About four years ago the mayor criticized the urban planning of half a century before, especially the many one way 4-5 lane streets in downtown. However, not a single improvement has been made. And the streets are more pedestrian hostile than ever because of the ever increasing number and size of the buses that have a very low percentage of their seats filled with passengers. This includes the $115 million a year Westchester County Bee-Line bus system.
Based on observation in downtown White Plains, including the bus depot at the train station, a reasonable guess is that 90% of Bee-Line buses are less than 50% occupied. Casual observation seems to be way more than anything experienced by White Plains Common Council members, the county executive and county legislators.
The only issue in White Plains is people living in the houses in the suburbs of White Plains being able to drive and park in downtown White Plains in ten minutes. Bingo bongo end of story. Oh, and attending the occasional candidates debate at the library to extol the virtues of White Plains being walkable, an alien concept to them, much like pedestrians. Maybe if they rode the Bee-Line, ...
