[passcoalition] Re: Update, 7th Ave and 23rd Street

  • From: "Pratik Patel" <pratikp1@xxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <passcoalition@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Thu, 7 Apr 2011 23:54:23 -0400

Hello all,

 

I believe Annalyn's questions and her sense of anger captures my sense on
this issue as well. It may be time that we do something other than "talk"
with Mat's office and the DOT.

 

Regards,

 

Pratik

 

 

From: passcoalition-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:passcoalition-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Annalyn
Sent: Thursday, April 07, 2011 11:41 PM
To: passcoalition@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [passcoalition] Re: Update, 7th Ave and 23rd Street

 

I am sorry to be responding so late.  I had a night lesson.

As a Visions staff member I will try to remember and relate the events.  I
originally learned about the DOT plans for "safety improvements" for 7th and
23rd when Ken mentioned it on this list.  A DOT person had sent an email, on
the day of the community board meeting, to a Visions case manager at Selis
Manor.  This case manager often arranges speakers for the Senior Speak Out
program and I believe, but do not know for certain, that this is how she
came to receive the email from DOT.  This past Monday, Colleen Chattergoon
of DOT  again emailed the same case manager to let her know work will begin
on April 11 and when it's completed she will call to set up a meeting.
Colleen's email does not reveal her title but it seems she is a DOT
Education person who will arrange for an educational meeting once the work
is complete. Colleen's email was forwarded to Nancy Miller who told her to
stop contacting Visions staff.  Nancy gave Karen's name as the PASS
representative and Joyce Carrico as the president of the Selis Tenants
Association.  Nancy also cc'd Mike Godino, Gene, Matt Sapolin and a few
others.

It's pretty infuriating that DOT thinks all they have to do is give a
warning about the work being done and stop by when it's complete for an
informational meeting.  

Gene has spent time preparing a well documented presentation regarding the
need for adaptations to intersections.  This has been shared with the powers
that be along with the question "How do we become part of the process?"  I
think it is time to change the question to "Why isn't the law being
followed?  The need has been demonstrated by Gene's survey and the list of
APS requests.  PASS has defined the problem, presented the solution and
suggested specialists like Janet Barlow be hired to provide the type of
education needed.  I also think it's time to give up on getting help from
Matt Sapolin's office.  We would like a cooperative relationship but it
isn't happening.  It's time to decide who at DOT should receive a call on
Friday morning.  Has anyone talked to Margaret Newman this week?  How much
longer do we want to wait to be invited to the table?  What kind of public
action are we prepared to take?

Annalyn

 

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Gene Bourquin DHA <oandmhk@xxxxxxx>
To: PASS listserv <passcoalition@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thu, Apr 7, 2011 10:15 pm
Subject: [passcoalition] Re: Update, 7th Ave and 23rd Street

Ray, I think your analogy is apt. 

 

I believe that folks at Visions have now spoken to the DOT education person
and that channel of communication has stopped.  But the waiter is still not
talking to us, but has promised to send a note to our table.

 

Check please!


Gene 
 
Dr. Eugene A Bourquin 
_____________________________ 
DHA, COMS, CI & CT, CLVT
 
 
Support deafblind children in Guatemala!
Go to www.FRIENDSofFUNDAL.org <http://www.friendsoffundal.org/>  

 

Visit: http://www.bourquinconsulting.com/





> From: rwayne1@xxxxxxxxxx
> To: passcoalition@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [passcoalition] Re: Update, 7th Ave and 23rd Street
> Date: Thu, 7 Apr 2011 22:10:21 -0400
> 
> Am I understanding this correctly? We, the PASS Coalition, are
communicating with DOT, and they are talking to Visions, only. I mean no
disrespect to Visions, but I feel as though I am in a restaurant, and the
server is asking my sighted companion how I want my steak cooked. 
> 
> If I have misunderstood this, someone please explain it to me! Thanks. 
> 
> Ray
> PS: Medium rare. 
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Karen Gourgey" <kgourgey@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: unknown <passcoalition@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Date: Thursday, Apr 7, 2011 8:30:10
> Subject: [passcoalition] Update, 7th Ave and 23rd Street
> 
> >
> >
> > Hello to All,
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > As you might remember, soon after our December meeting with DOT, we
received
> > the Department's plan for "safety improvements" at the intersection at
7th
> > avenue and 23rd street. We immediately sent comments to Matt, (as he had
> > requested,) requesting some accommodations, including warning strips to
mark
> > the island in the middle of 7th avenue, and APS's placed on the island,
as
> > well. We also had questions regarding something billed as a "transit
plaza"
> > on the south side of the intersection. We were assured that our concerns
> > would be communicated to DOT. Late last week, DOT wrote to Visions
telling
> > them that work was going to begin on April 11 and attaching the plan,
which
> > was precisely the one to which we had urged additions. Nothing of our
> > recommendations appeared in the plan. We wrote to DOT expressing "grave
> > concern, and they wrote to Visions claiming thaqt they were "preparing a
> > written response" to our recommendations." 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > So, we have a situation, where PASS is not being addressed as a player,
and
> > a good possibility that work is going to begin without our
recommendations
> > being taken into account. We had hoped to use this as a test case. If we
> > don't get some kind of assurance that our safety concerns are being
> > addressed, I think we need to do something public. 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > I hope that Joyce, Gene and Annalyn will jump in to clarify anything I
may
> > have missed in trying to summarize the situation. 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > Meanwhile, Lester, I think we can go ahead and submit the APS request
list
> > to Matt as requested. 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > Karen
> > 
> > Hello to All,
> > 
> > As you might remember, soon after our December meeting with DOT, we
received the Department's plan for "safety improvements" at the intersection
at 7th avenue and 23rd street. We immediately sent comments to Matt, (as he
had requested,) requesting some accommodations, including warning strips to
mark the island in the middle of 7th avenue, and APS's placed on the island,
as well. We also had questions regarding something billed as a "transit
plaza" on the south side of the intersection. We were assured that our
concerns would be communicated to DOT. Late last week, DOT wrote to Visions
telling them that work was going to begin on April 11 and attaching the
plan, which was precisely the one to which we had urged additions. Nothing
of our recommendations appeared in the plan. We wrote to DOT expressing
"grave concern, and they wrote to Visions claiming thaqt they were
"preparing a written response" to our recommendations." 
> > 
> > So, we have a situation, where PASS is not being addressed as a player,
and a good possibility that work is going to begin without our
recommendations being taken into account. We had hoped to use this as a test
case. If we don't get some kind of assurance that our safety concerns are
being addressed, I think we need to do something public. 
> > 
> > I hope that Joyce, Gene and Annalyn will jump in to clarify anything I
may have missed in trying to summarize the situation. 
> > 
> > Meanwhile, Lester, I think we can go ahead and submit the APS request
list to Matt as requested. 
> > 
> > 
> > Karen
> > 
>

Other related posts:

  1. Home
  2. passcoalition
  3. Archive
  4. 04-2011