Vision 2020
Mar 14, 2011 5:45 pm
[caption id=“attachment_4210” align=“aligncenter” width=“468” caption=“Governors Island is connecting New Yorkers to the waterfront with miles of paths for biking and walking and a floating pier on which kayakers can land (photo from Denver Post.com)”]
[/caption] Today, Mayor Bloomberg and Speaker Quinn unveiled “Vision 2020: The Comprehensive Plan for New York City’s Waterfront and Waterways.” The plan’s goal is to connect New Yorkers to the City’s 520 miles of shoreline with more than 50 acres of new waterfront parks, the creation of 14 new waterfront esplanades and the introduction of a new commuter ferry service. On Governors Island, we have also been working to reconnect New Yorkers to the waterfront. During the public access season, visitors take a free ferry from Lower Manhattan and Pier 6 in Brooklyn Bridge Park to enjoy miles of car free biking, a 2‑mile waterfront promenade and acres of green spaces in the middle of New York Harbor. In the future, there will be even more incredible public spaces on the Island that visitors can enjoy. The first phase of the Park and Public Space Master Plan will begin construction in 2012. These areas include a new welcoming gateway to the Island at Soissons Landing, 22 new acres of public space with the Hammock Grove and Play Lawn, a lively six-acre plaza at Liggett Terrace, a new green space at South Battery, and additional visitor amenities throughout the Island.