In February 2009, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Janette Sadik-Khan, New York City’s Commissioner of Transportation, unveiled “Green Light for Midtown” -- the City’s plan for a car-free zone along Broadway, stretching from Herald Square to Times Square. Starting in May 2009, portions of Broadway from 33rd to 35th and 42nd to 47th streets were closed to vehicles. The $1.5 million pilot project aimed to reduce traffic in the highly congested area in order to create a safer environment for pedestrians, facilitate traffic flow along Seventh and Sixth Avenues, and create new public plazas. In February 2010, Mayor Bloomberg announced the closures would become permanent, citing decreases in pedestrian injuries and positive reviews from merchants, tourists and office workers in the areas.

The volume of pedestrians and vehicles that pass through Herald Square and Times Square make these two of the most congested points in the City. According to the New York City Department of Transportation, more than 356,000 pedestrians pass through Times Square each day; in contrast, about 50,000 cars travel through the area (Press Release from the Office of Mayor Bloomberg). Meanwhile, only 11 percent of the public space in Times Square had been set aside for pedestrian use prior to the street closings.

Green Light for Midtown was based on the success of previous street closures in the City, including “Summer Streets” which restricted vehicular traffic along Park Avenue and Lafayette Street on Saturdays in August 2009. In February 2010, Bloomberg praised the City’s newest traffic experiment, calling the results of the plazas “encouraging.” A DOT analysis of the pilot project revealed increased safety – evidenced by fewer pedestrian and vehicular injuries – and benefits to merchants and tourists. Pedestrian injuries fell by 35 percent and vehicular injuries (to drivers and passengers) fell by 63 percent, according to the DOT. Furthermore, a Times Square Alliance survey of businesses in the area found that two-thirds of retailers wanted the plazas to become a permanent fixture. Representatives of the Broadway theater community also praised the improvements, saying the plaza benefited theatergoers (Playbill).

Not all feedback from the DOT analysis was positive, however. Anticipated traffic flow improvements fell short of the City’s expectations. Initially, City officials hoped that by eliminating the three-way intersections created by Broadway’s diagonal path across Seventh and Sixth Avenues, traffic congestion would diminish because of longer signal times for drivers. Buses that previously ran along Broadway were rerouted (a lane remained open for emergency vehicles). Also, the City added a fourth lane along Seventh Avenue to ease heavier traffic flow. In its evaluation, the DOT found that illegally parked vehicles in the extra lane often limited lane use, which may have hindered the City’s aim to substantially improve traffic flow, among with other minor contributing factors outlined in the report.

History of Pedestrian Malls
Pedestrian malls throughout the country have yielded mixed-results. In the 1960s and 1970s, pedestrian malls became popular as city leaders looked for ways to compete with suburban shopping malls. The downtown pedestrian malls largely failed and many cities chose to reconnect streets that had been closed off – only about 15 percent of the 200 pedestrian malls established across the country survived (NYTimes). Chicago’s State Street is one prominent example of an unsuccessful pedestrian plaza experiment; it was closed for years but reopened to traffic in 1996. The district is once again thriving.

As far back as the 1970s, New York City officials considered transforming Times Square into a pedestrian mall. Mayor John Lindsay was a particularly strong advocate; he also proposed street closings on Madison Avenue and 5th Avenue. The Times Square plan stayed alive through three administrations before it was finally voted down in the early 1980s. City officials had tied the mall project to the development of the Portman Hotel, which was expected to be a linchpin in the revival of the deteriorating Times Square. As the debate about the plan dragged on, opposition increased. Some were concerned about the impact on traffic flow; others were worried that the open plaza would become a gathering place for prostitutes, drug dealers, and loiterers and may attract crime. In the 1980s, despite having support from the Koch Administration, the mall plan was nixed by the City in order to allow the less controversial Portman Hotel plan to move forward (the hotel opened in 1985 as the Marriott Marquis, which still stands today).

European cities including London and Copenhagen have successfully transformed streets into pedestrian-only boulevards and plazas. Other American cities also are examining opportunities to turn streets into pedestrian plazas. In the fall of 2009, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom announced a six-month trial closing of a portion of Market Street, a major thoroughfare in the city. The planned closing is being accompanied with revitalization efforts in the area.

Suggestions for Improvement and Criticism:
The changes along Broadway at Herald Square and Times Square were phased in throughout May 2009. City workers placed orange traffic barriers to reroute vehicles, hung new signs, painted lane markers, and set out amenities including chairs, café tables, and potted plants. Many urban planning experts, while applauding the experiment, argued that a longer-term plan for the plazas should include a stronger sense of place and permanent seating fixtures. For example, Steve Davies of the Project for Public Spaces called for a variety of uses, “from outdoor cafes to art exhibits to street performers to markets – allowing them to evolve as public destinations.”

Late in 2009, New York Post columnist Steve Cuozzo called for an end to the Times Square experiment, lending a voice to those who oppose the closing. Cuozzo argued the closings cater too much to tourists, who make up only one element of Times Square. Several major corporations, including Conde Nast, Morgan Stanley and Ernst & Young, have offices in the district and function as economic anchors. If the corporations sense an overemphasis on tourism in the area and decide to move, Times Square could suffer, Cuozzo argued (NY Post). Furthermore, Cuozzo questioned why the plan was allowed to be put in place without input from the City Council or City Planning Commission, an environmental impact assessment, or a review from the City’s Design Commission.

Following the Mayor’s announcement that the plazas would become permanent, State Senator Liz Krueger (D-Manhattan), who represents Times Square, and Public Advocate Bill de Blasio both criticized the lack of transparency and public input behind the decision. De Blasio said he intended to review the DOT findings (NYTimes).

Last Updated: February 22, 2010