NEW YORK — Mayor Eric Adams and the city’s transportation commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez announced on Thursday a street safety strategy that will expand pedestrian space at the site of the taxi crash that injured five people Monday.
“There is no more iconic street in this city than Broadway — both our small and large businesses sit on it, our tourism and entertainment hubs move through it, and millions of pedestrians walk on it every day, so I completely reject the idea that people will inevitably be injured or killed by vehicles on this very street,” Adams said in a statement. “Traffic violence is preventable, and I will do everything in my power to prevent another crash when we already have the tools in our toolbox to prevent it.
The proposal is part of the city’s “Broadway Vision” plan to add public street space for pedestrians in the area between Union Square and Columbus Circle.
The plan will redesign Broadway between West 25th and 32nd Streets for pedestrians, creating more public space and calming traffic.
“Reclaiming space from vehicles on Broadway will allow us to create welcoming plazas and promote safe, efficient transportation options that link together some of the most beloved parks in the heart of Manhattan,” Rodriguez said in a statement.
Community Board 5, which covers the area where the crash took place, is holding a meeting Thursday evening to review the proposal.
The meeting will also discuss “phase one” of the plan, which aims to install pedestrian spaces and loading zones and formalize two-way cycling from 25th Street to 32nd Street between Madison Square and Herald Square.
"Our streets in Midtown clearly need further redesign to end these tragedies before human error can even become a factor. Manhattan Community Board Five is encouraged by how quickly DOT is responding and we look forward to seeing their new proposals,” Manhattan Community Board 5 said in a statement.
Other changes include converting Broadway between 28th Street and 29th Street into a shared street.