Manhattan running out of space for pedestrians

Would you believe there are now so many pedestrians in parts of Manhattan that they have to walk in car lanes?

From a NY Times article: “In the core of Times Square, there is no doubt about the need to create more space for pedestrians,” he said. “In one October afternoon a couple of years ago, between 3 and 7 p.m. we counted 4000 people walking literally in the street, in traffic lanes, because the sidewalks were too crowded. It is clearly a safety issue as well as a quality-of-life issue.” says Tim Tompkins, the president of the Times Square Alliance business district.

What’s interesting is that in NYC, there’s absolutely no question which is more important – pedestrians or cars. So business groups are actually talking about how to limit auto traffic in these areas and make more room for pedestrians, one tactic being a sort of ‘toll booth’ for certain streets. Maybe Manhattan will finally have its first major ‘pedestrian-only’ street, a rising trend in other progressive cities.

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neilkt