Eyes on the Street: Behold the Beauty of a Bare Pedestrian Mall
Here's a shot of the Park Avenue pedestrian mall at 88th Street, taken by reader BicyclesOnly last night. Thanks to sheer luck, it appears as though no one was caught between the car and the light pole.
By
Ben Fried
5:05 PM EST on December 2, 2009
Here’s a shot of the Park Avenue pedestrian mall at 88th Street, taken by reader BicyclesOnly last night. Thanks to sheer luck, it appears as though no one was caught between the car and the light pole.
A few well-placed bollards could reduce the element of chance here. But recall that back in early 2007, Manhattan Community Board 8 deemed physical protection of these ped refuges too unsightly to support. Lately, CB8 has shown more of an open mind toward street safety measures. Maybe it’s time to bring this idea to their attention again.
Ben Fried started as a Streetsblog reporter in 2008 and led the site as editor-in-chief from 2010 to 2018. He lives in Ditmas Park, Brooklyn, with his wife.
Read More:
More from Streetsblog New York City
Mamdani Administration Backs ‘Delivery Protection’ Law Opposed By Amazon-Backed Coalition
Amazon-backed groups bused dozens of people to City Hall to fight a Mamdani-backed proposal to regulate the e-commerce wild west.
April 10, 2026
POL PLOT: Hochul’s Insurance Plan Is A Statewide Head-Scratcher
"I think if you are injured through negligence, you should be able to seek justice at all costs," said one state Senator.
April 10, 2026
Tribeca Residents Want To Swap Parking for A Plaza at Underused Barnett Newman Triangle
Council Member Chris Marte is backing a local push to transform Barnett Newman Triangle from a sad concrete island into a lush urban oasis.
April 10, 2026
Friday’s Headlines: The Streetsblog Block Party (Canceled!) Edition
The World Cup is getting in the way of Streetsblog's attempts to celebrate its 20th anniversary. Plus the news.
April 10, 2026
‘Predictable’: Manhattan Mom Struck by Driving Scofflaw Wants Known Super Speeders off the Road
Another crash shows how little the political class wants to get reckless drivers off the road.
April 9, 2026
Comments Are Temporarily Disabled
Streetsblog is in the process of migrating our commenting system. During this transition, commenting is temporarily unavailable.
Once the migration is complete, you will be able to log back in and will have full access to your comment history. We appreciate your patience and look forward to having you back in the conversation soon.