ICYMI: City To Expand Sidewalks On Midtown Stretch Of 7th Avenue

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — The city Department of Transportation has proposed a plan to expand sidewalks on a busy Midtown stretch of Seventh Avenue in the name of pedestrian safety. Dot officials unveiled the plan this week at a meeting of Community Board 5's transportation committee.

The proposal would widen sidewalks on Seventh avenue between Times Square and Penn Station, giving pedestrians more walking — and breathing — room on some of the city's most congested streets, according to a DOT presentation. The proposal calls for 10-foot sidewalk extensions on the west side of the avenue, effectively eliminating what is now a travel lane for cars.

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The DOT's plan would also call for the creation of bus boarding islands, left turn lanes and curb extensions on the east side of the avenue.

In addition to extra space for pedestrians, the DOT plan calls for extra safety measures such as granite blocks and planters separating the street from the sidewalk.

Currently, the eight block stretch of Seventh avenue is over-capacity for pedestrians. Sidewalk overcrowding has forced pedestrians into the street and overcrowded crosswalks often block cars from turning. During the evening rush hour as many as 14,500 pedestrians cross through some of the corridor's most bust streets, such as Seventh Avenue and 34th Street.

On the other hand, the street's current design overcompensates when it comes to vehicular capacity. One lane of car traffic can accommodate 500-600 cars. That would put the stretch's maximum capacity at 3,000 cars. At peak evening rush hours the stretch sees 1035-1420 vehicles per hour, according to DOT data. By converting one lane into pedestrian space, the maximum capacity would drop to 2,400 — still higher than the DOT estimate of vehicles using the street.

Between 2010 and 2014, 128 pedestrians were injured on Seventh Avenue between West 34th and 42nd Streets, according to DOT data. Twelve of those injuries were severe, according to the DOT.

Photos courtesy Department of Transportation