You could say that it started with Henry Hale Bliss in 1899.

Location: Let's talk about the Summer Streets program. Has it gone as good as you would have hoped?

Location: Let's talk about the Summer Streets program. Has it gone as good as you would have hoped?

For Rita Asen, a retired social worker who broke her hip two years ago and walks gingerly with a cane, crossing West End Avenue is not quite as challenging as braving the rapids of the Colorado River. On the other hand, the Colorado River doesn't have careening cars and deliverymen rushing about on bikes.

"You have to be very careful," said Mrs. Asen, who has lived for more than three decades in Lincoln-Amsterdam House on West End Avenue near 65th Street. "You just don't know when the light is going to change and you can be stranded in the street."

The year 2007 may prove to be one of the most important years in the storied history of New York City's development. In a future timeline of urban advances, it might be printed in as big a font and as bold a type as 1811--when the grid system was adopted--or 1904--when the I.R.T. subway opened. The text adjacent to 2007 could say something like "the start of livable streets," or "the bike boom begins," or "congestion pricing kicks off." It may turn out that all of those descriptions may suit 2007. The real question is, in hindsight, will they?

Tuesday night's rainy weather could not deter the dozens of people who turned out for the Bay Ridge Community Council's (BRCC) "Safe Living for Seniors" event at St. John's Episcopal Church. Ellen Lauer, the 'Senior Issues Chair' for the BRCC organized the informative event, which touched on many issues and concerns that not only seniors, but all Bay Ridge citizens face. Did you know that every 2 seconds, an identity is stolen?

Segundo Musse doesn't walk too much anymore. "I got hit by a car and broke both my legs," he said surveying the scene along Manhattan Avenue in the Greenpoint section of Brooklyn. "I used to be quick on my feet. Now, I'm slow and I'm only getting slower."

Musse, age 67, is one of 1.25 million New York City residents over 60. Like many others his age, he has seen his mobility diminish over time. "If I need to go somewhere, I take the bus," he said. "It's a pain to get around, but with the senior pass it's cheap enough and it's better for me than walking or the subway."