Replace Penn Station Rats’ Warren With a Pedestrian Boulevard

Penn Station concourse under West 33rd Street

Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer wants to trade parking spots for wider sidewalks and bike infrastructure on West 33rd Street, moving more Moynihan Station commuters above-ground.

AMNY has the story:

Stringer will float the idea to widen sidewalks and create bike lanes at a public hearing [Thursday] on the future of Moynihan Station. The pathway, which would run past the station, would link Broadway and the planned mega-development at the Hudson Yards.

Parking is already restricted along some of the stretch, and pedestrians need the space in the already congested area, his office said.

“During rush hours, 33rd Street could become a walkway and bikeway for commuters traveling to and from the new station, as well as a thriving, active retail corridor,” Stringer said in a written statement. “During the day and on weekends, it could be a lively thoroughfare for New Yorkers to get from midtown to the West Side Rail Yards, and to the Hudson River waterfront beyond.”

The plan is backed by Transportation Alternatives and the Regional Plan Association. The Empire State Development Corp., which is overseeing the station project, did not offer an opinion on Stringer’s ideas or how it would impact parking in the area.

Photo: moynihanstation/Flickr