The Observation Deck

The new bus stop on Quail and Madison Ave. In historic "Birdville."





Now that is something to tweet-tweet about!

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Nice. When we met Rose Slavik and Helen Pohorence (God rest her soul) many years ago when we joined SSCM parish, THEY always referred to it as Birdtown without historic qualification. While it may not be precise historically, can't we all just get along on this one?

Jim O'Bryan wrote:
The new bus stop on Quail and Madison Ave. In historic "Birdville."





Now that is something to tweet-tweet about!

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Jim,

The sound system is on the way:

Everything has purpose...very nice!

Scott

"Bum Proof Benches" a term that drew so harsh comments.

I have to laugh, the city wants reporting, but not real reporting.

"Bum Proof Benches" is an actual term in the world of Urban Planning and design.

http://www.canada.com/vancouvercourier/news/opinion/story.html?id=53836c28-88c9-4cf3-9060-c4d0f09790d7

There is also a whole different train of thought towards nice looking but completely worthless
features in public spaces that look for benches that are unusable or not comfortable.

The trend is "Unusability Engineering"

http://roychristopher.com/unusability-engineering

So that when a city announces "Art Parks" like the one in front of Deagen's, and a big
announcement on "The new bus stop at Quail and Madison Ave. they are showing off their great
work and dedication in creating Unusable items that appeal to the eye, but little else.

While taking with a person over coffee today, they went into great detail that a good bus shelter
faces the street and should be in the shape of an "L" so that people can see the bus coming and
get ready to board, providing the quickest exchange of passengers, while also cutting down on the
disruption of traffic in a city that was really meant for trolleys down the middle, and horses, bikes
and cars along the edges.

I only post this update, so that we can continue to learn and grow as a community into what is
going on with the pretty shelters and the benches that are too cold in the winter and too hot in
the summer, but designed to be unusable year round.

Good work city hall you have grasped unusable for the residents.

Well almost...



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Jim O'Bryan wrote:Good work city hall you have grasped unusable for the residents.

Come on, Jim.

I think you are being a little too harsh on City Hall.

I'm sure that City Hall would just love to spend $40,000 to put four of these cool machines throughout Lakewood:





Matt

Matthew John Markling wrote:I think you are being a little too harsh on City Hall.

Matt

Matt

I was complimenting Lakewood City Hall on nailing the "Unusability Movement" with this "Bum Proof
Bench." Once I did the background and found out that it was a movement with a name and a
reason, you have to give them credit for getting it right.

Who would of ever thought that schools, and CDCs and others even had a "Unusability Movement" to
discourage actual use of things you thought were there for actual use?

While tough on the residents that use the buses, it has stopped that pesky bum from sitting there.

Funny last week someone mentioned to me how nasty the bus shelters and seat are on W65th and
Detroit in the ultra-chic Gordon Square area. Now we know, they are designed to discourage use
and actual seating or sitting while waiting for a bus.

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I must be an idiot, because I completely missed the dripping sarcasm at the beginning of the thread. Probably more than a few of the 400 plus observers did too. Why not be more direct Jim?

Paul Schrimpf wrote:I must be an idiot, because I completely missed the dripping sarcasm at the beginning of the thread. Probably more than a few of the 400 plus observers did too. Why not be more direct Jim?

Hi Paul---

I think the first post wasn't sarcastic--- the shelters really are beautiful. In fact I felt some guilt over not posting right then and saying, "but look at the seat." The old seats could fit four people across or at least two completely bundled people and their shopping carriers in the winter. No not "bums" (which I thought was politically incorrect-- especially given the fact that we know how many of them are veterans..) but old ladies who get to the grocery store on the bus. Old ladies from Lakewood!

I felt guilty not pointing out that while the seat is ornate, in a chilly, modern sort of way, it's terribly small and it is made of steel! Too hot for shorts in the summer! Terribly cold in the winter unless you are wearing snow pants. And finally, not that easy to balance on.

I think Jim thought that the shelters were beautiful too, as evidenced by his beautiful photos of them. They could easily be hideous-looking, they are not. The only hideous thing is that they punish people who ride the bus-- at a time when I thought we were supposed to be encouraging that.

Betsy Voinovich

I believe that one reason that the bench might have been shortened could have been to provide equal shelter access to someone having a walker or a wheelchair.

I would imagine as well that benches of this nature are often perforated so that they will not pool water in rainy weather, nor create excess discomfort in hot weather.

Nice looking shelter.

Back to the banjo...

Jim O'Bryan wrote:I was complimenting Lakewood City Hall on nailing the "Unusability Movement" with this "Bum Proof Bench." Once I did the background and found out that it was a movement with a name and a reason, you have to give them credit for getting it right.

Okay, Jim.

I suppose.

It would be interesting to see the "unusability" study.

It would also be interesting to see how much the "unusability" study cost the taxpayers.

Nothing appears to come out of City Hall without first spending taxpayer money on a study.

But, I must admit, the birds do look cool.

Matt

Gary Rice wrote:I believe that one reason that the bench might have been shortened could have been to provide equal shelter access to someone having a walker or a wheelchair.

Hey, Gary!

Step away from the banjo for just one minute, please.

Upon what fact do you base this belief?

That would actually make some sense.


Okay ...

Gary Rice wrote:Back to the banjo...

Matt

Just a guess here, but I would imagine that the Americans With Disabilities Act might have a little something to do with how the design of new public structures might be constructed in order to accommodate persons having special needs.

Put in comfortable seating and it'll get torn apart. Not by bums but by troubled youths who have little regard for others and graffiti artists. Put in graffiti/vandal proof seats and it's too hot/cold/uncomfortable. The City/RTA can't win in this argument. How long do you think those GPS arrival monitors will last in the new Clifton shelters?

What gets me is the structure and seat are nice brushed aluminum and stainless steel, which should last a good long time, but it's anchored to the ground with plain steel fasteners which rust. The end result is the structure will end up on its side in 10 or so years with high winds, like the Madison and Bunts shelter did a few years ago.

Jim O'Bryan wrote:While taking with a person over coffee today, they went into great detail that a good bus shelter
faces the street and should be in the shape of an "L" so that people can see the bus coming and
get ready to board, providing the quickest exchange of passengers, while also cutting down on the
disruption of traffic in a city that was really meant for trolleys down the middle, and horses, bikes
and cars along the edges.

Apparently your friend has not waited for many buses in inclement weather. A shelter facing the road and people waiting often get splashed as vehicles drive by. The L shape may work on Clifton but not on streets with limited sidewalk space such as Madison.

So you are all telling me what?

Lakewood has no idea about Urban Unusability Movement that is part of the curriculum at Levin
College of Urban Affairs, where some of our people graduated from and we use for consultants?

That these benches are not marketed as "Bum Proof?"

That Lakewood City Hall is not aware of the issue.

Damn, a bunch of apologists that need no facts, just the concept that residents are bad.

Yeah sure, they sure got lucky this time.

This city suffers from battered wife syndrome.
"Well I probably deserved it, and at least he didn't kill me."

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Paul Schrimpf wrote:I must be an idiot, because I completely missed the dripping sarcasm at the beginning of the thread. Probably more than a few of the 400 plus observers did too. Why not be more direct Jim?

Paul

There was no sarcasm at the beginning of this thread. I went up to take a photo of the new bench that
had been installed in Madison Ave. nothing more. I thought it was nice. I came back and posted it,
and made my observation that the bench looked to be "bum proof." It was the next morning while
trying to see if that comment was even fair, that I found out and was educated to both "Bum Proof"
being an actual term that you can find in catalogs and many other articles.

While reading those articles I became of the "Unusability Movement" in Urban and Inner Ring
planning. I never imagined that cities or designers would go out of their way to design things so
that they either cannot be used or used for very short periods of time.

Did you?

As for who gets my stuff and who does not, I generally write my observations and my thoughts
without the worry of who gets it and who does not. I write it up as I see it and observe it. I am
not here to change your mind, only share what is on my mind.

This has always been the secret of this project. Over the course of time you get a feel for if a
person is liberal, conservative, religious, not, wealthy, poor, educated not, and through that better
understand where they are coming from and what their observations mean to that person.

But thanks for your little bit of sarcasm, over coffee this morning.

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