Car-Free Streets

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:

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.

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:

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."

Here's a first look at Herald Square with a pedestrianized Broadway, part of a plan reported by the Times, Daily News and Post this morning. Starting as soon as this spring, Broadway will turn pedestrian-only from 47th Street to 42nd Street, and on a two-block stretch on each side of 34th Street. The rest of Broadway from Columbus Circle to Madison Square will get boulevard treatment similar to the changes implemented on an eight-block stretch last summer. Auto traffic will be permitted at cross streets.

Yesterday Miami became the latest American city to pull off a big car-free event, when an estimated 2,000 people (including mayor Manny Diaz) took to the streets for Bike Miami. Mike Lydon at Transit Miami reports:

It's a good day in a city's urbanist evolution when Jan Gehl comes to town, and now San Francisco can add itself to the growing list of cities around the world that have embraced his people-first approach to urban design and planning.