with similar signage at the West end of New Haven, with dual interchange ramps at the BLVD too. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: RE: rt. 34 Date: Thu, 11 Sep 2008 10:00:02 -0400 From: jgott@scrcog.org To: buckchipshonda1st@hotmail.com CC: carmine.trotta@po.state.ct.us; MPiscite@newhavenct.net; KGilvarg@newhavenct.net Dear Mr. Honda: Thank you for your email. As the RT 34 discussion begins by the Federal, State, Region and City agencies there will be opportunity for public input. I will inform you as these public forums take place. I will also keep your email for future reference and consideration. Judy Gott From: Buck Chips Honda, I [mailto:buckchipshonda1st@hotmail.com] Sent: Wednesday, September 03, 2008 10:11 AM To: Judy Gott (SCRCOG) Subject: rt. 34 BUCK HONDA, 227 MAIN STREET EAST HARTFORD CT 06118 Dear Judy Gott of The South Central Connecticut Regional Council of Governments (SCRCOG). The following is what I sent to the Comm. of CT`s DOT; His reply was from a Carmine P. Trotta, Assistant Planning Director, Bureau of Policy, and Planning. Whom suggested that I contact SCRCOG. Dear CT. DOT. COMM. Joseph F. Marie, I`m a registered voter at the above address, and have this to say, and complain about: Please do not let the New Haven redevelopment plans go foward untill the rt 34 freeway is built. I beg, plea, and impore all not to axe the 34 freeway—very big mistake in not finishing this highway, it should have been built on a cut, and cover, and after which, come in and rebuild the neighborhood—this way you get the best of both,as this neighborhood was a slum when they tore it down years ago. Had they built 34(as planned) to NY `s NY State Throughway, and the NY 17 freeway interchange this would have made for a bypass (esp. east of I -684) of the costal cities of CT, and would have helped take traffic off I-95, AND I-84, Had the CT 34 Freeway, and ct 25 freeway been built, all of the heavy traffic, and truck traffic would have been taken off of the old 34 from Newtown, to New Haven, which now , and has been a major short cut/route between Danbury, and points west (I-84) and New Heaven, and points east(I-95) used by truckers. I for one disagree with the tearing down this highway, do not blame the highway, its planners, designers, and builders of the mid 50s for this—build it ,and be done with it is how highways should be built–it is this hemming, and hawing that has done more harm then good. I believe that tax revenues is another reason this is being done—what are you going to do when the city runs out of land to build, and tax. The route 34 freeway has just as much of a right to be a part of this city as the rest of the city`s infrustructures do---I have seen what has been done to highways where city planners build over the highway, their landscaped parks, and what not, and it looks great-like Penns Landing in Philadelphia, PA and Hartford CT.. Providence RI Moved their highway (I-195) and built a new highway apx 500' south of it`s original alinement, and apx 3 miles long, complete with a new bridge, which this highway became affectionately know as the IWAY(YOURS, MINE, OURS)IS THE CONCEPT MADE BY THE RI DOT., and what this did for the city, is just great. The vacated ROW is being used for more downtown development. Sincerely, Buck Honda PS; Buck Honda 227 Main Street East Hartford CT 06118 Dear Governor M. Jodi Rell, I`m a registered voter at the above address, and have this to say. Stop the New Haven, redevelopment project that is planned to take place right on the CT. RT. 34 freeway ROW. Instead of axing the highway, (don`t eliminate, intergrate, and incorporate) this freeway(as a freeway) into the redevelopment project. I beg, plea, and impore all not to axe the 34 freeway—very big mistake in not finishing this highway, it should have been built on a cut, and cover, and after which, come in and rebuild the neighborhood—this way you get the best of both,as this neighborhood was a slum when they tore it down years ago. Had they built 34(as planned) to NY `s NY State Throughway, and the NY 17 freeway interchange this would have made for a bypass (esp. east of I -684) of the costal cities of CT, and would have helped take traffic off I-95, AND I-84, Had the CT 34 Freeway, and ct 25 freeway been built, all of the heavy traffic, and truck traffic would have been taken off of the old 34 from Newtown, to New Haven, which now , and has been a major short cut/route between Danbury, and points west (I-84 and New Heaven, and points east(I-95) used by truckers. I for one disagree with the tearing down this highway, do not blame the highway, its planners, designers, and builders of the mid 50s for this—build it ,and be done with it is how highways should be built–it is this hemming, and hawing that has done more harm then good. I believe that tax revenues is another reason this is being done—what are you going to do when the city runs out of land to build, and tax. ...and the traffic in the city is just down right horrible The route 34 freeway has just as much of a right to be a part of this city as the rest of the city`s infrustructures do---I have seen what has been done to highways where city planners build over the highway, their landscaped parks, and what not, and it looks great-like Penns Landing in Philadelphia, PA and Hartford CT.. Providence RI Moved their highway (I-195) and built a new highway apx 500' south of it`s original alinement, and apx 3 miles long, complete with a new bridge, which this highway became affectionately know as the IWAY(YOURS, MINE, OURS)IS THE CONCEPT MADE BY THE RI DOT., and what this did for the city, is just great. The vacated ROW is being used for more downtown development. The planners today are accomplishing what my abusers tried to do to me-burn out my eyes....so that I may never see a highway again, let alone draw, and design them. At 2am after they had cleaned the last bank of the night my abusers decided to blind me with the cars cigarette lighter. They held me down and would take turns at holding that lighter as close to my eyes, an ordeal of torture that lasted an hour (how or why nobody heard those blood curdling screams for help I’ll never know).This took place behind what was then the branch bank of the Lafayette Bank and Trust Co. in Bridgeport’s east end (1640 Barnum Ave-now Hudson United Bank). Only two people did this to me; Henry a 300+lbs man, and his girl friend Linda House, Daughter to Arthur T. House Sr. whom attended Stratford High School at the time. Henry lived in Bridgeport, CT. on Still man street, and was employed as a car mechanic in Milford CT My love for roads, and highways the result of seeing CT`S highways which were very distinctive. the Connecticut that I knew, and grew up with---her infrastructure---namely the Connecticut Turnpike-the bridges ( the design of them-double railings, "see thru" brackets that supported them to the concrete parapets, the three grooves in the concrete parapets, and the curved finished ends (concrete end was from the top of(even with) the brackets, then extended away from the brackets towards the end of the bridge of various lengths (3`-6`),then curved down and away from the bridge, to apx. half the distance to the ground, then at a slight angle head down to the roadway/level---A Very Distinctive design found no where else in the USA-IF NOT THE WORLD!...as are the original signs(white text on blue back ground signs, pavement, and pavement markings, original sign gantries, guard rails and seen for the first time, a breath taking sight were the truss arm traffic light poles. The truss arm (all metal support system) is what I grew up with, and are very appealing to the eyes, as these have class, style, grace, elegance, clean lines, and look very sharp in the downtowns of CT cities. These are part the street cape, as the smaller versions of the truss arms are the truss arms that are used for street lights---it’s only natural. And so it was I wanted be a civil engineer-that never did happen. ...and then there`s this city that is a haven for Connecticut`s infrastructure where Connecticut still exsits,and its` positive affect on this city that it seems to have,and it too shows---The City Of New Haven, Connecticut. I went down there this past July,and August 2005,and loved what I saw in her downtown all of the those truss arms are still there,and the highways(I-95, I-91, CT RT 34) still have the original bridge design-though some have been modified-ugly to say the least,and like the highways there are these ugly mast arms there too). New Haven is much cleaner,and alive too, love the downtown,a much better looking city that is warm,and bustling,and thriving. New Haven also holds special meaning to me and is why I`m fond of it too---I was at the Yale-New Haven childrens hospital when I was a baby whom was sent there(several times too) by the CT Child Welfare dept,regarding a major birth defect to my head,and skull(deformity)---in short Connecticut was at my bed side nursing me back to good health,and this may explain why I stopped dead in my tracks in New Haven, when I had run off to Hardford CT., going directly to the main offica of Child welfare, to complain about the abuse that I was suffering by the hands of my abusers in that the latest act of child abuse involed a camera-I never made it to Hartford. like I had died and gone to Heaven as it were---When I got to New Haven, seeing all of those highways, traffic lights,and truss arms poles,New Haven`s downtown,caused me to stop in my tracks,and took up residence there for 4 days, where I lived by night under I-91,and by day,and night went exploring places like Yale University, New Haven Collisium, East rock Park(love natraul features like rock formations,cliffs), New Haven`s downtown. ...and this may all be lost forever due to the massive construction project of the new Q bridge,and the massive reconstruction project of I-95, I-91, and CT 34 interchange which will result in the major removal of Connecticut`s Identity,and charator that is of her infrastructure(the original bridges-design) of her freeways,highways,expressways, and the Connecticut turnpike. Which may spread into New Haven`s Downtown and take also those truss arms traffic light poles,and replace them with something else-namely those horrible mast arms. Sincerely, Buck

Posted on: 8/27/2009 2:22:38 PM

Top