Midtown
Streetsblog Basics
The Crossroads of the World Goes Car-Free
I've lived in New York City for just about twenty years now but yesterday was my first trip to Times Square.
May 26, 2009
Car-Free Space Is an Instant Hit on Broadway
Here's the view from 45th Street looking south at about 1 pm today, about 30 minutes after the city Dept. of Transportation closed Broadway to motor vehicle traffic in Midtown. It's obviously way too soon to judge how this experiment is working but today, at least, car-free Broadway appears to be a huge hit.
May 24, 2009
Happy Memorial Day Weekend (With Gusto This Time)
When Memorial Day weekend rolls around, here at Streetsblog we usually take the opportunity to note the advent of the summer driving season -- and all the waste and violence that entails. This year's going to be a little different, because we've got a major livable streets milestone to celebrate in New York City.
May 22, 2009
Coming Soon: The Broadway You’ve Been Waiting For
DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan today officially announced that work on new pedestrian spaces at Times and Herald Squares -- the "Green Light for Midtown" pilot program -- will enter a new phase this Sunday night, when auto traffic will be re-routed to Seventh Avenue. From the DOT press release:
May 19, 2009
Eyes on the Street: Cyclist Hit, Injured in Midtown
Streetsblog San Francisco's Bryan Goebel, blogging from New York this week, came upon the scene of a driver-cyclist collision in Midtown Manhattan at around 1:30 this afternoon.
April 30, 2009
Times Praises Bloomberg’s Broadway Plan
The Times has come out in favor of the upcoming Broadway public space reclamation, recognizing the need for safety improvements along one of New York's most contested thoroughfares.
March 4, 2009
What’s Good for the Naked Cowboy Is Good for NYC
For today's analysis of the city's plan to pedestrianize Broadway at Times Square, the Daily News enlisted such experts as "an upper West Side attorney who thinks the diversion will be 'too overwhelming'" and "a Long Island resident who often drives to the area [and] considers the change 'a nightmare' that will 'make traffic worse.'" Fortunately, they also called on the Naked Cowboy:
February 27, 2009
Janette Sadik-Khan Talks Broadway With Brian Lehrer
The NYCDOT commish is about to go on air with WNYC's Brian Lehrer -- at this very instant -- to discuss the city's plans for a pedestrianized Broadway. Unfortunately I'm without radio at the moment. Feel free to supply running commentary.
February 27, 2009
More Detail on NYC’s Car-Free Broadway Plan
For more detail on New York City's plan to turn Broadway into pedestrian-priority street from Columbus Circle to Madison Square, here is the Department of Transportation's presentation:
February 26, 2009
Bloomberg Puts Forward a Bold, Transformative New Vision for Broadway
New York City Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan unveiled plans to pedestrianize a large swath of Broadway in Midtown Manhattan at a small briefing in City Hall this morning. Intended to improve motor vehicle traffic flow, enhance safety and provide more and better public space to pedestrians, the plan seeks to solve what Sadik-Khan called a "problem hidden in plain sight for 200 years."
February 26, 2009