The “heartbeat” of New Haven’s Union Station will soon stop — and with it yet another fiber of the state’s colorful history will be stripped away unnecessarily and ignorantly.
The state Department of Transportation will remove the Solari board (seen in action above) from the train station within the next year and replace it with LED screens, according to the New Haven Independent.
This is just ridiculous. It’s always easier to replace something than to preserve it. And once again, the state is opting to take the easy way out.
The reason for removing the historic and rare board? Kevin Nursick, a DOT spokesman, told the Independent that it is difficult to find parts and expertise to fix that style board anymore. Hmmm. Well, Mr. Nursick, what are the other cities with the boards doing? You know, like Philadelphia? They are finding a way to preserve their past.
And further, Mr. Nursick, I suggest that you LOOK HARDER — or maybe talk with Philadelphia officials. I hear they’re friendly in the city of brotherly love. Make an investment of time. Do it for your kids. Do it for your kids’ kids.
In the long-run I would think the state will get a bigger bang for its buck if it invests in performing regular maintenance on the sign than on purchasing LED screens. After all, LED screens don’t last long — certainly not as long as the Solari board did. Think about all the technology the Solari board has outlasted.
If you are Connecticut citizen, I implore you to take a stand. If you care about our state, and what made it so great — or even if you think your children or grandchildren might give a damn — I suggest voicing your opposition to this plan. Don’t forget, Mr. Nursick works for you — not the other way around.
While I am certainly a proponent of adapting to new technology, I strongly believe the state also has a responsibility to preserve our history. Considering that the board is the last one on the entire New Haven Line says something right there.
And beyond the historical reasons, it is easier to see such a board than a LED monitor. Have you ever tried reading such a monitor from the side or from an angle? It’s not easy. And the noise that the sign creates with each update is sure to capture your attention, something a stagnant, and eye-straining LED sign won’t accomplish.
Much too often the state’s most prized and beloved relics meet the wrecking ball unnecessarily and prematurely and thus stripping future generations of the opportunity to see what made our past tick — or, in this case, clicker-clack.
New Haven Urban Design League President Anstress Farwell described the Solari sign’s sound as the heartbeat of the grand waiting room in an e-mail to the Independent, and I agree.
We mustn’t let it flat line. Because once we do, it will be too late to come to our senses.
A Facebook group and a petition have already been established in hopes of saving this historic item — and I hope you will consider checking them out.
