The homeless are a menace for bus passengers and many others. They have robbed people on the boardwalk Their daily routine of body baths and laundry preclude any visitor of traveler from accessing the restrooms in the morning. The South terminal is the first set of restrooms locked. Transient hospitality workers are left with this while being locked out of Park N Ride facilities until 8AM after traveling an hour on Shore Transit. The benches host homeless sleepers overnight. Nowhere is it written that comfortable facilities must be provided to the homeless and the installation of some strips of 2x4 lumber dividing up he seat space on the bench will render the benches to uncomfortable. Actually, any number of things can render these benches uninviting. The Town just needs to use their heads and give the traveling workers a break.
CROSSWALKS
Ocean city has spent a lot of advertising money on telling people to cross their roads at a CROSSWALK. Not a single crosswalk is “labeled” in the entire town and bus drivers will regularly see tourists downtown looking around confused and cross at a point that is not a crosswalk. Yes, a lot of money has been spent paining fake bricks at what the City understands to be a crosswalk but they fail to realize that tourists coming from may places may have never have seen a “crosswalk”. Yes, it sounds stupid (and probably is) but why not label/paint CROSSWALK at these crossings.
too true... A VERY valid suggestion. DO SOMETHING, even if it's wrong.
ReplyDeletehow about OC actually put crosswalks on both sides of the street corners? while down there this past weekend I was struck by both the lack of proper markings on both sides of the street corner for crosswalks along with the totally disgusting appearance of the people in the crowds of visitors! I've seen animals with more dignity!
ReplyDeleteHow about this question - Is there really crosswalk problem?
ReplyDelete1 or 2 folks being hit/killed could be considered a problem by some, but might not by others. The bigger dynamic could be when these folks or any folks cross/JAYWALK Coastal Highway (day or night), location (SEACRETS or north OC along high rise row) and maybe what condition they were/are in (drinking). Lots of commercials over the last several years about using crosswalks but today's younger generation don't watch TV or listen to the radio so was the money well spent? PAINTING bricks as nice to see in the crosswalks (which are fading/chipping away now) was that money well spent - especially given the comment in the story that many folks do not know or are confused with that painted bricks in the crosswalk.
Personally I like the idea of CROSSWALK X-WALK painted in the middle wouldn't hurt given the other ideas haven't fully done the job. I would hope that City FAIL has asked other jurisdictions up/down the east coast what they do...I mean its only a PHONE CALL!
Uh, there is no solution to vagrancy except law enforcement. That could be a nasty cycle (jail, out, jail, out) but since NOTHING has been done, now its here and HAS been here for years! The last thing you want is word of mouth about vagrancy. Then again, word of mouth about high prices is already out there and nothing is being done about it. When I think of resort town and vagrancy I remember the 80's 90's of Atlantic City. Ugly beach/boardwalk, homeless meeting folks coming off the buses to go to the casinos. 1 block off the strip begging for chips/money for booze.
Need to do something City FAIL!!
You cannot have a crosswalk on all corners of a T shaped crosswalk because one side of it gives traffic the right of way at all times. Division St and Baltimore Ave is one example as is First and Baltimore and First and Philidelphia. Yes, there are Town employees wearing vests emblazoned with "Public Safety" walking around downtown but I have never seen one standing at a crossing giving people direction.
ReplyDeleteHomelessness and vagrancy are difficult to deal with. The problem with the transit centers (144th street & S. Division St) is that they are surrounded by large bed sized benches that are comfortable. There is also one of them at the foot of the West bound bridge and even more at the Park N Ride center in West OC.
Rick, Mary, Dennis, Matt???
ReplyDeleteJohn Jr, Wayne, Lloyd??
Anyone in City Hall want to discuss? We know you read/look at this website - hell don't cringe, be ANONYMOUS with any idea(S)!
At least TC isn't here to bash you, he just comes to the weekly meetings to do that since its videotaped!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rick Meehan declared a few years back that there was nothing OC could do to combat the growing homeless population and the numerous problems they cause. That lazy hypocrite walked the boards ONE NIGHT in probably a decade last year from 8-10 PM and declared it safe (when everybody knows all heck breaks loose after midnight). Don't hassle the thugs, don't hassle the homeless. The man is a disgrace.
ReplyDeleteHow about installing cross-over bridges every couple of blocks so that people can cross without looking? Put a cage around it so they can't fall out.
ReplyDelete3:26 PM
ReplyDeleteMany visitors complain about the older buses being too high to climb. I doubt they will choose to walk uphill over the road rather than simply crossing where they are standing. This is a multi solution issue with downtown having unique crossing solutions compared to high-rise row in the North.
The original point of the Town having invested thousands of dollars telling people to cross at a cross walk was lost because not enough people even know what a crosswalk is.
I am shocked that numerous people do not know what a cross walk is.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely shocked.
Is this real? I mean, what is elementary school teaching kids?
And how about those parking meters in Rehobeth? Lord knows they cost enough, 2 bucks an hour, but people are getting attacked and chased away by people trying to "save" a parking spot. (which is illegal)
ReplyDeleteThey will happily write one a ticket for staying a few minutes over their limit but offer no protection from these imbeciles.