Way back in the day, New York City’s Park Avenue was so named for the park that ran through its center. That park was reduced down to a small median in 1927, to add room for more cars, but it seems New York City’s new leadership is looking to turn the clock back those hundred years. The city comptroller’s office revealed two plans today to reduce the number of traffic lanes on Park Avenue, and expand the median back into the pedestrian park it used to be.
The plans, publicized by comptroller Mark Levine, are set to stretch from East 46th Street to East 57th Street — from midtown, where the street splits around Grand Central, very nearly to the height of Central Park. Both proposals include pedestrian walking paths through the center of Park Avenue, alongside greenery, seating areas, and art installations, and one adds bike paths into the mix to separate two-wheeled traffic from the surrounding cars.
I’m in favor of the bike-free option
Despite my status as a New York City cyclist, I actually don’t love the design option that combines bike traffic and pedestrian traffic into the median park. Yes, it’s good to have bike lanes that are physically protected from the surrounding cars, but it’s easier for a bike to reach car speeds than for a human to reach bike speeds — replacing cyclists hit by cars with pedestrians hit by cyclists isn’t ideal. The best option would be a bike lane that’s within the median, but meaningfully separated from foot traffic: Perhaps on the other side of the planters, but with Jersey barriers separating it from cars.
Reducing traffic on Park Avenue and replacing it with foot paths is a fantastic idea, one that brings the street back to its original intent when it stopped being boring old Fourth Avenue. The city even talked about pop-up shops or music venues within the green space, giving people yet more reasons to visit one of New York City’s best known streets.
