meredith j
Clintonville
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I think it would be sweet if High Street were shut down for several blocks during Gallery Hops, to provide the space for street performers, more pedestrians, and a friendlier atmosphere overall.
Has anyone brought this up to the Short North peeps in charge? If so, have you been shot down? If so, did they provide a reason?
Sorry if this question has been discussed elsewhere; I couldn't find it!
Thanks!
CDS sherman
East Franklinton
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where will the cars go?
desecration
Harrison West
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meredith j wrote I think it would be sweet if High Street were shut down for several blocks during Gallery Hops, to provide the space for street performers, more pedestrians, and a friendlier atmosphere overall.Has anyone brought this up to the Short North peeps in charge? If so, have you been shot down? If so, did they provide a reason?
Sorry if this question has been discussed elsewhere; I couldn't find it!
Thanks!
I do not agree with shutting down High Street, but perhaps that is due to my business being in the NoShoNo, North Short North.
The Short North does allow for street vendors, performers.
CDS sherman
East Franklinton
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yeah high st is a major road linking many neighborhoods. i dont think the city would allow any closures for that amount of time. the longest time high st is closed must be for the gay pride and doo dah parades and for some races.
just_mel
German Village
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CDS sherman wrote where will the cars go?
Neil, Summit or Fourth.
I can't understand why anyone would drive up high street during Gallery Hop anyway, unless it were for show. I don't have the patience for that traffic. Which is why I typically walk.
I think Meredith's idea is a good one.
CDS sherman
East Franklinton
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just_mel wroteCDS sherman wrote where will the cars go?Neil, Summit or Fourth.
I can't understand why anyone would drive up high street during Gallery Hop anyway, unless it were for show. I don't have the patience for that traffic. Which is why I typically walk.
I think Meredith's idea is a good one.
okay, so then all of high streets traffic would be expected to congest the other north/south routes in the area. that is completely unreasonable. the residents bitch enough about traffic and parking. and if you dont have the patience for that traffic, imagine what neil ave would be like... and hunter and highland and the alleys. NIGHTMARE
captain janks
south side 4 life
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lol neil ave
that would be the biggest clusterfuck this city has seen.
WildmanDan
W. Hubbard/Vic Village
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They actually have done it a few times, last time for SBA to promote the arches, but a few other times as well (including fireworks on one occasion). But they probably don't want it all the time due to the backlash of the Heritage Festival when it was on High Street.
CDS sherman
East Franklinton
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ok mr janks, i see ya... :D
CDS sherman
East Franklinton
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WildmanDan wrote They actually have done it a few times, last time for SBA to promote the arches, but a few other times as well (including fireworks on one occasion). But they probably don't want it all the time due to the backlash of the Heritage Festival when it was on High Street.
oh gawd i remember the heritage fest. what a freaking nightmare that was. anybody remember that shit. i do
captain janks
south side 4 life
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haha remember the "cruizin route" they had set up?
i remember sitting on my porch on chittenden drinking beers and waching all the dubs go by
mellotron
Arena District
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?
Fourth and Summit are wide, underutilized arteries with much fewer traffic lights than High. I agree, why anyone would dare drive down High during a Gallery Hop is beyond me. High doesn't really connect any two neighborhoods when it's gridlocked.
Fourth and Summit could easily absorb the overflow. High St gets congested because for all our progress, Columbus is still has a drive-right-up-to culture. The same insanity can be seen on the inner streets at Easton. Park and walk, park and walk.
I'd love to see the streets closed down for the Hops!
just_mel
German Village
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I believe much of High Street's traffic during Gallery Hop is caused by people looking to park.* Most people know better than to use High St. as a thoroughfare at that time. I doubt closing two blocks is going to clog up all the north/south main roads. High street is one lane at the point in question. Fourth or Summit could easily take that alone.
* There is an excellent city planning book describing this phenomenon: "The High Cost of Free Parking" by Donald Shoup.
CDS sherman
East Franklinton
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i dont believe the heritage fest was ever offically on high st. that was the 24 hour freaknik style party that was the offspring. the fest was held on the oval. i was watched some poor guy get draged out of his car and get beaten the spring of 98 when i worked at lost planet.
CDS sherman
East Franklinton
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mellotron wrote ?Fourth and Summit are wide, underutilized arteries with much fewer traffic lights than High. I agree, why anyone would dare drive down High during a Gallery Hop is beyond me. High doesn't really connect any two neighborhoods when it's gridlocked.
Fourth and Summit could easily absorb the overflow. High St gets congested because for all our progress, Columbus is still has a drive-right-up-to culture. The same insanity can be seen on the inner streets at Easton. Park and walk, park and walk.
I'd love to see the streets closed down for the Hops!
well the fact is that its gridlocked during gallery hops and on the weekend nights and all that traffic would just create a unsavory situation for the neighborhood and the residents. and 20ft wide side streets with people trying to park is not a solution for detouring traffic. the only way it would work is if they were directing traffic down 3rd and up forth. physically directing traffic.
meredith j
Clintonville
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I've not really thought through the logistics or anything but, well, the point would be that there would eventually be far fewer cars...
Also, business almost always improves when people can walk rather than drive...i.e., less time looking for parking, less frustration trying to cross the street, less trouble accessing the places you want to go, etc.
And I'm not suggesting that GH doesn't accommodate performers and whatnot, just that we could expand the "festiveness" of the scene if we had more space than just the sidewalks and pocket parks.
I think it's troubling if we can't even hypothetically imagine a situation in which cars wouldn't be the dominant factor in the success of Gallery Hop.
MikeReed
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The people walking during gallery hop are sort of herded onto the sidewalks and into businesses- the sidewalks are packed. There's no room to move around.
Spreading those people out and making the roadway into a pedestrian walkways would do wonders for business- you could put performers, vendors, art (somehow?) in the street. People could move around.
Local businesses want this- trust me- even though your first instinct is to think it might negatively impact your business.
What was a sidewalk cluster F@*@ turns into a hwole neighborhood event/experience. It would be amazing- which is why it probably won't ever be done. I get the gut feeling that the more popular the SN gets the more conservative people get about switching things up. That'll eventually kill what you've got going, no matter how good it is.
Hell- maybe GH works and you don't mess with it. Maybe you do it on another day to spread the love. Hey- maybe you take this idea to an up and coming neighborhood and pitch it. The KLD or Franklinton are hungry and might go for something outside of the box and that willingness to innovate somewhere will eventually unseat the SN and GH. Which is why local businesses want a good idea- to keep it out of other neighborhoods.
In case you we're wondering, "what is it really like on high street during gallery hop?" - video below (via considerbiking.org). I'm not even sure that this was during a red light... I htink it was just gridlock if I recall.
neela
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CDS sherman wroteokay, so then all of high streets traffic would be expected to congest the other north/south routes in the area. that is completely unreasonable. the residents bitch enough about traffic and parking. and if you dont have the patience for that traffic, imagine what neil ave would be like... and hunter and highland and the alleys. NIGHTMARE
Oh no! UNREASONABLE-NESS! Residents bitching about traffic and parking! Heavens to Betsy! Nightmares!!! :shock:
CDS sherman wrotewell the fact is that its gridlocked during gallery hops and on the weekend nights and all that traffic would just create a unsavory situation for the neighborhood and the residents. and 20ft wide side streets with people trying to park is not a solution for detouring traffic. the only way it would work is if they were directing traffic down 3rd and up forth. physically directing traffic.
Ooooh, now you've really convinced me. UNSAVORINESS! :cry: We can't have that. You are right, 20 foot wide streets are not enough. You know, let's just bulldoze the sidewalks and create some extra lanes. So that way there's even less gridlock on High Street during Gallery Hop. And all the time, right?
I mean, people never change their behavior based on traffic conditions right? People who would never walk more than 2 blocks, who never ride COTA, don't happily walk for miles and hop on COTA buses when it's for Buckeye football games, right? No no, that never happens.
[/total dripping sarcasm]
Yea I support this idea and Mike is right. If Short North doesn't want to do it, then forget them. Try it somewhere else.
ARH
w. beach
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i support this idea 100%.
i stay away from SN during gallery hop, whether in a car (rarely do i find myself in one) or on a bike. i don't want to die. people are nuts. it would be much safer to close high st. during gallery hop.
you have to be fucking nuts to want to drive down high st during GH anyway.
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