Our Proposal

VCTC proposes to restore the river-to-river streetcar line that once existed through the 8th Street Corridor. Linking the East Village, West village and Greenwich Village, a modern light rail transit (LRT) line would provide relatively "seamless" connections to existing transit. This would mean easier access for Village residents to the rest of the metropolitan area, and for tourists and other visitors to the Village.

Half a century after the demise of streetcars in Manhattan, as New York City struggles to meet clean air mandates, it is time to combine light-rail transit with auto-free pedestrian space in an improved public transportation system. The 8th Street corridor, including Christopher Street and St. Marks Place, would be the ideal setting to replace crowded, dangerous and unpleasant streets with a crosstown transitway and auto-free space. This will provide both convenient transportation to and between existing retail shopping areas and access from transit-starved residential areas to rapid transit lines serving the entire city.

Click for tri-fold color brochure describing our proposal [PDF]