Village Crosstown Trolley Coalition

Welcome

Become a Member
Contact VCTC
The 8th St. Corridor
GV Transit
Newsletter
Questionnaire
Board of Directors
Volunteers Wanted
Calendar of Events
Transit Links
 

Top of page
Newsletter Index

Top of page
Newsletter Index

Top of page
Newsletter Index

Top of page
Newsletter Index

Top of page
Newsletter Index

Top of page
Newsletter Index

Top of page
Newsletter Index

MAKING TRACKS - Vol. 2, No. 1 - Winter 1996

Entire contents of MAKING TRACKS is copyright © 1996 by Village Crosstown Trolley Coalition,
but may be reproduced either in whole or in part with a clear acknowledgment of the source.
Please report any errors to us at VCTC. Thanks.

---

Inside this Issue

A Pedestrianized Crosstown Corridor: Carnival Midway or Community Asset?
Back to the Future! 1970 Closings Gave Taste of Auto-Free Village Corridor
Trolley Topics
Text for photo of E. 10th Street
Ad for Astor Place Festival (street fair)
Letter from the Editor

There are few of our friends and neighbors in the Village who doubt that a crosstown trolley running in a pedestrianized Christopher St./8th St./St. Marks Pl. would be a positive improvement compared to the slow and bumpy M8 crosstown bus, the traffic chaos on the street and the limited sidewalk space for pedestrians to squeeze through. But many worry about the social conditions that might come with our plan to create an attractive car-free walking environment. This is a very legitimate concern. It doesn't take much to draw a crowd in New York City and we believe that the Village Crosstown Trolley Corridor would be a unique and popular urban experience.

But in New York City we have to worry about roving gangs, noisy revelers and homeless squatters bedding down in doorways whether a street is open to car traffic or not. And though it's not quite Disneyland, there are already a lot of people strolling down our popular crosstown corridor.

There are ways to make sure that the improved physical environment we are proposing becomes a positive community asset. The recently established Village Alliance Business Improvement District (BID), under the able leadership of Ms. Honi Klein, has already provided a good example for the mid-village segment of the Crosstown Corridor from Sixth Avenue to Second Avenue. Under the BID's watchful management, garbage and trash is no longer a major problem. BID security personnel equipped with two-way radios can summon the police if crowds get out of hand. And the BID's initial efforts at improving the physical appearance of the street, particularly the holiday decorations, are a good start.

But much more needs to be done in the areas to the west and east. Twice a year Christopher St. is overwhelmed with revelers as it celebrates Gay Pride Day and Halloween. The street becomes auto-free because of the shear magnitude of humanity drawn to these world renowned events. There is little likelihood that closing the street to traffic on other days would bring the same crowds. Instead it would be a positive step, greatly improving the walking environment.

Still, on weekend evenings, Christopher St. attracts more than its share of young people from neighborhoods where kids have a tough time staying out of trouble. Well-intended efforts to provide a drop-in center for counseling and support for gay teenagers attracted more kids than could be handled properly and after much debate the center was closed. Clearly a much better organized street management initiative is needed. While a BID may not be the answer, the merchants and residents of Christopher St. need some type of a formal institution that augment the city's street cleaning and security efforts.

Similarly in the East Village the upgraded pedestrian environment inherent in our auto-free proposal for St. Marks Place needs a management structure to assure its proper upkeep. Famous for its informal ways, including its Flower Children of the 60s and its anarchist movements for over a century, the East Village may not be amenable to a "formal" street management entity. While heavy handed security arrangements may be inappropriate, a neighborhood "co-op" is needed to make sure that the expanded pedestrian space is not taken over by squatters or overwhelmed with garbage.

Many pedestrians feel safer when walking on a street packed with cars and trucks. But this a false sense of security. Depending on passing motorists to be "Good Samaritans" is risky for both pedestrians and motorists. The presence of trained security professionals is a better approach. Creating a more attractive pedestrian environment can also improve the perception of security. The BID's plan to replace steel pull-down shutters with see-through gates on storefronts is an important step in this direction.

Ultimately the greatest civilizing element of our Village Crosstown proposal is the trolley itself. Gliding through the pedestrian space on its own tracks embedded in cobblestone pavement, the trolley would encourage strollers to spread out and enjoy the space without congregating in large throngs that would be noisy and threatening. It would help visitors to explore the eastern and western reaches of the corridor, hopping on and off at will along the way. And it could drop residents practically at their front doors. The Village Crosstown Trolley and Pedestrian Corridor would bring a new level of urban experience to our city.

The experiment actually began on 5th Avenue and was "so delightful to pedestrians and so generally harmless to merchants" that Mayor Lindsay wanted to extend the concept elsewhere. Lexington Avenue was closed from 57th Street to 65th Street on the same days as 8th Street, four consecutive Saturdays in August, 1970. Most pedestrians, and many merchants, were delighted with the atmosphere the street closings provided--no cars to look out for, no fumes to foul the air, no straining to carry on a conversation over the noises that accompany vehicular traffic.

Although they were not consulted in advance, most businesses on the affected streets took the closing in stride and a majority expressed willingness to go along with the experiment. During the 1970 tests many 8th Street merchants said that wider publicity of the street closing might have brought in those who usually came by car from other parts of Manhattan and elsewhere throughout the city. One businessman reported that customers and sales staff were more courteous and relaxed than usual. Another made reference to the 5th Avenue experiment when there were "throngs of the merely curious the first traffic-free Saturday, a slackening the second, and an increase in serious shoppers the third." In fact, those on Madison Avenue were so taken by the 5th Avenue results that they requested and received the privilege of having their own street closed to traffic regularly on Tuesday evenings beginning in September, 1970. The day after the first closing, the New York Times exclaimed, "scores of shops extended their business hours while strolling folk singers, sidewalk cafes, free gifts, drinks and other inducements enlivened the street."

An important difference between the 1970 experiments and VCTC's proposal is that none of the earlier tests provided for regularly-scheduled transit. This has been an important factor in the success of pedestrian malls in Memphis and elsewhere (see "The Crosstown Trolley: A Boon to Village Business" in MAKING TRACKS, April 1995). In fact, because the streets in New York were closed to all vehicular traffic in 1970, buses that normally served the affected streets were rerouted, limiting access for those beyond walking distance of the pedestrianized area. VCTC's proposal includes light rail transit running the entire length of the 8th Street corridor which will allow many more people to reach the Village area for working, visiting, shopping, or just to get home.

As reported in Our Town on Feb. 15th, East Side groups seeking to derail the 42nd St. trolley have now appealed the dismissal of their suit in State Supreme Court. These groups claim to be concerned that vehicular traffic may be diverted into residential areas such as Tudor City and that emergency services could be disrupted.

Continuing to grasp at straws, trolley opponents argue that the Environmental Impact Statement for the 42nd St. plan was incomplete because it did not include an assessment of the maintenance and storage shed. As proposed by the 42nd Street Development Corporation and the City Planning Commission, joint sponsors of the project, the location and specifications of this facility will be determined as part of the bidding process for the "super turnkey" project, overseen by a Citizen's Advisory Committee including members from affected communities.

"The original lawsuit had no merit, which is why it was dismissed," says Fred Papert, head of the 42nd Street Development Corporation, "and I can't imagine that this appeal has any more merit."

Skeptics of local light rail initiatives seem unimpressed by the spectacular success of such systems in cities across the country and around the world. VCTC strongly supports the 42nd St. trolley project because we believe that, once a modern light rail line is actually operating in Manhattan, arguments that "it wouldn't work here" will evaporate.

We are happy to report that the 42nd St. trolley is still "on track," with the strong support of the Mayor and the relevant city departments, and with a federal grant lined up to defray costs of the innovative funding plan. However, although it was approved by the City Council in July 1994, the project is still awaiting a final green light from the Mayor's Office.

East 10th Street at Tompkins Square Park once boasted the Christopher & 10th St. Railroad, the double-track streetcar line which was a direct predecessor of the M8 crosstown bus now operating, in both directions, between Ave. A and the East River. Our plan to bring back the crosstown trolley would restore two track operation here. On the central and western segments of the crosstown corridor, where ground floor retail activity predominates, we propose locating the trolley in a pedestrian street. But this is not appropriate for East 10th St., where there are few stores and Tompkins Square Park interrupts two crosstown streets just to the south. Here we would keep the street open to auto traffic, but give light rail trains priority treatment.

-WKG

MAKING TRACKS has been our way of initiating a dialogue with our neighbors in the Village crosstown area and sharing our ideas for restoration of light rail transit in a pedestrian corridor. However, if there is to be a true dialogue, all viewpoints must be heard--pro and con, supporter and skeptic. Please pass along your comments, concerns or questions, and any suggestions for improving MAKING TRACKS, to VCTC at this address. We look forward to hearing from you.

Michael Goodman, Editor