TAMING NEW YORK'S MEAN STREETS

Article discusses the dangerous conditions that exist on New York's streets for pedestrians. It describes a movement formed to wrest some of the city's streets from the grip of motor vehicles. On Earth Day 1990, the Auto-Free New York Committee of the local cycling advocacy organization Transportation Alternatives submitted to the city administration a 15-point plan that would make New York City more walker-friendly. A key element of the plan calls for the creation of a pedestrian oasis in Manhattan by closing streets to motor traffic. Also discussed are some similar plans and programs around the world, e.g. Copenhagen, Munich and Zurich.