Kane Street: A CTfastrak Station in the Making

Kane Street Busway Stop

This is the current status of the Kane Street stop of the CTfastrak transit system that is under construction between Hartford and New Britain. Enough work has been completed to imagine what this station will be and how it will work. This stop will be a quick pull-off for the buses covering non-express routes, meaning they stop at each station. The shelter in the left foreground is for passengers on their way towards New Britain,

Cut & Paste: A Vacant West End Lot

There is a vacant lot at 510 Farmington Avenue in Hartford’s West End that I go by all the time. It used to be a gas station once upon a time, and back in the mid 2000s there was talk of putting up a building with residential over retail. I unfortunately can’t find any links related to the proposal that are still active. Here is the site as of yesterday. This picture is taken from

Flatbush Avenue Bridge Construction Begins

I was fascinated by bridges as a kid, yet somehow managed to choose a liberal arts college without either an architecture or engineering program. Oops. Anyway, the upshot is that I get excited when new bridges are built. Even small, functional ones like what CT Fastrac has planned for Flatbush Avenue. Here is the rendering of the bridge and bus station, and here is the site plan for the area. Work has been going on

A School in the West End: Overview

This week we’re focusing on a single development proposal that has divided the residents of Hartford’s West End neighborhood. The Capitol Regional Education Council (CREC) is interested in building a school near the intersection of Asylum Avenue and Elizabeth Street. We’ll start with an overview today and do a site visit tomorrow. From there we’ll look at the arguments for and against the proposal. Finally, we’ll share our thoughts, analysis and conclusions after the inordinate

It’s a Brick. House.

I learned something interesting today during a home inspection, so I thought I would pass it along. Take a look at the photo below. Is this house solely brick exterior construction or is it brick and stud construction (essentially the brick is only a veneer)? How can you tell? This home, built in 1884 according to town records, is solely brick exterior construction. That means there are several layers of brick which make up the