The city is planning major changes to the pedestrian environment on the west side of Madison Square Park.
In documents presented in March to Community Board 5, it argued that existing conditions had "illogical traffic patterns, daunting pedestrian environment, unrealized potential."
"Fifth Avenue," it continued, "narrows to one through lane" and the Broadway bike lane stops west of Fifth Avenue" and Fifth Avenue buses are "forced to turn right onto 25th, then Broadway to proceed south" and "traffic splits pose safety concerns," and "pedestrian often ignore detour and find themselves without sidewalk" and the north and south combined pedestrian crossings along 23rd Street "require 2 signal cycles."
Furthermore, most vantage points for photography the famous Flatiron Building on the south side of 23rd Street between Fifth Avenue and Broadway are made in "roadbed," and there are excessive bus layovers along the west side of the park for a "world-class park and place."
The city this month initiated a "temporary public space, protected by planters with landscaping and furnishings" in roadbeds on Fifth Avenue and Broadway between 26th and 22nd Streets, as indicated by the light-colored areas in the photograph at the right.
"Lessons learned will influence a permanent change," the document maintained.
The changes, it argued, will create "simple & normal traffic patterns, safe bike lane connections, short direct crosswalks" and 37,000+ square feet of new public space.
In documents presented in March to Community Board 5, it argued that existing conditions had "illogical traffic patterns, daunting pedestrian environment, unrealized potential."
"Fifth Avenue," it continued, "narrows to one through lane" and the Broadway bike lane stops west of Fifth Avenue" and Fifth Avenue buses are "forced to turn right onto 25th, then Broadway to proceed south" and "traffic splits pose safety concerns," and "pedestrian often ignore detour and find themselves without sidewalk" and the north and south combined pedestrian crossings along 23rd Street "require 2 signal cycles."
Furthermore, most vantage points for photography the famous Flatiron Building on the south side of 23rd Street between Fifth Avenue and Broadway are made in "roadbed," and there are excessive bus layovers along the west side of the park for a "world-class park and place."
The city this month initiated a "temporary public space, protected by planters with landscaping and furnishings" in roadbeds on Fifth Avenue and Broadway between 26th and 22nd Streets, as indicated by the light-colored areas in the photograph at the right.
"Lessons learned will influence a permanent change," the document maintained.
The changes, it argued, will create "simple & normal traffic patterns, safe bike lane connections, short direct crosswalks" and 37,000+ square feet of new public space.
Architecture Critic
Carter Horsley
Since 1997, Carter B. Horsley has been the editorial director of CityRealty. He began his journalistic career at The New York Times in 1961 where he spent 26 years as a reporter specializing in real estate & architectural news. In 1987, he became the architecture critic and real estate editor of The New York Post.
6sqft delivers the latest on real estate, architecture, and design, straight from New York City.
