Parts of New York City’s Times Square, the real and symbolic eastern terminus of the Lincoln Highway, have been closed to traffic to make the busy crossroads more pedestiran friendly. Specifically, portions of Broadway between 42nd and 47th Streets have been closed to cars. The plan, partly inspired by the redevelopment of downtown Copenhagen, was conceived by the city’s transportation commissioner, Janette Sadik-Khan. Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg says he will decide in December whether to transform the plazas into something more permanent. Click the image below to read more from The New York Times.
As the NYT reports, “So far the pedestrian mall in Times Square is marked by little more than a few wobbly tables and metal chairs. A row of orange barriers frames the mall’s northern edge, where a half-dozen police officers patiently redirect traffic heading down Broadway.”
Tags: eastern terminus, highway history, Lincoln Highway, pedestrian friendly, Times Square
Lincoln Highway News 
June 3, 2009 at 3:24 pm |
They’ve put up more chairs (in blue, pink, and green!) but it’s still pretty spartan compared to the area near Madison Square Park. I put up a pic on my blog after my visit this afternoon.
June 7, 2009 at 12:38 pm |
I must confess that I don’t like this idea at all. The constant traffic is an essential part of Times Square, and by eliminating traffic they have only taken away from the atmosphere of the place.
June 7, 2009 at 12:53 pm |
I don’t know how this will turn out, but every urban renewal effort of the 1960s that made downtown streets into pedestrian malls failed horribly. We have lots of examples in towns around Pittsburgh.