A Car Free 42nd Street - Can it be?

The Institute for Rational Urban Mobility (IRUM) has a grand plan for 42nd Street. It wants to close the entire thing down to auto traffic and build a 2.5 mile street-level train that runs from one end of the street to the other, transforming what is today a hellish car ride across the city into a soothing 20 minute trip. Can it really be done?

Many New Yorkers dread the area around 42nd Street. It's loud, the sidewalks are packed with confused tourists, and more often than not the traffic is a gridlocked mess. But one group believes that with some creative thinking and lots of money, that can all change.

.... George Haikalis, head of Institute, told Wired.com that with New York canceling a planned subway extension, congestion pricing far from becoming a reality, and the Obama administration about to dole out a big stack of infrastructure money, there's never been a better time to transform 42nd Street.

"This project makes sense in good times, but in bad times too," Haikalis says. "In this economic climate, we need to do things that will make the city a more attractive place for both visitors and tourists."

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