Flatiron Stretch Of Broadway Becomes Pedestrian Zone

FLATIRON, NY — An entire Manhattan block is now a pedestrian-focused zone, thanks to a city initiative that's updating crowded intersections to make transit easier.

The stretch of Broadway between 24th and 25th streets in the Flatiron district has been redesigned to make pedestrians a priority. City transit officials opened the new pedestrian-focused corridor on Wednesday morning, marking a transition for the busy intersection of Broadway, 24th Street and Fifth Avenue. (For more information on this and other neighborhood stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)

"With so few cars moving so slowly, pedestrians and cyclists can now safely take up all the space they need," DOT commissioner Polly Trottenberg said in a statement.

The redesign of the area follows the concept of "shared streets," an urban infrastructure concept that's taken off in other cities and that allows for cars, bikes and pedestrians to co-exist more easily on urban streets. The Flatiron intersection was ripe for this type infrastructure upgrade because pedestrians outnumber cars by a numbers by a factor of 18 to 1, according to city survey taken during the evening rush hour.

Starting in April, the city's transportation department began implementing a number of upgrades to make the intersection safer. The main change is that Broadway is now almost fully closed off to cars, though limited access is allowed. Traffic is being redirected onto Fifth Avenue.

The move drastically reduces the number of cars on Broadway. In addition, the area has more seating space, a new intersection design, new crosswalks and a protected bike lane.

Here's the how the new intersection has changed:

David Breen, a city transportation official, explained that the changes would help make the intersection safer and easier for pedestrians to navigate as foot traffic through the Flatiron area was increased.

"We're really making this a pedestrian priority area," he explained. "The idea is that the pedestrians outnumber the cars, and traffic behaves as a guest."

Broadway will remain a permanent "Shared Street," but the city is also launching temporary redesigns at highly-trafficked corridors throughout the city.

Lead image via Ciara McCarthy / Patch; secondary rendering via NYC Department of Transportation.