From the NY Times:It has been hailed as New York City’s most radical civic experiment in a generation: cars would be barred from driving along two sections of Broadway in the heart of Midtown. The aim was to reduce congestion in Times and Herald Squares, two of the worst areas for drivers in the city.
Now, a month after the Department of Transportation finished gathering data from the experimental period of the project, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg has yet to announce a decision on whether the pilot program will become permanent. Tourists, area workers and businesses have appeared to embrace the new pedestrian plazas, but the effect on traffic flow has remained in the realm of anecdote, and some transportation experts are growing impatient.
The city is keeping its data under tight lock and key. But two officials briefed on the data characterized the results as disappointing, and one said that traffic flow did not meet the department’s goals. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the data had not been made public.
From the NY Times:
“Some of the roads are better; some of the roads are worse. Not everybody likes everything,” Mr. Bloomberg said at a press conference on Tuesday at a city-run career center in downtown Brooklyn. “On balance,” he added, “I hear very few complaints.”
Of course you don't. Because you have to actually listen to people in order to hear them.
Photo from Places & Spaces
11 comments:
The city is keeping its data under tight lock and key. But two officials briefed on the data characterized the results as disappointing, and one said that traffic flow did not meet the department’s goals. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the data had not been made public.
First of all, it will be like pulling teeth to get this information released to the public. There's been a pattern of that by Hizzoner.
But you just know that they're going to fudge the numbers anyway. Student test scores, crime stats, you name it. You can't trust the data from this administration. Bloomberg finds himself incapable of admitting his own failures.
If this was supposed to be a pilot program, why did the DOT installed raised cement platforms in the middle of the pedestrianized Broadway?
It will be permanent, whether we like it or not.
As a Gray Line guide, I'd like my buses to use Broadway, the street of legends, as we have been doing for decades.
This would be a bigger issue of the purpose of the project was to improve traffic flow. But it wasn't. The idea is a project was implemented to improve life for pedestrians that won't have as much ill effects for drivers as you'd expect. Maybe there was more of an ill effect for drivers than expected, but that's not the point, and doesn't mean the project is a failure.
That being said, I'm very much for open data. Even if the results are worse than you expected. It acheived what it was supposed to acheive. Even if it didn't improve traffic it was a success in terms of what it's purpose actually is.
No, one of the intended purposes was to improve traffic flow and it is this result which is needed to make the permanent. Bloomberg just does not want to admit that he was wrong. Otherwise, why not release the report?
Yes and the new stats he will look at will show revenues are down in the CBD and he will just say it is the economy and let it continue.
I think this is because of the terroist threat. A car bomb on Broadway at Herold or Times Square would devistate the economy as well as the city's image.
This is here for a generation or so.
Our government can use terrorism as a blanket excuse for many things- preventing public access to the steps of City Hall, shutting Park Row to traffic, closing the Statue of Liberty's crown, prohibiting subway rides on the City Hall loop.
This fortress mentality is not a solution. Being more vigilant does the job much better.
the pedestrian area ends at 45street,where motorists can make a right turn from 7th avenue.the area begins at Bway/47 street.
i think it is not needed.the traffic does back up for blocks at rush hour and show time.
motorists can still use the cross streets.
Dumb idea (In my opinion)
Well, I think the author of the article is exaggerating a little with the "promised land" for drivers.
I'm not saying it was never said that closing these streets would improve traffic, or even that they're not hiding the data because it disproves this claim. I will still stick by what I said about it not being the main goal of the project.
The theory behind closing streets to improve traffic is actually pretty interesting. Does this guarantee that closing Times Square will improve traffic? Of course not. Does the (potential) failure of closing Times Square to improve traffic flow disprove the theory? Of course not.
Would the potential failure stop similar projects in the future? Unfortunately yes. The theory is sound, and if successfully pulled off a win-win for drivers and pedestrians. Because of that I'd say it's still worth experimenting with...
Ah, great! This cleared up some contradictions I'd heard.
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