Nov. 17, 2011 By Christian Murray
Public officials are putting plans in place to create pedestrian plazas beneath the 33rd, 40th and 46th subway stops.
Joe Conley, chairman of Community Board 2, said the plans include putting in better lighting, bicycle racks, and tidy newsstands. He said greenery and the installation of local art, such as sculptures, are also major component of the plan.
Conley said that there are plants that can grow in the shade and that sunlight does get in under the tracks during certain hours of the day.
The Department of Transportation, which controls the road and space below the subway, is in support of the plans and has held meetings with councilman Jimmy Van Bramer and Conley. Assemblywoman Cathy Nolan is also behind the plan.
The first step will be to add barriers around the perimeter of the space directly below the subway stops to keep the food carts out, which are responsible for much of the surrounding trash. The aim is to do away with the vendors by the end of the year, Conley said
The improvements will then be introduced next year.
