I was just in New York (yay!), so of course I have to talk about the amazing transformation the city has made in its use of public space. (Keep in mind, this is the perspective of a tourist who is totally in love with NYC but really only gets there for a few days every five years or so.)
I’m reading about those changes in a new book called Streetfight: Handbook for an Urban Revolution, by the woman who played a big part in making those changes happen: Janette Sadik-Khan, former NYC Transportation Commissioner under Mayor Bloomberg (Seth Solomonow is co-author of the book).
The following stats are taken directly from the book’s chapter titled “Battle for a New Times Square”:
They closed off Broadway to cars (through the square) and opened it to pedestrians. By routing vehicles around the non-grid-friendly Broadway (it famously cuts through the city on its own trajectory), they simplified traffic flow by restoring right angles. They made similar changes to nearby Herald Square. The book explains it in much more detail.
Here are some results (straight from the book):
What amazes me is they managed to convince a skeptical population to close off a major artery in the most crowded part of town. And it IMPROVED traffic flow.
Go here for some great before-and-after shots of Times Square and other locations where innovative street design is making cities more people-friendly.
And they’re not done with Times Square yet.
These are renderings provided by Times Square Alliance. The Times Square Alliance collaborated with Snøhetta and the NYC Department of Transportation on the plans for the transformation.
4 Comments
Petrea Burchard
Would you believe I’ve never been to New York City?
14 Mar 2016 08:03 pm (@Twitter)
Kim@OCDtravel
What?!?! No, I would not believe that. ;) We must rectify that immediately.
14 Mar 2016 08:03 pm (@Twitter)
Petrea Burchard
Would you believe I’ve never been to New York City?
14 Mar 2016 08:03 pm (@Twitter)
Mari
WOW! That is impressive! Haven’t been since 2006. And John’s never been. I so wanna take him there one day.
15 Mar 2016 07:03 am (@Twitter)