A New York City street is changing its landscape by creating a public esplanade along a portion of one of the cities most famed streets, Broadway in Midtown. (Broadway will be going from a 4-lane road to a two-lane road).
The east side of the road has been designed specifically for a bike lane and a pedestrian walkway. Cafe tables, chairs, umbrellas and flower-filled planters will decorate and create a great area for those using a slower form of transportation.
The city is calling the esplanade the “Broadway Boulevard” which will run from run 42nd Street, eight blocks south to the busy shopping district of Herald Square. This will change that section of Broadway from a four-lane to a two-lane street.
This project reflects Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s expanding vision of reducing pollution and traffic congestion in New York by increasing open space and encouraging bikes and other alternative forms of transportation.
Other recent initiatives from the Transportation Department include banning cars on Park Avenue on three Saturdays in August and exploring a bicycle-sharing program.
The city will be spending roughly $700,000 to create the esplanade. The budget includes painting the bike lane green, buying the chairs, tables, benches, umbrellas and planters and applying a coat of small-grained gravel mixed with epoxy onto the pedestrian areas which will set them off from both the street and the bicycle path.
The unveiling is dated for Aug. 15th. A new public space like this will encourage human interaction by getting people out of their cars and walking. We all know this is better for our health as well as our environment!
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