As New Yorkers well know, sidewalks around subway stops and major transit hubs are often intensely crowded. Mayor Bloomberg's PlaNYC team is aware of this and buried on page 48 of the Technical Report supplementing PlaNYC's transportation recommendations is a new program called "Safe Routes to Transit" (SR2T). While the attention to pedestrian issues is welcome, given the scope of the congestion problem near major transit stops, SR2T is a fairly modest proposal and is best viewed as a good beginning, a point of departure for significantly improving the walking part of transit trips.

The new initiative -- which, notably, is focused entirely on the outer boroughs -- combines three existing programs under one umbrella and adds up to being the most specific and significant pedestrian improvement offered by PlaNYC 2030. SR2T has three elements:

Bus Stops under the Els -- improve pedestrian and vehicle safety and circulation at intermodal stations located underneath elevated subway structures.

Started in 2003, four locations have been improved of the forty identified. Improvements consist of sidewalk islands, neckdowns and bus bulbs. Starting in 2008, DOT or DDC will build out three per year.

Subway/Sidewalk Interface -- improve safety and relieve congestion on sidewalks and intersections adjacent to subway entrances

This subway/sidewalk interface project is a terrific DOT/ City Planning initiative begun at the urging of Transportation Alternatives in 2000. There are 468 subway stops in New York City and originally 29 were selected for a first look. Improvements at two subway stops have been completed and 24 more are planned. Starting in 2008 the city will complete two a year.

Interestingly, city planners found very poor pedestrian conditions at 24 of the 29 stations they studied. Experience suggests that sidewalk crowding and dangerous pedestrian crossings are a common problem at subway stops. A study of all 468 stops would probably come up with a list of at least one hundred more that need wider sidewalks, neckdowns, leading pedestrian intervals, better lighting and improved crosswalks. This program needs to be expanded and accelerated. Improvements to two stations a year is paltry. Interestingly, none of the 24 stations chosen for pedestrian improvements are in jam-packed Manhattan.

Sidewalks to Buses -- create or improve sidewalk infrastructure, crosswalks and other pedestrian amenities to bus stops where walking is difficult today.

Surprisingly, there are still many parts of New York City without sidewalks. The city plans to build up to a quarter mile of sidewalk near bus stops in some of the most transit-deprived sections of the city. Starting in 2008, new sidewalks will be built at up to 15 bus stops a year until 2030. One of the first projects will be done at a Hylan Boulevard bus stop near Fairlawn Avenue on Staten Island's East Shore.

SR2T is an important new program. It deserves to be expanded and accelerated and should include major transit hubs like Penn/Moynihan and Grand Central Stations and the Port Authority Bus Terminal. The subway/sidewalk project should also include Manhattan, where crowding is, clearly, the worst.