Recent Streetsblog NYC posts about Plazas

32nd Street Finally Has Enough Space for Walking. Will It Last?

By Stephen Miller | Sep 1, 2015 | 15 Comments

New pedestrian zones near Penn Station have given people more breathing room on some of the most crowded streets in the city. Will they stay or will they go after a trial period wraps up in October? At a Community Board 5 committee meeting last night, nearby property owners weighed in on the projects. It […]

Turn Times Square Back Into Traffic Hell? Tell Bratton and de Blasio: No Way

By Stephen Miller | Aug 28, 2015 | 1 Comment

Since Mayor Bill de Blasio won’t rule out the threat of removing the Times Square plazas, first raised by Police Commissioner Bill Bratton, it’s time to take action. Two petitions are circulating to urge the mayor not to give Times Square back to cars. One petition organized by the Design Trust for Public Space and backed by the Municipal […]

Bratton Won’t Stop Talking About Removing Times Square Plazas

By Stephen Miller | Aug 27, 2015 | 38 Comments

It wasn’t just an offhand remark. Police Commissioner Bill Bratton has reiterated his desire to eliminate the public plazas at Times Square and go back to the days when people were spilling off the sidewalk into the path of traffic. This time, he’s insisting that taking away space for people won’t just cure Times Square of topless women and costumed […]

It’s de Blasio and Bratton vs. the World on Times Square Plazas

By Stephen Miller | Aug 20, 2015 | 94 Comments

Let’s start with some basic facts: Most people like Times Square better now that it has more room for people. Gone are the days when the sidewalks were so meager that you had no choice but to walk in traffic. After Broadway went car-free through Times Square in 2009, pedestrian injuries plummeted 40 percent. Retail rents soared. And yet, going against […]

Tony Avella Goes Berserk Over Community-Backed Flushing Plaza

By Stephen Miller | Aug 14, 2015 | 23 Comments

State Senator Tony Avella held a press conference this week to denounce a pedestrian plaza proposed for the Murray Hill section of Flushing. He’s afraid it will lead to unbearable traffic congestion. Too bad he’s conjuring nightmare scenarios about something that’s not even in his district: State Senator Toby Stavisky, who actually represents the plaza site and the blocks […]

Eyes on the Street: 33rd Street Plaza Comes to Life

By Stephen Miller | Aug 11, 2015 | 8 Comments

There is now a plaza at Penn Plaza. The finishing touches were added to a temporary pedestrian space occupying the full breadth of 33rd Street just west of Seventh Avenue earlier this week. The plaza stretches a little less than halfway to Eighth Avenue, replacing what used to be westbound traffic lanes with planters, sculptures, a terraced seating area, and a painted […]

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