A reimagined Fifth Avenue is coming between Central and Bryant Parks, as Mayor Eric Adams and the Future of Fifth Avenue Partnership recently unveiled plans to transform the iconic route into a “world-class, pedestrian boulevard.”
The redesign will take inspiration from other iconic shopping streets like the Champs Elysees, Ginza, Oxford and Regent Streets in London, and Calle Serrano.
Major project highlights include expanding Fifth Avenue’s sidewalks by 46%, shortening crosswalks for safer crossings, decreasing traffic lanes from five to three and aesthetic improvements including 230 new trees and 20,000 square feet of planters. This will be Fifth Avenue’s first major redesign in its 200-year history.
“New Yorkers deserve an iconic boulevard that will rival the rest of the world — and together with the Future of Fifth Partnership, we’re going to deliver just that,” said Mayor Adams.
Pedestrians makes up 70% of the people on Fifth Avenue, yet they’re only able to use less than half of it. During the holidays, that can amount to 23,000 people crammed on the Fifth Avenue sidewalks, every hour. By nearly doubling the sidewalk space and “reversing the century-old trend of putting cars first,” the Future of Fifth Avenue Partnership will conquer this problem.
The new sidewalks will extend to 33.5 feet wide, up from the current 23 feet. This will grant pedestrians 25 feet of unobstructed walking space.
“By expanding sidewalks, we can turn this avenue into an iconic boulevard, a place for all, for all hours and especially for pedestrians — who can now safely stay on sidewalks rather than navigate cars to get by and through,” echoed Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi.
These critical improvements to Fifth Avenue will not only generate more than the current 313,000 direct and indirect jobs but strengthen the corridor’s economic engine. Plus, it’s set to pay for itself within five years from increased property and sales tax revenue.
Moreover, on December 8, 2024, Mayor Eric Adams announced a $152.7 million investment from the city to help transform the avenue. “Fifth Avenue is an economic powerhouse for New York City – it fuels more than 300,000 jobs and $44 billion in wages,” shared Mayor Adams. “That’s well-earned money in working peoples’ pockets – and with the $150 million initial investment that we’re announcing today, we’re supercharging that.”
You can learn more about the Fifth Avenue transformation project on the official website of the City of New York.