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Manhattan Community Board Five
Department of Transportation “Green Light for Midtown” Pilot Program
WHEREAS, Broadway disrupts the street grid, creating complicated intersections; and
WHEREAS, At Herald Square, Broadway competes for green signal time with Sixth Avenue and 34th Street, creating significant delays on both thoroughfares; and
WHEREAS, At the intersection of Broadway and Seventh Avenue at Times Square, extra-wide crossings require long red lights while pedestrians clear intersections, thereby causing traffic delays; and
WHEREAS, Traffic makes it nearly impossible for emergency vehicles to get through Times and Herald Squares; and
WHEREAS, Over 356,000 pedestrians walk through Times Square daily and, although there are 4.5 times as many people as there are vehicles, only 11% of the space currently is allocated to pedestrians; and
WHEREAS, Broadway had one of Manhattan's worst safety records from 1998 to 2007, and Broadway at Times Square averages 137% more pedestrian accidents than at other avenues in the area; and
WHEREAS, Targeted traffic improvements of this pilot program will maximize throughput and reduce congestion on the avenues by increasing signal time; and
WHEREAS, Targeted improvements to Herald Square and Times Square will reduce pedestrian accidents on Broadway by expanding the space available for pedestrians; and
WHERAS, A fire lane will be maintained at all times down Broadway in this pilot program, thereby improving emergency response times; and
WHEREAS, Over three acres of new open space will be added to midtown Manhattan in this pilot program, with greenery added at 24 locations; and
WHEREAS, The DOT will utilize in-house staff and resources to complete this project this year quickly, efficiently, and inexpensively at an estimated cost of $1.5 million; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That Community Board 5 approves the DOT "Green Light for Midtown" Pilot Program because of the improvements it is expected to deliver to midtown Manhattan in terms of upgraded streetscapes, reduced traffic congestion and more room for pedestrians, but with the understanding that all of the following concerns and issues are to be addressed by the DOT in implementing and continuing this program:
The above resolution passed with a vote of 28 in favor, 7 opposed, 2 abstaining.