"The bid to bring a casino to Times Square will bring more cars to the most pedestrian- and transit-heavy section of Midtown - and the developer wants to shrink the sidewalk and remove a bus lane to accommodate the four-wheeling high rollers. Developer SL Green's transportation plan for the proposed Caesars Palace Times Square casino on Seventh Avenue between 44th and 45th streets calls for removing a bus lane and the "super sidewalks" that the city installed in 2022."
"But a draft environmental impact statement for the project released last month raised alarm bells among advocates and community leaders: the DEIS forecasts negative pedestrian-level impacts at two sidewalks and four crosswalks without proposing any additional pedestrian space, and anticipated significant use of private cars, for-hire vehicles and even tour buses to get people to the casino. SL Green expects 75 percent of casino "visitors" to arrive on some form of public transportation."
SL Green's transportation plan for a proposed Caesars Palace casino on Seventh Avenue between 44th and 45th streets would remove a bus lane and reduce sidewalk width by eliminating the 19-foot painted "super sidewalk," dropping total sidewalk space from 49 to 40 feet. A draft environmental impact statement forecasts negative pedestrian-level impacts at two sidewalks and four crosswalks and anticipates significant use of private cars, for-hire vehicles, and tour buses. The company projects 75 percent of visitors to arrive via some form of public transportation and 25 percent by private car or for-hire vehicle. The plan has prompted community concern over increased vehicular traffic and pedestrian safety, and SL Green's presentation reportedly undercounts the painted "super sidewalk" by nine feet.
Read at Streetsblog
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