Having another section of Houston Street bike lane, from Second Avenue to the FDR will be a real improvement. Let's hope it's a protected lane that will keep cyclists safe from the likes of those ParaTransit and accordion busses that seem use all lanes at the same time.

But what about those of us who live, work or commute between Second Avenue and Hudson Street? The Bleecker Street and Prince Street bike lanes are a sorry excuse for a crosstown, river-to-river link. DOT saw fit to eliminate one lane of traffic on the eastbound side of West Houston. Too bad they couldn't find space on that vast and barely used promenade for a bike lane instead.

The good news: they are providing a bike lane for half of Houston Street, from the FDR to Second Ave, presumably in both directions.

The bad news: the Houston Street westbound bike lane will end a block later at the Bowery. To proceed further west, instead of continuing on Houston Street, DOT makes us cut cross Houston at the Bowery, then proceed one block south to Prince and continue along Prince westward, dodging all the peddlers and meandering tourists occupying the Prince Street bike lane.

The problem: DOT's own stats indicate that Houston&Bowery is among the TEN DEADLIEST intersections in the city. TransAlt says it is THE most deadly: http://transportationalternatives.org/newsroom/media/2973
So, DOT builds a bike lane that makes cyclists cut across a veritable minefield? WTF!

If that doesn't convince anyone, here is an email that the SoHo Alliance coincidentally received this afternoon: "by the way, I know it's not really Soho but have you seen the bike path on Bleeker Street? Just before it hits Bowery it suddenly swerves into the center of the road. I was in a cab that nearly hit a bicyclist (on a rainy night when the cabbie couldn't really see the road markings) and then a few weeks later I saw another near accident at the same spot. someone will definitely be killed or injured by this ridiculous design."

Yep, the DOT could f*ck up a wet dream! Then again, what would you expect from just another City agency and its bureaucrats?

Less importantly, it's only the New Haven Line that would use the Hell Gate connection. The Harlem Line would not have access to Penn Station.

A quick google search reveals an earlier writeup of the proposal on EDC's website, where it's described as an "inter-modal station," but again, what are the other modes? Bikes? Future ferry service?

I'd love for them to just build over the parking lot. Keep it in place, but build something above it on level with the terminal itself. The parking lot looks like a giant pit of nothingness, does little to improve the overall look and feel of the area, and could be contributing a heck of a lot more in terms of valuable real estate. I'm not sure how feasible it is, but I believe it was part of one of the urban design plans released by the Downtown Staten Island Council. But that is the thing with Staten Island. Lot of grand plans and studies. Just about zero action. It took a stimulus from on high to start getting things done.

I agree though, it would have been nice to get a mention of the improvements in the post. The island seriously came out ahead in this plan. And that's not something Islanders get to say very often.

Yet I am utterly confused as to why the only retail currently occupying the Staten Island terminal (Whitehall St is also seriously lacking when it comes to retail space) is an under stocked convenience store. There's a lot more going on than just sky high rents, although that is probably another major sticking point. I'd love to hang out in a cafe or bar after a long week before the train ride home. And to do so in or just outside the St. George terminal, with a view of the city from the waterfront would be a great, great thing.

Sad to say, the Island's leadership is completely lacking. Here's to hoping, for once, it actually works out.