“Change” may already seem like last year's tired trend (aren't we ready for easy equilibrium or some safety in stagnation?). But New Yorkers are gonna get more unwanted “change” soon enough. Mayor Mike’s announcement that cars and trucks will not be able to travel Broadway in the heart of Midtown Manhattan is gonna need some serious getting used to.
"Green Light for Midtown," is a pilot program that will shut down several blocks on Broadway in an attempt to make traffic flow more smoothly while freeing up space to accommodate pedestrians and cyclists (go Janette Sadik-Khan, our fave commissioner or transportation!). Broadway will be shut to vehicles between West 47th and 42nd streets in Times Square, and again from West 35th to 33rd streets in Herald Square.
According to the New York City Department of Transportation, “the street has remained a significant traffic problem, disrupting the grid of avenues and streets, creating complicated intersections and negatively impacting traffic flow throughout Midtown Manhattan.”
These changes to streets are intended to make Sixth Avenue traffic flow better through Herald Square by giving cars a longer green light and eliminating backups that often stretch from 34th street to 23rd street. The plan also emphasizes the safety aspect for pedestrians, who frequently walk onto Broadway's roadway because the sidewalks are so packed.
Seventh Avenue would be widened to accommodate the extra traffic diverted from Broadway. These $1.5 million plans are scheduled to occur as early as Memorial Day weekend 2009 and finish by September and remain in effect until the end of the year. If the experiment works, the changes could become permanent.
Last summer, the city completed a project, called “Broadway Boulevard,” when it narrowed Broadway from West 42nd Street to 35th Street by setting aside two lanes on the east side of the street for a bike lane and promenade with tables, chairs and plants. That concept is being taking even further with the new plans to create more of a pedestrian plaza in Times Square. Traffic will continue to flow through on crossing streets, but the areas between the streets would become pedestrian malls with chairs, benches and cafe tables with umbrellas. The changes on Broadway will create open spaces for tourists who frequently visit the most famous crossroads in the world and New Yorkers who avoid the area because of the crowds, while infuriating some drivers who rely on the streets during commutes.
Photograph courtesy of Zodak via Flickr
