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Fifth Avenue, 1909: So Long Promenade, Hello Motorway
This image of Fifth Avenue unearthed by the Times' Jennifer 8. Lee (nice headline!) is a fascinating relic from the dawn of the motoring age. The new geometry pictured here nicked 15 feet of sidewalk from pedestrians to make room for two traffic lanes. In one fell swoop, the balance of space shifted dramatically: Two 30-foot sidewalks and a 40-foot roadway became 22½-foot sidewalks and a 55-foot roadway. The insets show the sort of "imperfections" slated for elimination on the auto-friendly Fifth Avenue: terraces, stoops, gardens -- the type of amenities that make streets more than simply thoroughfares to pass through.
June 29, 2009
Eyes on the Street: Broadway Improved Beyond Times Square
Not that it didn't deserve the attention, but last month's car-free Times Square debut overshadowed other major Broadway safety improvements like these to the north -- including pedestrian islands and separated bike lanes -- which are now well on their way to being implemented. These pics were taken last weekend just south of Columbus Circle between 57th and 55th Streets.
June 16, 2009
Real New Yorkers Dig the New Times Square
We've been meaning to post this vid from culture mag ANIMAL New York (h/t Gothamist), which neatly undercuts the argument that the newly pedestrianized Broadway is "only for tourists." Sure, the tourists are grateful not to be jostling for space right next to traffic anymore, but so are lots of people from the five boroughs. It is, after all, where 158,000 people go to work every day. Take that, Andrea Peyser.
June 5, 2009
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