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2016 New Haven/Connecticut River Valley Road Meet - July 23

Started by dgolub, May 02, 2016, 11:09:29 PM

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Which dates are good for you?

July 9
5 (45.5%)
July 16
5 (45.5%)
July 23
7 (63.6%)
July 30
5 (45.5%)
August 6
6 (54.5%)
August 13
6 (54.5%)
August 20
4 (36.4%)
August 27
5 (45.5%)

Total Members Voted: 11

dgolub

Quote from: Duke87 on June 01, 2016, 11:13:27 PM
If I may suggest something... when I organized my 2011 New Haven meet we started at a restaurant in Hamden explicitly because no place in downtown New Haven had readily available free parking/parking where people could leave their cars undisturbed as we did the tour.

While the particular restaurant we ate at no longer exists (a self storage facility now occupies the property), I would strongly consider doing something similar and starting away from downtown. To have the meetup location for a road meet be in a spot that does not have plentiful free parking is not entirely unprecedented, but it is certainly both unusual and undesirable since almost everyone will be arriving by car.

EDIT: also bear in mind that depending on attendance the venue may need to be capable of accommodating a large group. Not all restaurants are.

I definitely hear you, the only catch is that those of us who are doing the Yale tour will need to be on the ground in New Haven proper anyway.  It looks like parking in the Broadway lot only gets really expensive if you're staying there for an extended period of time; at first it's only $1.50/hour.  I'm thinking we do that for lunch and then move the extra cars to the train lot in West Haven where it's free.


froggie

Or skip lunch and have folks congregate at a given hour for the tour.  From experience, it gives a bit more flexibility in scheduling and those traveling to the location, and you're not beholden to poor timing or delays at a restaurant.  Those who were at a certain SEPA event will know exactly what I'm talking about.

vdeane

For the Ottawa meet, we met at the park and ride and carpooled to lunch.  Perhaps that could work here?  You could have everything based at either the train station or the park and ride (the latter works better for having daylight for my clinch of I-91 when I leave, but the former works better for clinching everything else in the morning because then I wouldn't have to cross New Haven before the meet; plus it appears to have more space) and carpool over to Yale and the restaurant.  Plus, then nobody would have to pay for parking unless they volunteer to be a driver on the tours.  I would expect someone who parked at Broadway who was attending the Yale pre-meet to be parked there a minimum of 2-3 hours; two hours for lunch is usually the assumed amount when planning.

I never was a fan of the dance of everyone moving their cars between lunch and the tour; seems like it just adds a chance for everyone to get separated.  It seems that the trend started at Monticello is here to stay, though (I assume due to reservations and people not always showing up on time, which is why I capitulated to the trend for the Capital District meet).
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.

tckma

Quote from: vdeane on June 03, 2016, 01:08:27 PM
Plus, then nobody would have to pay for parking unless they volunteer to be a driver on the tours. 

How big is the Yale campus anyway?  For some reason I assumed the pre-meet campus tour would be a walking tour.

dgolub

Quote from: tckma on June 03, 2016, 02:00:37 PM
Quote from: vdeane on June 03, 2016, 01:08:27 PM
Plus, then nobody would have to pay for parking unless they volunteer to be a driver on the tours. 

How big is the Yale campus anyway?  For some reason I assumed the pre-meet campus tour would be a walking tour.

It would be, but the campus is in New Haven proper, so people would need to get there from West Haven or Hamden.

hbelkins

Quote from: froggie on June 03, 2016, 07:59:35 AMThose who were at a certain SEPA event will know exactly what I'm talking about.

This came up during the Corridor H meet, but I don't remember why or in what context.


Government would be tolerable if not for politicians and bureaucrats.

Duke87

Quote from: hbelkins on June 03, 2016, 07:40:40 PM
Quote from: froggie on June 03, 2016, 07:59:35 AMThose who were at a certain SEPA event will know exactly what I'm talking about.

This came up during the Corridor H meet, but I don't remember why or in what context.

It comes up pretty much every time we ask a restaurant to do separate checks. "Hopefully it won't take two hours this time like it did at the Southeast PA meet!"
If you always take the same road, you will never see anything new.

tckma

Quote from: Duke87 on June 03, 2016, 07:59:13 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on June 03, 2016, 07:40:40 PM
Quote from: froggie on June 03, 2016, 07:59:35 AMThose who were at a certain SEPA event will know exactly what I'm talking about.

This came up during the Corridor H meet, but I don't remember why or in what context.

It comes up pretty much every time we ask a restaurant to do separate checks. "Hopefully it won't take two hours this time like it did at the Southeast PA meet!"

You need to tell your server you'll want separate checks as soon as she says, "Hi my name is Lulabelle and I'll be taking care of you folks today."  It's more work to split a check once the order has been placed.  This way they actually put them in as separate orders.

(spoken as someone who goes to a lot of group lunches for work that our company does not pay for).

cl94

Quote from: tckma on June 03, 2016, 10:55:15 PM
Quote from: Duke87 on June 03, 2016, 07:59:13 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on June 03, 2016, 07:40:40 PM
Quote from: froggie on June 03, 2016, 07:59:35 AMThose who were at a certain SEPA event will know exactly what I'm talking about.

This came up during the Corridor H meet, but I don't remember why or in what context.

It comes up pretty much every time we ask a restaurant to do separate checks. "Hopefully it won't take two hours this time like it did at the Southeast PA meet!"

You need to tell your server you'll want separate checks as soon as she says, "Hi my name is Lulabelle and I'll be taking care of you folks today."  It's more work to split a check once the order has been placed.  This way they actually put them in as separate orders.

(spoken as someone who goes to a lot of group lunches for work that our company does not pay for).

Honestly, it's best to mention it when making the reservation so they put a note in the system. At some places, they'll number the seats and do everything by seat number. This was the case at the Toronto meet.
Please note: All posts represent my personal opinions and do not represent those of my employer or any of its partner agencies.

Travel Mapping (updated weekly)

Roadgeek Adam

Basically, with the SEPA meet of 2010, the waitress took the better part of 30 minutes with our cash/credit cards.

Jeff Kitsko had other complaints about Sly Fox, but that's the well known one.
Adam Seth Moss
M.A. History, Western Illinois University 2015-17
B.A. History, Montclair State University 2013-15
A.A. History & Education - Middlesex (County) College 2009-13

Laura

Ooh, we may be able to make this meet. Now that I'm not a full time student anymore, we can branch out a bit from just staying in the mid-atlantic.

froggie

Quote from: Roadgeek AdamBasically, with the SEPA meet of 2010, the waitress took the better part of 30 minutes two hours with our cash/credit cards.

FTFY.  It was well over an hour, not 30 minutes.

As for the meet and the date, I'm about 70% that I'll be able to make it.  May have some Upper Midwestern swag to bring with me.

Roadgeek Adam

It's been 6 years, pardon my lack of memory of how long it took.
Adam Seth Moss
M.A. History, Western Illinois University 2015-17
B.A. History, Montclair State University 2013-15
A.A. History & Education - Middlesex (County) College 2009-13

dgolub

I posted this to the Facebook event, and I'll post it here in case there's anyone who isn't getting notifications:

There have been a number of people expressing a preference for having the meet restaurant be in the suburbs so that it's not necessary to pay for parking.  If I moved it to Pizerria Uno in Milford, there's free station parking a few blocks away there.  The catch is that Milford is about 15 minutes away from New Haven, so we'd need to shorten the Yale tour.  Alternatively, I could move up the meet to 11:00 AM and then do the Yale afterwards, somewhere in the 5-6 PM range, and then have dinner in New Haven.  Anyone have any preferences on how we do this?

froggie

It sounds to me like you're trying to cram a lot in.  In that case, I'd suggest a meet point at a P&R and attendees can get their own lunch beforehand.  Those who would like to do so can get together for dinner afterwards.

The main benefit of this is that you're not tied to keeping lunch to a certain (usually-running-late-anyway) time period.

cl94

Quote from: froggie on June 19, 2016, 09:03:44 AM
It sounds to me like you're trying to cram a lot in.  In that case, I'd suggest a meet point at a P&R and attendees can get their own lunch beforehand.  Those who would like to do so can get together for dinner afterwards.

The main benefit of this is that you're not tied to keeping lunch to a certain (usually-running-late-anyway) time period.

I agree. Given the traffic we might see in the area, I picture lunch running late if people arrive late.
Please note: All posts represent my personal opinions and do not represent those of my employer or any of its partner agencies.

Travel Mapping (updated weekly)

vdeane

Of course, if we shift lunch to dinner, then people have to leave earlier to catch food on the way and I'm less likely to have daylight for when I clinch I-91 on the way back.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.

hbelkins

Quote from: vdeane on June 19, 2016, 03:17:42 PM
Of course, if we shift lunch to dinner, then people have to leave earlier to catch food on the way and I'm less likely to have daylight for when I clinch I-91 on the way back.

Or you could skip dinner with the group -- which is what I will do if I end up coming and there is no lunch. I'll leave at the end of the tour and not do the dinner.


Government would be tolerable if not for politicians and bureaucrats.

froggie

QuoteOf course, if we shift lunch to dinner, then people have to leave earlier to catch food on the way and I'm less likely to have daylight for when I clinch I-91 on the way back.

The amount of time required for one to catch their own lunch beforehand is far less than the amount of time required for a group lunch.  This is far less of an issue than you're making it out to be.

vdeane

Still, it's unpredictable.  The moment I start to have to factor in unpredictable things, the more likely it is that I'll arrive early and get stuck sitting around doing nothing while I wait for people to show up (seriously, I've found myself a whole half hour earlier than everyone else before even without getting food on the way since I tend to pad time "just in case"; it's not fun).  Plus I don't do the "peel off early" thing, so daylight is indeed a factor (though I've clinched interstates at night before, I try to avoid it).
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.

hbelkins

Bring a book. Play a game on your phone or tablet. Read and answer emails. Surf the 'Net. Read this forum. There's plenty of things to do to pass the time if you're early. And it's very likely that some others will be early, too, and you can visit with them if that's your thing until the whole group gets there. I'd rather be early than late.


Government would be tolerable if not for politicians and bureaucrats.

froggie


cl94

From what has been posted on Facebook:

11 AM at Friday's on US 1 in Orange (Turnpike Exit 41)
Please note: All posts represent my personal opinions and do not represent those of my employer or any of its partner agencies.

Travel Mapping (updated weekly)

dgolub

Quote from: cl94 on July 04, 2016, 11:22:18 PM
From what has been posted on Facebook:

11 AM at Friday's on US 1 in Orange (Turnpike Exit 41)

Yep.  We'll have an early lunch and then head out.  I've moved the Yale tour to after the meet, so that way it won't delay things and anyone who isn't interested can just peel off when the meet ends.  I scouted out the meet route on Saturday, and it looks like we should probably be able to fit in CT 11, but it's easy to cut out if we get behind schedule and need the extra 35 minutes, so we can make a game-time decision when we're in Old Saybrook.

I'm very close to finalizing the directions at this point, so I should have them posted on Facebook within a week or so.

froggie

Guessing I missed it, but where/when on Facebook was it posted?



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