Bloomberg wants to make Union Square a Pedestrian Plaza

[NX Express]

First the city repurposed Times Square, converting some of its streets to a pedestrian promenade. Similar plans are in store for 34th Street by the Empire State Building.

 

Now Union Square could become the latest Manhattan landmark to gain a pedestrian plaza, the open-air concrete park that is quickly becoming the Bloomberg administration’s signature contribution to the streets of New York.

 

Almost all traffic would be banned from the block of Broadway north of Union Square, between 17th and 18th Streets, under a proposal under consideration by the city’s Transportation Department.

 

Tables and chairs could be installed on the block, which would be open to pedestrians and bicycles in a design similar to the plazas now seen in Times and Herald Squares. A pedestrian plaza would also be installed on East 17th Street, which runs along the north side of Union Square, replacing a lane of traffic.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/24/nyregion/24union.html?ref=nyregion

 

(NX)'s note: It's more tourist-friendly for sure, while IDK how it affects traffic. The stats may be edited to look good.

[mark1447]

We have to many of these, TSQ, The Hub and even 23rd/Broadway i think. City should be named City Plaza.

[Forest Glen]

Another stupid Bloomberg idea. This man is so clueless and aloof.

[MTR Admiralty]

How about fixing the potholes instead...

[rr4567]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/24/nyregion/24union.html?ref=nyregion

 

(NX)'s note: It's more tourist-friendly for sure, while IDK how it affects traffic. The stats may be edited to look good.

 

Bloomberg needs to go screw himself with these bloody pedestrian plazas. He ruined Times and Herald Square!

[Nexis4Jersey]

They should do this in Newark & Jersey City. Like in Journal SQ & Four Corners in Newark.:cool:

[Grand Concourse]

Bloomberg needs to go screw himself with these bloody pedestrian plazas. He ruined Times and Herald Square!

 

I dunno about you, but I like what was done to Times and Herald Squares. Those places were a mess with people crowding the sidewalks where they needed to take a lane to fit the people. Now closing off Broadway* [which just cuts into the grid structure and never should've been kept in the first place imo] allows people to move around the slow tourists, support the local economy and gets rid of the merge at the intersections [like 6th Av-Broadway was terrible because they go in different directions].

 

What I don't agree with is the turning of 34th St into basically a one way street in two different directions and adding another ped plaza.

 

*basically Broadway screwed up Manhattan.

[MTR Admiralty]

What I don't agree with is the turning of 34th St into basically a one way street in two different directions and adding another ped plaza.

 

That is going to be one word: FAIL. It's a good thing to lower automobile volume, however 34th is a CRITICAL crosstown route. A number of motorists use it to go from the Lincoln to the QMT. 34th Street is very congested: now if you do that kind of plan, where will traffic go?

[Forest Glen]

I dunno about you, but I like what was done to Times and Herald Squares. Those places were a mess with people crowding the sidewalks where they needed to take a lane to fit the people. Now closing off Broadway* [which just cuts into the grid structure and never should've been kept in the first place imo] allows people to move around the slow tourists, support the local economy and gets rid of the merge at the intersections [like 6th Av-Broadway was terrible because they go in different directions].

 

What I don't agree with is the turning of 34th St into basically a one way street in two different directions and adding another ped plaza.

 

*basically Broadway screwed up Manhattan.

 

Closing Broadway only makes sense in the holiday season when the sidewalks are overflowing with clueless tourists. During the other 11 months of the year, all closing Broadway does is impede the flow of traffic.

[rr4567]

That is going to be one word: FAIL. It's a good thing to lower automobile volume, however 34th is a CRITICAL crosstown route. A number of motorists use it to go from the Lincoln to the QMT. 34th Street is very congested: now if you do that kind of plan, where will traffic go?

 

In Bloomberg's heinie

[Guest lance25]

Hold the phone!!! Now Bloomberg wants to turn Herald and Union Squares into Pedestrian Plazas. Dude, we're running out of squares for this moron to turn into "Ped Malls". I don't know if this guy has ever seen a map of the city outside of the area surrounding City Hall, but the only other main thoroughfare that would be open would be 23 St if this was ever implemented. Sure traffic could bypass the Ped Malls to get from one side of the island to the other, but that would mean heavy traffic on many of the side streets, some of which are incredibly narrow for all those trucks.

[metsfan]

In Bloomberg's heinie

 

So that explains the old man running down lexington with a paniced look on his face with vehicles bearing down on him........ :cool:

 

 

I personally think that this is a good idea, though i don't agree with bloomturd's policies, it's better than what other large cities have done. We really need to get as many personal vehicles off he road in manhattan as possible, for both safety, and air quality.

 

- A

[Fresh Pond]

And where is the money to do this gonna come from? Unless supreme overlord Bloomburg gonna pay for the whole cost of it out of his mile-deep pockets, I oppose it. Besides, we don't need it anyway

[KeystoneRegional]

Please, watch the Nazi Banksters Crimes Ripple Effect at http://jforjustice.co.uk/banksters

[SubwayGuy]

While the city goes bankrupt and the state has its own share of problems to which Bloomberg can assist he spends time squeezing his dick and worrying about pedestrian plazas and traffic patterns like the stupid dipshit ass hole he is...

[R68 Subway Car]

God, and this guy has the nerve to call himself a Republican. He is a born and bread Liberal. The only reason he was put back in office is because Thompson is worse.

[R68 Subway Car]

How about lower our taxes.

[B35 via Church]

only thing I would suggest doing, regarding that area, is closing off union sq. west to traffic b/w 14th & 17th sts (along union sq. park).... it's a stretch of (brick) road about 4 blocks long; one way, southbound

 

the vast majority of the southbound traffic coming off broadway, turns on 17th st anyway (same street as the barnes & noble over there) & spills onto union sq. east, continuing SB (southbound) back on broadway....

(broadway is not a continuous street in that area, due to union sq. park, itself)

 

union sq. west, turns into university place, south of 14th st....

problem is, both of those roads are one way streets - in the opposite direction of each other... so it's not like SB traffic on union sq. west can continue SB on university....

 

better off closing union sq. west to peds; giving them a couple more sq. feet to maneuver around that area with....

[MTR Admiralty]

He just wants to make us more European, with all of these plazas. Does he have a brain? We are AMERICA! A-M-E-R-I-C-A. We don't do things their way, we do it the American way.

[rr4567]

He just wants to make us more European, with all of these plazas. Does he have a brain? We are AMERICA! A-M-E-R-I-C-A. We don't do things their way, we do it the American way.

 

And now it's Amerurope

[MTR Admiralty]

And now it's Amerurope

But in any case, he's doing it with our money just to screw with us.

[rr4567]

But in any case, he's doing it with our money just to screw with us.

 

Can't avoid that when we have a bunghole for a mayor.

[error46146]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/24/nyregion/24union.html?ref=nyregion

 

(NX)'s note: It's more tourist-friendly for sure, while IDK how it affects traffic. The stats may be edited to look good.

How about we just ban cars from Broadway alltogether??

[MTR Admiralty]

How about we just ban cars from Broadway alltogether??

Actually no, I would make it a transitway like Fulton Street in Downtown Brooklyn.

[NX Express]

Actually no, I would make it a transitway like Fulton Street in Downtown Brooklyn.

 

Like a big SBS route with no cars?