As of yesterday, Sunday, March 12, NYC Mayor Eric Adams along with NYC Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez officially kicked off the first phase of construction of the administration’s “Broadway Vision” plan which will create new pedestrian-friendly spaces and make streets safer between Madison Square and Herald Square in Manhattan.
The plan if part of a larger initiative in Mayor Adams and New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s “New New York” action plan, which, with a budget of $375 million, has committed to create new public spaces in NYC to rebuild the city after the devastation of the pandemic.
“Two years ago, the pandemic devastated Midtown and our business districts, but it gave us the opportunity to reimagine our public spaces,” said Mayor Adams. “Beginning this week, our Broadway Vision will come to life with vibrant, new public spaces and safer streets from Madison Square to Herald Square. Midtown is back, and New York City is back.”
This first phase of construction will enhance the space in a number of ways, including:
- The addition of plazas between 25th Street and 26th Street and between 26th Street and 27th Street
- Curb extensions and narrower turns to calm traffic
- Shortened crossings and wider crosswalks to enhance pedestrian safety
- Two-way bike boulevard treatments, along with related signage and signals
- Reconfigured curb lanes to facilitate loading and pickups/drop offs
- Additional public space and cycling amenities like seating, planters, new Citi Bike docks, and additional bike parking
Flatiron NoMad Partnership will also bring about outdoor dining at restaurants in the plaza areas between 25th Street and 27th Street.
In the coming several months, milling and paving work will take place, as well as signage installation, signal work, and the addition of planters and street furniture to the area. The following phase will then begin work along Broadway from West 21st Street to West 33rd Street.
“Broadway Vision is one of the most significant public space transformations in the heart of Manhattan. It will improve quality of life and traffic safety, while boosting foot traffic, which is key to our city’s economic recovery,” said Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi. “I thank the creative and hardworking team at DOT for turning this ‘vision’ into a concrete reality.”
The first part of the project is expected to be completed this summer.