What’s going on in this west Albany alley is an emergency repair job. A friend who lives behind that fence on the right told me about it, and I checked it out because it’s an example of a helpful but largely unheralded program the city of Albany runs.
You will be relieved to hear that this is likely to be the last report on the great Southwest Broadway Street flood of 2016. Why? Because once Albany officials became aware of the problem, the city jumped into action, spent some days pumping away the ponding runoff, and on Thursday was finishing work on a permanent fix.
Albany has jumped into action to deal with a big puddle of runoff that started overflowing a part of Broadway Street S.W. this fall.
Surrounded by chain link fencing topped by barbed wire, this bunker-like pile exudes a degree of mystery. What goes on behind the weathered concrete? Who climbs those stairs, and why? The answer, sadly prosaic, is that nothing has gone on there for decades, and probably nothing ever will.
This was Monday afternoon and it could have been bad. Flaggers were regulating traffic on North Albany road, and the line of stopped northbound vehicles stretched back across the railroad tracks when the crossing lights started flashing and, moments later, the gates came down.
Weeds are sprouting, as weeds will, in the center island of Albany’s Main Street roundabout, where a planned landscaping treatment is taking longer than expected. But let’s be patient; it should be done this summer.
At Talking Waters, an added feature
At Albany’s Talking Water Gardens the other day, I noticed something new: Three spiffy bike racks near the entrance. Is that supposed to be a hint to bike riders to leave their wheels behind and proceed on foot?
Tags: Albany Public Works, bicycling, bike racks, Talking Water Gardens