Not fixed yet.

Still not fixed. Now one whole section of the fence is down. Also, the lights do not wrk, and it is dark and unsafe, esp now that is is darker earlier.

it just gets worse... nothing is being done.

The DOT seems to really neglect its underpasses.
On State Street we as businesses have to pay to have them cleaned every week.
I am trying to begin a conversation with the DOT about ways to beautify and improve our underpasses in New Haven.

Is the CT DOT responsible for keeping the underpass clean? You might want to consider 'adopting' the underpass. Also, call the DOT: 860-594-2000 and ask for numbers of the people responsible, and call those people - everyday if necessary.

Thanks NP.
Those are great suggestions.
I would like to do more with the overpasses than just clean them and maybe these people would help in starting that conversation.
Additionally I guess we should get a sign if we are already doing the work :-)

I just talked with Carmine Cavallara at the Conn. DOT.
The adapt a spot program is on hold for now.
The conn. dot will not allow for murals under overpasses or anything of the sort as it is a "distraction to pedestrians and the motoring public"

I'm not sure why this issue was closed. Has the trash been cleaned up? Has the fence been mended? If nobody objects, I'm going to reopen this issue for now.

I will pass your concerns onto the Maintenance Department.

There was a major cleanup a couple of weeks ago let by Pat Bissell and students from the area Universities. They cleaned the underpass and along the river bank.

Excellent! I hadn't heard.

It occurred to me that my previous comment might have sounded like rhetorical questions. However, I really only intended to ask if anyone knew if the issue had been adressed. Next time I'll try to be more careful with my wording. I apologize for any confusion I might have created.

Definitely still a problem. Or rather, apparently, a problem AGAIN.

I'd heard at least one suggestion that this area be "reconfigured." Would it be feasible to take down the fence, chop the weeds, and allow the underpass to be a de facto extension of the Dover Beach park? It might not be pretty, but it'd way a heck of a lot better than what's there now.

Can one of you guys post a photo here.

State DOT should take on some responsibility. City Public Works constantly cleans this area and it's still used as a dump along with other streets in the vicinity of the actual dump.

For the last three years (since I lived in this neighborhood), this underpass has been filled with garbage always needing to be cleaned. Furniture, tires, garbage bags, and other items are thrown under the underpass each week, and once and a while this garbage is removed. It is disgusting and tiresome. What else can be done? Can't the New Haven Police patrol around the area more? Is it the NHPD's responsibility to monitor this area? If is is not, then someone must constantly look after this. It is a serious problem! What about putting cameras up to fine people who dump their trash? SOMETHING MUST BE DONE SOON!

I drove by there a couple days ago and there were two sets of mattresses, along with a lot of other garbage. It's ridiculous!

Why is it always someone else's responsibility? Why do you expect the government to provide all services all the time? Don't be afraid to do the community a service by organizing a few folks to clean it up. You already have pride in your neighborhood, now take some ownership of it. Maybe the inconsiderate slobs who have been dumping there might take the hint.

All due respect Mike, but this is illegal dumping on GOVERNMENT-OWNED PROPERTY, and I don't see it as at all unreasonable to (1) expect the government, the owner of the property, to keep it clean, and (2) to expect the government, whose job it is to enforce the law, to do something to prevent this from happening.

Neighbors have taken it upon themselves to clean this area multiple times, but people continue to dump garbage there. So I guess they're not "taking the hint" as you suggest. And we're not talking about beer cans and condom wrappers here, they're dumping furniture, tires, etc, things we cannot just throw in a bag and toss out, or we would.

If you look around this neighborhood you will see plenty of us doing what we can to keep it clean. We're taking plenty of ownership here. We also have a reasonable expectation that those authorities who ARE responsible for this area will do their part as well.

It's a real blight on what is now a very lovely street!

I completely agree with S. Brown. We have already "taken responsibility" for our community. To imply that we have not is a real unfair statement. This has been happening for longer than I've lived here, and it's a real issue. That's why I think it is the government's responsibility to do something like patrol the area or place cameras in their area. I'm sure that the constant garbage thrown there (tires, cans of oil, furniture, car parts, etc) is also a threat to the river water which is only a few yards away!

This is unreal. EVERY WEEK THERE IS FILTH PILED FROM WRETCHED URCHINS WHO DON"T HAVE THE CLASS NOR INTELLIGENCE TO FIGURE OUT WHERE TO DUMP THEIR CRAP. Can the city not do something? The state? I would like to see a 12 foot, black iron fence replace the falling down cyclone fence and bollards placed every 4 feet at the edge of the travel lane. The law abiding citizens of this community get physically crapped on with all of this dumping. We have cleaned this up on multiple occasions, it's time for some infrastructure to help stop the dumping in the first place. I'd love to see the underpass closed off all together.

DEZ, You rock!

The fence is still collapsing. It is still filled with weeds. There are still no lights - making it very dark and dangerous. Huge piles of garbage still sit for weeks. Who do we call to get the DOT to fix up they area they should be maintaining? Please, someone send me a name, address, phone number, and email; and I will start a campaign. This is the entrance to our neighborhood, and it's a disgrace.

Still a disgrace... Again, this is THE entrance to a neighborhood trying to revitalize itself. What legal means to we have to ensure that this be fixed? New fence. Trimming of weeds and replacing with landscaping. Lights. Painting over of tags. Regular garbage pick-up.

Whose responsibility is it?

Maybe you should be targeting the scumbag street urchins who live in New Haven that throw trash out the window or dump it there, and expect someone else to pick it up. Well maybe the state has had it , and takes the mind set of " you keep dumping it there, then you live with it there. I dont blame them at all. New Haven is full of dirt bags who dump trash everywhere. Its just mind boggling!!

Targeting those doing the dumping is a big part of what we're trying to accomplish here, Tim. All the same, thanks for your obnoxious comment. Very helpful.

My comment was not meant to be obnoxious, just tired of driving all over New Haven and seeing the same thing over and over ........trash. People need to stop relying on the city or state for everything and take some action against these cretins who dont care about nothing, or anybody. Maybe organize a group or something and clean it, and set a watchdog for that area. Its the PEOPLE doing it not the State.

They all are. where've you been. Every underpass. Nasty disgusting slobs that throw litter at their own homes ( or mostly apartments) Disrepectful pigs that never picked up after themselves and never will , they'd rather move out. You hire unaccountable royalty to clean your streets and parks , they leave it like that for perpetual overtime, and / or are the same oinkers who make that kind of mess. You hired scumbags who see not the problem which that of which yee speak

It is worse. Now, tags are spray painted all over the wall. It is very dark - the lights do not even work making it very dangerous.

The DOT and the city have a moral responsibility to maintain this area in good condition. When they built the highway through the neighborhood, that was their promise to New Haven. It seems clear that, for whatever reason, government is seriously neglecting its responsibilities.

Orchestrating an official appeal to Governor Rell by the Mayor, Board of Aldermen and local community residents would probably be the most effective course of action here, particularly around the issue of lighting.

ConnDOT spends billions per year on roads (heavily funded by the general taxpayers, not by gasoline taxes) and can not properly light an underpass in our neighborhood?

Another "why bother"; it's not going to change (for the better) in our lifetimes.

Still no lights.
Still, a fallen down fence.
More and more tags sprayed painted. I thought there was a task force to paint over tags asap. They've been up for a month and growing in number.

Even people in Appalachia make an effort to burn their garbage in the back yard, people in New Haven prefer to drive it somewhere and throw it out the window and/or dump it in places nobody seems to care about. What happened here?

Just curious, if I, in a fit of energy, bag all the trash that's there right now, will the City pick it up or do I need to call DPW and make a request every time? I've thought about doing this before but never know if the bags will be picked up. Thanks.

FairHavenRes,

When we have done these pick-ups we have called DPW in advance and they have come and picked up that weekend or the following Monday.

You guys should organize a clean-up.

This issue is not just about picking up garbage. We have done that and continue to do that. It is about fixing what DOT should fix, things we cannot: a new fence and lights that work. The city could send its task force to paints over tags. We often, as community members, do our part - like community clean-ups. But there are issues too major for us to fix.

As long a community cleanup is something we can do...I know this is short notice, but, Jeannette, FairHavenRes, and co., if you'd like to organize cleanup for MLK Day (Mon. 1/18) I think I could get you a group of about a dozen volunteers from Yale. Just let me know soon enough so I can email the student organizer to get it on the list of projects for the MLK Day of Service.

Which reminds me, if anyone (I'm talking to you, Ben) has a project for MLK Day that could use volunteers, you can email Jaison Oliver directly at jaison (dot) oliver (at) yale (dot) edu to try to get your project added to the list. I know they had a shortage of projects and a surplus of volunteers last year because I didn't get to participate because all of the spots were full by the time I thought to sign up. I want to make sure that doesn't happen again.

Hey Brian, (I'm listening :-)

Thank You for reminding me.

Lets look on SeeClickFix and see if we can find some good Community improvement volunteer activities.

The underpass at East Street is still in bad shape and could use some love.

The others have gotten remarkably better since we started paying attention and maintaining them.

Artwork next right?

yup.

I certainly like the idea of a community clean-up - esp on MLK Day. And when I write the word "however," I am not discounting the idea. But, "however," the major issue is that there is NO lighting, the fence is collapsing, and tags are all over the wall. These are not issues to be fixed by a neighborhood clean-up. So, my questions are: Who from the city is reading this? And who is responsible for the lighting, the fence, and tags? I am happy to work with these folks to "fix up" the entrance to our neighborhood, but we need those responsible for these 3 problems to fix them. The lighting and fence require professionals.

Organizing a cleanup is a nice thought but the city/state needs to step up and get some lights put in first. I'd like to know if the people who think a volunteer cleanup is a good idea pay the EXTREMELY high property taxes that New Haven has imposed on people that actually invest in the city.

We pick up garbage in our Fair Haven neighborhood every day, I cant do any more.

Hi John,

Ben Berkowitz - Tax Payer On State Street for Home Property and Vehicle Property.

I'd rather my tax dollars not go towards the things that I can not do with my community.

The majority of people that have participated in our clean-ups are tax payers.

Yes John, I do pay the absurdly high property taxes in NH, and I agree completely that the City and DOT should have addressed this long ago. But sometimes if you want something done sooner you've got to do it yourself. I pick up countless bags of trash around around my properties each year, just from all the thoughtless, rude neighbors and passersby, so I definitely know how you feel. Thanks.

Snow is covering some trash right now but what bothers me that a gate in the fence is open allowing anybody to drive in and dump the garbage behind the fence. CLOSE THE GATE!

CLOSE AND LOCK THAT GATE! Snow is covering some trash right now but what bothers me that a gate in the fence is open allowing anybody to drive in and dump the garbage behind the fence. CLOSE THE GATE!

It seems this underpass is the place to throw garbage out the window as one drives by. I cant imagine people park there and eat.

What I dont get is the new housing built there on the river has more lights than some cities do but just 100 yards away it is a dark garbage pit.

I believe this problem is tied to the nearby landfill. Unscrupulous individuals that either find the landfill closed or have their items turned away may be using this as their alternative. As such, the problem is quite persistent. That's why the only way to curb the problem is to make it less attractive of a location for illegal dumping.

Obviously lights in the underpass would be a good first step, but I'm also curious what others think about a more radical solution: removing the fence altogether and incorporating this area into the adjacent Dover Beach park. Obviously being under a bridge it wouldn't be the crown jewel of the park, but seeing as the rest of the park is generally pretty clean, I think this could help a lot. Just an idea.

Steve, thats a good idea. I know of places that have used these areas as skate parks with success. Dover park is clean and I have to guess the neighbors pick it up every day.

I believe the lights would/WILL help but it still seems like a magnet for dumping. Expanding the park somehow could change that.

The tags have been painted. Yeah.
More fencing is down along Middletown Ave just before one turns right onto Front. It is still dark - no lights. This INVITES people to dump garbage and spray paint tags. LIGHTS that work, PLEASE. I like Steve's idea of extending the park. Maybe putting sidewalks on the east side to discourage cars pulling over to dump. However, can we please start with lights?

Fence is falling down.
Still no lights.

Some of the fence was replaced, not all. The fencing along the river under 91 is not fixed. The lights STILL do not work.

We have lights! Thank you.

The one last thing to fix is the fence under the overpass, the fence that runs along the pillars parallel to the river.

The fence under the overpass, along the pillars, still needs to be replaced. It is the last thing to do in order to close this issue.

Still waiting on this: The fence under the overpass, along the pillars, still needs to be replaced. It is the last thing to do in order to close this issue

I'd like to get a meeting scheduled to explore the idea of expanding Dover Beach park under the bridge and all the way to Middletown Ave. As I've suggested in the past, I support removing the fence entirely and turning this area into part of the adjacent park to discourage the illegal dumping. My concern is that simply repairing the fence isn't going to stop the dumping, since most of the dumping is right on the side of the road, outside the fence.

I'm pretty sure that some government department has been attending to this site, because garbage is still regularly being dumped and someone is picking it up. For starters does anybody know who has been responsible for that so that we can involve them? And who would we follow up with about trying to convert this no-mans land into at least a presentable green space?

Q Terrace is expanding, and Dover Beach Park has been getting some much needed TLC this year as well. Now is an opportune time to try and solve this problem for good while expanding a valuable resource in Fair Haven.

I completely agree with you Steve. I am a resident of Front Street. Are you? Are you employed by the city? Should this meeting be set up through the Quinnipiac River Community Group or some other avenue?

I think expanding the park is a nice idea.

Many tags are spray-painted under the highway. They have been there for at least a couple of months.

There are still many spray-painted tags on the walls of the underpass.

The falling-down fence has not yet been replaced.

Last year, the lights came on which helped expose people dumping or littering. So far, the lights have not been working, and it reamins dark and unsafe. Litter and illegal dumping is always a problem, but it does get picked up. That is good. There is presently graffiti. Overall, the city is DOING A GOOD JOB paiting that over. But they need to return. I am leaving this issue OPEN because the fence has still not been replaced. It is falling down. Also, whomever is in charge of the property has allowed it to be overgrown by weeds. They are feet above the fire hydrant. Maybe our new alderperson can get a beautification project going there - with landscaping and a sign welcoming people to our neighborhood. Right now, folks are "welcome" by graffiti, abandoned tires, a falling-down fence, weeds, and darkness.

Still no working lights, so it is still dark and still dangerous. Still no new fence.

It's a shame really. The best part of the snow is that it covers up the blight for a small while. Since the city could paint new bike path signs, I hope it makes this site part of a spring renewal campaign.

You can try contacting the DOT, through their web form:

http://www.dotdata.ct.gov/contacts/contact.aspx

I wouldn't get my hopes up that they will respond or actually do anything about it.

I passed this on to the DOT as well. I do have to say that they have been very responsive to many SeeClickFix issues but part of the problem is that our neighbors treat these spaces awfully.

We have been working with the DOT on this project: insideoutnhv.com as an example of the DOT being a good neighbor.

I agree that DOT is quick to pick up garbage and paint over graffiti. However, I have not closed this as no lights have been replaced. It's very dark which I believe contributes to the problems.

Hey guys! First off, I wanted to say that I am a Boy Scout who is making this my final Eagle project. I'm planning on doing cleanups, planting trees and bushes in the said area. I will need the neighborhood to keep up the project, catching people who throw trash, etc. Thanks!

No change yet. But we hear that an Eagle Scout Candidate took this on as a project. We anxiously await the transformation.

Lights aren't working.
Still a wreck - no changes.

The lights have not been on in months. It is a dark and dangerous underpass. The entrance needs a makeover. A new fence needs to be put up. It needs to be an attractive entrance to our neighborhood.

I just reached out to the State to fix the lights. I'll let you know what I hear back. Thanks for reporting this JC.

Justin Elicker
Ward 10 Alderman
justin.elicker@gmail.com

Thank you Justin. DOT should keep the space clean if they are responsible for it.

The State Legislators should be engaged if DOT repeatedly ignores the needs of the people who live next to their facilities.

Still no working lights. Still has graffiti. Still has a falling-down fence. Still a disgrace of an entrance to a neighborhood many of us have worked long to help revive.

Agreed, this is the worst entrance to an otherwise nice neighborhood. Lights and cameras are needed to keep the dumpers and graffiti jerks away. Big bright lights and a sign that states camera surveillance is underway would be great! I'd wave to the camera everyday knowing it was there.

Thank you Frontstreeter; you are absolutely correct. I too would like to see a camera and signs, esp signs about fines for dumping... but I did not set my sights that high. I thought asking for lights was more realistic when it comes to what we can expect, sadly, from our city. Thanks for being bolder than I was... Now, how can we make this happen?

Maybe if everyone in the neighborhood started dumping there the issue wouldn't be ignored.

Still no lights.

Thanks for keeping on top of this JC. I just contacted the state again. They responded to me the first time saying they would look into it but it appears nothing was done. I hope this time will work. If not, please let me know.

Justin Elicker
Candidate for Mayor of New Haven
justin.elicker@gmail.com

Good news. We now have lights!
Now we need new fencing. Signs that state it is illegal to dump and that those who do will be fined.
I hope the neighborhood community group can help to beautify this entrance to our neighborhood - maybe murals, a welcome sign, cutting weeds, landscape the area, etc.

This is awesome. I would love to help you with Murals if there is interest.

There are now lights, but it is still a mess - collapsing fence, weeds, etc. I met with the Chatham Square Neighborhood Association recently, and we spoke about working with a local business to work on landscaping at the entrance and putting up a welcome sign. We also spoke about painting a mural on that huge wall. Apparently, the state is responsible for the fence, and that explains why it has not been fixed in a more timely manner. If you are interested in this beautification project, and one like it at the entrance of Clinton Ave/Middleton Ave, get involved in the Chatham Square Neighborhood Assoc.