Downtown PLUS

Recent layoffs have meant that as of February 28, 2011, the total number of hours that the New Haven main library branch opens have been reduced from 185 hours per month to 148. The branches have taken the brunt of the reductions, with monthly hours reduced from 136 to 96 including elimination of Saturday hours.

http://www.newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/branches_make_last_saturday_loans/

The closing of the libraries is a crucial issue of public space and civic vitality in New Haven. Libraries should be active community hubs where neighbors can meet and cement relationships, not abandoned buildings.

Public Libraries are educational agencies that provide materials and services to all members in the community from preschoolers to seniors. The library is accessible to students for study and research when public schools are not open. The library provides the only computer access some public school students have to complete their homework assignments.

Public Libraries help build a strong economy. Our unemployment rate has been at least 12%, and likely to be above 50% among youth in some city neighborhoods. Many employers have transitioned to online employment applications. Public Libraries provide the only access some people have to computer technology and job searches.

Please "vote" here if you believe that the City of New Haven should immediately restore all of the eliminated library hours, either through re-hiring of laid off employees or through other measures.

Information, updates and additional ways to advocate for this issue will be posted here and you will receive them if you request to be notified of updates.

(I have posted this at the request of an elderly New Haven resident who no longer has access to the internet, due to closing of library hours on Saturday in her neighborhood)

Many cities are beginning to convert the rooftops of their municipal buildings into "green roofs" to reduce energy use, save money, reduce storm water run-off, improve air quality, provide a tranquil refuge for residents, and much more.

Milwaukee has begun work on the roof of it's public library:
http://www.mpl.org/file/green_index.htm

Because of the renovations to Street Hall, the construction company had to make a temporary crosswalk on High Street. If you think we should have a crosswalk like this permanently, perhaps right at Library Walk, vote here by clicking "I want this fixed too!"

Alternatively, if you have experienced problems with the temporary crosswalk on High Street, you should feel free to voice those concerns here too.

Why isn't Lot 51 open to the public anymore? It's no longer under construction. I used to park here in the evenings when going to the downtown library.

The pedestrian crosswalk button on the corner of Elm and Temple on the Library corner does not work - the light doesn't turn on, no sound is made, and after attempting to press it, the light will still go through an entire cycle without changing to "Walk".

Walking to the library across the Green on 9/30, I encountered numerous groups of people (mostly men) doing and selling drugs. One man ahead of me on the path was openly smoking a joint. Many were under the influence. I did not feel safe enough to walk back across the green on my way back from the library and had to walk the long way around the perimeter. No police presence.

The City is considering converting several downtown one-way streets to 2-way streets. To gather community input, they are hosting several meetings (a.k.a. "charrettes") next week. Info below:

From October 21st to October 24th, the City of New Haven will be gathering public input surrounding the possible conversion of one-way streets to two-way streets in Downtown New Haven. Public input will be gathered at a design "charrettes" - a series of meetings at which various stakeholders are brought together for focused planning and design work.

The City has not made a decision to either keep certain downtown streets one-way or to convert them to two-way and that the point of the charrette-- to gather as much public input as possible.

The charrette will kick off at 6:30pm on Monday, October 21st at the New Haven Free Public Library at 133 Elm Street with a project overview and educational session. While residents can stop in at any point during the charrette to provide input or ask questions, the "Hands on Design Sessions" are the ideal opportunity to take part in the design process.

On Tuesday, October 22nd, two Hands on Design Sessions will be held. The first will be at 10am at the lower level of the New Haven Free Public Library at 133 Elm Street. The second will be held at 6:30 pm at the Chapel West Special Services District office 1205 Chapel Street.

Saturday 9/20/14 about 4p.m. the noise level from microphones on the Green was so loud you could hear it from blocks away. This has happened on a number of Saturday afternoons. It is a group of people on the green, I believe with a permit for a meeting. the problem is it is much too loud. It disrupts quality of life for people waiting for the busses, library and church use as well as passing cars and classes at Gateway and Yale!

The Library does great, and important work. And the public who uses it deserves to be able to use it. But the staff must have more help. There are not enough Librarians or Security there during the day to serve the patrons of the library, to make accessible the collections, and to maintain order in all parts of the library. It is not just security of the children and all people using the library, the security of the valuable material and the building itself, but also the common respect and order that should be maintained in such a noble place. Please help the Library be what it can and should be. If people are afraid to go there, or are dissuaded from using it, the Library is not doing everything that it can.

Bicycling against traffic is illegal. Because of the layout of the street network, it is currently impossible for bicyclist to safely get to and from Sterling Memorial Library. Scores of bicyclists ride the wrong way on Wall Street every day. The issue is most pronounced on the Yale-owned portion of Wall between High St and College St.

mold / mildew needs to be power-washed from beinecke library to preserve structure

My van four tires got slashed today between 12 and 1pm while I was in the library across the New Haven green. The van was parked across the street from the library on the green side. Already got new ones but just posting about my frustration. Why somebody did it??? Not clue. Be careful.