A 50-page illustrated booklet about vision42, highlighting key findings of the technical studies, will be published in December 2008 and distributed to a wide range of constituancies.

The New Jersey Light Rail Study Tour on September 13th had some 60 attendess, and was a great success. It provided an opportunity for New Yorkers — community leaders, elected officials and advocates for sustainable transportation — to experience this popular mode of transit — which has gained enormous ridership all over the country. Transit for the group by ferry over the Hudson was courtesy of New York Waterway, and a special VIP light rail car was arranged by the operators of the Hudson Bergen Light Rail line. It was suggested by several attendees that we plan a repeat of the tour in the future.

In September 2008, Philip Macciolli, President & CEO of 21st Century Rail Corporation, which operates the highly successful Hudson-Bergen Light Rail Transit line, became the 38th member of the vision42 Advisory Committee.  

In August 2008, two new members joined the vision42 Advisory Committee: 

Sotiris Pagdadis, Managing Director of McKenna Long & Aldridge, LLP, Attorneys at Law, has had over 20 years of consulting experience in public sector infrastructure managment, with expertise that includes public-private partnerships, transportation infrastructure assessment and project finance and risk management. He has advised numerous government agencies and private sector clients throughout North America, Mexico, Spain, France, the UK, the Netherlands, Greece, Cyprus, China and Maylasia.  He began his career as an aerospace engineer and became a university professor a Polytech University, and an advisor at Columbia University and NJ Inst. of technology.

Regina Belz Armstrong is a founding partner of Urbanomics, Inc.  Prior to her 20-year leadership of Urbanomics, she served as Senior Fellow for Economics, culminating in her appointment as Senior Vice President for Economics at the Regional Plan Association (RPA), and a Senior Associate at the Institute of Public Administration.  At RPA she was responsible for research and report preparation of the UMTA-funded study "Land Value and Transit Access", and for the demographic and economic forecasts of the Tri-State Region to 2020.  As the Principal of Urbanomics, she is currently preparing the long-term demographic and economic forecasts for the New York Metropolitan Council.  She is an honorary member of the American Institute of Certified Planners and recipient of the American Planning Association Ponte Award for Economic Planning Excellence.

We were greatly saddened to learn in May 2008 of the death of vision42 Advisory Committee member Dick Netzer. Dick was a distinguished economist, who spent much of his career at New York University and became dean of its Graduate School of Public Administration. He served on the first board of the Municipal Assistance Corporation from 1975 to 1995, providing continuity and perspective in a time of deep financial crisis for the city. He was a highly valued advisor to Mayors John V. Lindsay and Abraham D. Beame, as well as to Governors Hugh L. Carey and Mario M. Cuomo. His advice on vision42 was greatly appreciated, and he will be sorely missed.

In May 2008, a new member joined the vision42 Advisory Committee — Theodore W. Kheel. Ted was a key labor mediator whose advice has been highly valued by many of New York's mayors. He continues as a very strong advocate for public transit, and of rail transit, in particular, which he actively promotes as Chairman of his foundation, Nurture New York's Nature.

Read the letter to the editor that was published in The New York Times.

Visit the new vision42 blog!

A financing study for vision42 by economic consultant Urbanomics, Inc. was completed in February 2008. It explores and recommends the most feasible means to capture the value created by the light rail and pedestrian street — without competing with other ongoing transit projects for scarce public funds.

An update of the cost estimate was completed by Halcrow, Inc. in July 2007, and is available here.  Figures previously posted on the website and in the vision42 presentation were based on 2004 costs; the updated estimate shows figures for 2007 and projects costs for 2009.

In June 2007, vision42 welcomed with pleasure to the Advisory Committee its 35th member, Joseph G. Tucker, Senior Vice President for Corporate Operations for the Walt Disney Company, and President and General Manager of Times Square Studios, Ltd., a Disney wholly-owned company.  Joe acts as Disney's corporate liaison to City Hall, recommends real estate development opportunities, and represents Disney production units operating in the city.

A Community Informational Forum, with presentation and discussion, was held on October 24, 2006, at the auditorium of the SUNY College of Optometry, 33 West 42nd Street. The results of a second round of technical studies were released — The economic study projects gains of over $1 billion annually, when travel time savings, increased business, and the resultant increases in tax revenues are combined.  The traffic study further refines the previous traffic study and addresses provisions for the needed curb space on the avenues for truck deliveries to 42nd Street.  The construction phasing study shows how the work can be performed within a two-year time span, with only a six-month construction period per block, and with a minimum of disruption to businesses and pedestrians.

Exhibition of vision42 during the month of September 2006, at the American Institute of Architects New York Chapter, Center for Architecture, illustrated the key findings of the latest round of studies on anticipated impacts of vision42 on retail, theaters, and hotels; on the details of traffic planning and parking space for deliveries; and on construction phasing methods that will minimize disruption to pedestrians and businesses.

Exhibition Opening/Presentation/Discussion occurred on September 5, 2006, at the AIA New York Chapter, Center for Architecture.  Michael Sorkin, Director of the Urban Design Program at City College, and a member of the vision42 Advisory Committee, introduced the presentation, remarking that vision42 would re-establish the city's historical river-to-river axis, along which lie a rich assortment of landmarks, cultural, entertainment and governmental facitlities, efficiently interconnecting them with the city's dominant north/south avenues and subways.

:: View all 35 Members of Our Advisory Committee