vision42 is a citizens’ initiative to re-imagine and upgrade surface transit in Midtown Manhattan, with a low-floor light rail line running river-to-river along 42nd Street within a landscaped pedestrian boulevard.
vision42 could be a prototype for a whole network of landscaped, pedestrian/light rail streets throughout the city. It is sponsored by the Institute for Rational Urban Mobility, a New York-based not-for-profit corporation.
Why Light Rail, rather than BRT or SBS for vision42?
The previous mayor proposed a massive upzoning of East Midtown in the area of Grand Central Terminal, to take effect after July 2017. However, the community made clear that more pedestrian space and better crosstown surface transit are needed in East Midtown even without the proposed massive rezoning. We submitted the attached statement at the September 27, 2012 Department of City Planning scoping meeting. The vision42 proposal for an auto-free light rail boulevard on 42nd Street should merit consideration within the scope of the environmental analysis required to advance this rezoning. If you agree, this would be an excellent time to send your comments to the mayor, public advocate, comptroller, and City Council members. For more information, please plan to attend the next vision42 working group meeting.
