Done! I propose a Chess Board and seating brainstorm at makehaven next Tuesday night at 7:00 pm.

280 State Street.

I'll be there!

Awesome!

i was just asking URI and FOWS about this on saturday for dog park - this is even a better place for them! i'm away next tuesday, but let me know how i can help!

Great idea!

Awesome! Anybody have ideas for what we should make the pieces looks like?

i think it's most important to provide the seating and the tables (like the picnic table on the new haven green) and let the folks bring their own chess pieces, cofffee, food.

if you are talking about a giant chess board - i think that would be hard to manage effectively, however, inside of the Artspace lot may be easier b/c it has more eyes/ears and is curated by artspace

That makes sense. I love the idea of giant chess board in the artspace lot! I'd vote for that issue.

Definitely do not see this as a good idea. No one see's the inherit danger in the city installing a chess board, bench and chairs in the middle of a road with traffic on either side? I've always thought the city should pull up the tiles and make this a permanent flower / shrub garden. It would enhance the visual aspect of this corridor. Much like it is further north on State where there are trees and tulips.

i agree check, however the most anyone crosses is 2 lanes of traffic at any time. also theoretically the speed limit is 25mph... the trees there make it a little too shaded for flowers, but the portion that doesn't have trees would be good. i'm not sure if town green can handle the extra maintenance (they're maintaining the other flower beds with flowers provided by TT&P) but we can ask!

I'm with "Check". The concept is great and it could be done inexpensively, but is this really the place where anyone would want to sit for any length of time? You need a minimal buffer between the street and where people want to sit and you need it to be place where people feel comfortable. Not sure in a median is exactly that kind of place.

How about putting the chess board right in the middle of the street and closing off one lane, or some parking spots, using a parklet system? That's what many cities around the world are doing.

I'm in favor of a chessboard anywhere, just saying that it's much more beneficial to the city to have activity along the sidewalks and stores, than in the middle of the street surrounded by traffic on both sides.

Picture here shows diag parking & a parklet, which could easily be added along State if one of the unnecessary lanes were removed. More parking & more people = more business and more tax revenue for the city.

State is a pretty serious traffic artery, I certainly wouldn't call any of those lanes "unnecessary".

Here's a traffic study from 2008 showing AM and PM peak travel times

http://www.scrcog.org/documents/SECirculation_Report_Final.pdf (page 19)

Just a reference if anyone wants to know how many cars are traveling along State Street.

Hi Ben, unfortunately, an event I was supposed to attend yesterday was moved to today due to rain, so I won't be free to come by MakeHaven tonight. Sorry for the last minute change!

No worries Julia. We can postpone unless there was anyone else coming by to join.

i want to join! can we reschedule to this coming tuesday evening?

we can also talk about those cornhole boards (newhavencornhole.org - i'm updated the forwarding now)

@Doug, what about making molds for concrete corn hole? aka build a mold that can be poured with concreate to create a permanent installation.

Awesome on concrete cornhole!

Concrete Cornhole is the name of my new band.

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