Popular Midtown Open Street Should Be Expanded, BP Says

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — As the city gears up for another summer of Open Streets, two streets in Midtown could help shape the future of the popular city program, according to a new report from Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer's office.

Restaurant Row, on West 46th Street between Eighth and Ninth Avenues, and between West 36th and 41st streets are among the dozens of Open Streets that the city closed to car traffic starting last spring, creating more space for pedestrians to walk, eat and socialize during the pandemic.

Many of the streets were successful, but others have struggled due to a lack of upkeep and programming, and the fact that they do not connect to other pedestrianized spaces.

These Midtown streets exemplify those two outcomes, Brewer says: Restaurant Row became a thriving spot for outdoor dining, while the stretch of Broadway has struggled to keep cars from barging in.

"While some streets have become true neighborhood amenities, the unfortunate story of the Open Streets program is that many more have been plagued by different issues and have failed to realize their full potential," Brewer wrote in the report, titled "The Future of Open Streets."

Now, as the program ramps up again, Brewer is proposing that the city further transform Restaurant Row and Broadway to influence the rest of New York's Open Streets.

Restaurant Row as a "European Piazza"

Already a popular spot before the pandemic, West 46th Street became a "pedestrian oasis" thanks to the advent of "Open Streets: Restaurants," a sister program from the Department of Transportation that enables outdoor dining.

"With theaters closed, the Open Street has quickly become a lifeline for restaurants that have expanded their outdoor space," Brewer wrote.

Managed by the Times Square Alliance, the street has greatly helped restaurants, but neighbors say pedestrians and cyclists need more room to move along the street, Brewer's office found.

To improve the Open Street, Restaurant Row should became a permanent pedestrian plaza with expanded, year-round outdoor dining, Brewer's office proposes.

The former traffic lane could be reserved exclusively for pedestrians and cyclists, while the outdoor dining would maintain the "European piazza feeling" that has abounded on Restaurant Row during the pandemic, Brewer wrote. If successful, it could be expanded further along West 46th Street.

Banning cars from Broadway?

Meanwhile, Broadway has long been a dream target for New Yorkers looking to pedestrianize major streets, but this Open Street "has struggled since its inclusion in the program," Brewer wrote.

Managed jointly by the Times Square and Garment District alliances, the six blocks have been plagued by a large number of drivers "taking advantage of the Open Streets program’s exemption for local traffic access and driving through the Open Street," Brewer wrote.

To resolve the issues, the city could completely ban cars from Broadway in Midtown, replacing traffic lanes with sidewalk extensions and a two-way bike lane, Brewer said. The change would convert Broadway into a bike corridor from the Upper West Side down to Union Square.

Side streets could be designated as loading areas to serve businesses that rely on deliveries, Brewer added.

On Monday, a coalition of 63 community groups wrote to Mayor Bill de Blasio, urging him to bolster the Open Streets program by making them 24/7, connecting them, reducing speed limits and expanding them to under-served neighborhoods, among other changes.

Related coverage:

• Create 24/7 'Open Streets' In NYC, Groups Tell De Blasio
• Stimulus Means More Funding For NYC's 'Open Streets,' Mayor Says