Broadway to be Closed to Motor Vehicles For Seven Blocks

Coming soon to Times Square and Herald Square: Vehicle-free Broadway! Starting on Memorial Day, two stretches of Broadway, from 42nd to 47th streets and from 32nd to 35th streets, will transformed into pedestrian plazas in an experiment that will last through the end of the year and may become permanent, the Post reports. Mayor Bloomberg is expected to announce the plan today, and promise that the change will actually improve the overall traffic flow, because Broadway disrupts traffic where it intersects with other streets. As part of the changes, Seventh Avenue will be widened from three to four lanes at 45th Street.

An unnamed official tells the Post, "The big winner here is Sixth Avenue. When you go up through the 20s, you hit a wall at Herald Square. There's a 90-second traffic signal. Broadway gets 30 seconds. Sixth Avenue gets 30 seconds and 34th Street gets 30 seconds. When this change is made, Sixth Avenue might have 55 seconds [for motorists to zoom cross 34th Street]." Just think what you could do with all those extra seconds!

Transportation expert Jeffrey Zupan tells the Times, "The lower the volume is on Broadway—or if you eliminate it altogether—then traffic is going to move better. The win-win is that the space that you’re freeing up will be used by pedestrians." According to the Post, a similar proposal was shot down by Macy's in the 1980s because executives feared the pedestrian islands would be overtaken by the homeless. The unnamed official promises, "Macy's is on board this time, and the homeless aren't really an issue now."

What do you think of Mayor Bloomberg's plan to prohibit vehicular traffic in Times Square and Herald Square? ( surveys)

Last summer the city changed part of Broadway from 42nd Street to 35th Street from a four-lane into a two-lane street, creating a promenade for pedestrians and cyclists, with tables, chairs and planters. The new plan will have a similar look, but with the entire street at pedestrians' disposal. And Bloomberg may also create another partial promenade from 47th Street north to Columbus Circle. And after that, the world!

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By John Del Signore in News on February 26, 2009 9:35 AM

Comments [rss]

Adam

Thanks for the information this site is good and informative.

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kevd

How 'bout a nice bus / bike lane on those blocks?

The big scary buses would keep the stupid peds from absent-mindedly wandering into the bike lane (without looking, of course) so krillz wouldn't have to hit 'em, and the buses would get to speed down 7 blocks, almost like a mini BRT lane. But then that would kill the whole "this will actually SPEED traffic" line that the city is floating to mollify the 1% of new yorkers who drive through there.

krillz

i ride a bike through there and i cant wait to hit some of you stupid pedestrians. you fat lazy bastards.

NannyState

Good luck, bike nazi, some peds have a nasty habit of carrying knives and you could get "kissed" by one on your little ride.

upster_mctrumpet

Here in Shanghai we have E. Nanjing Rd, which really resembles a pedestrianized Times Square and is thus one of the city's biggest attractions. A similar move in New York will make the area a bigger draw for tourists and locals alike, and probably should have been implemented years ago.

radioguy666

there are vehicle-free shopping areas/markets in large densely-populated cities all over the world, including cities more densely populated than nyc (hello tokyo?).

i think this is a great idea. nyc is very much a pedestrian and public transport city. bloomberg recognizes and promotes this, to the benefit of tourists and residents alike. who really cares if commuters get frustrated?

as to traffic flow patterns, i don't see this affecting much. maybe i'm wrong but it was already down to 2 lanes in parts, these should be absorbed by 9th/7th/5th ave...

NannyState

"A pedestrian mall? Which exit?"

ides_of_march

I noticed a lot of main shopping thoroughfares in England have been pedestrianized in the last 10-15 years. It certainly cut down on the noise and made walking across from store to store a lot easier. A net improvement I would say.

If you need a car to shop, the suburbs are better bet.

Legalist

"If you need a car to shop, the suburbs are better bet."

Agreed.

dbc

32nd to 35th + 42nd to 47th = eight blocks, not seven.

rhonda718

The comments by many here lead me to wonder if any of these folks have actually ever left New York (besides the time growing up in Ohio).

Many cities in Europe, for example, have vibrant retail pedestrian streets. Some have entire pedestrianized disticts. And yet, somehow they still manage to get deliveries (off-hours, you know.. exactly when most businesses are CURRENTLY getting their deliveries because they have less customers then), cars drive around them, and an ambulance pulls in if it needs to.

Clarice City

You sound like such an ignorant snob. Can't you make a comment without making a condecending remark about someone being born in Ohio or the mid-west? As if anyone has control over where their parents raise them? It takes a lot of courage for people to move here and make a life for themselves, especially amongst cutrual snobs like yourself. Bet you wish you had that kind of courage.

drewo

Rhonda - some of these same folks were probably scared of Y2K.

Toby von Meistersinger

You want a pedestrianized street? You don't even have to leave the five boros. There is Fulton Street Mall in Downtown Brooklyn. The only traffic is buses, local deliveries and emergency vehicles.

valeriob

Seriously though, I work smack in the middle of TSQ and it would be nice to have somewhere to sit.

Clarice City

Very happy to see this happen. I live in this neighborhood and the crowding of tourists makes it almost impossible to navigate my own street.

This will allow tourists and locals to get a lot more space between eachother. Everyone will be happier.

thegingi

sounds genius!

ed_Extinct

I hope they still have a way to get emergency vehicles thru there, otherwise crime may sky rocket!

snessnyc

Did it occur to you that without traffic on Broadway (of course they'll let emergency vehicles in) and less traffic in general because of the disincentive to drive, that traffic in general will flow smoother and faster and in particular emergency vehicles can get through faster? Lives will be saved because of this much-needed plan.

pete

You'll die in an ambulance if you didn't die before it got there. 5 PM, 3:30 mins to go along 14th street as it runs along Union Square. 3 traffic lights, 3 or so mins. Your dead. Wonder if someone should start air ambulance choppers in the city.