Streets Near Rockefeller Center To Block Cars For Holidays: Mayor

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — The city will open up some streets around Rockefeller Center to pedestrians this holiday season, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Wednesday, responding to pressure to bring back the popular program.

Starting Friday, 49th and 50th streets will be blocked to all car traffic between Fifth and Sixth Avenues for most of the day, according to the mayor's office.

That isn't all: Fifth Avenue will get movable barriers on its east and west sides between 48th and 52nd streets, eliminating a lane of traffic on each side of the avenue to allow for more pedestrian space. The same barriers will be placed on the east side of Sixth Avenue between 48th and 52nd streets.

The measures appear to be an expansion of the pedestrian zones that the city first implemented in 2019 on 49th and 50th streets. That move proved popular with visitors, who previously had to brave Midtown's narrow sidewalks and busy streets to check out the holiday celebrations.

I am THANKFUL that the city will pedestrianize streets around Rockefeller Center & Radio City Music Hall. I'm ready to light the tree & close these streets to cars. Thank you to @KeithPowersNYC, @NYCMayor, @NYC_DOT for your partnership. pic.twitter.com/I8ExsMDbuo
— Gale A. Brewer (@galeabrewer) November 24, 2021

After most festivities went on hiatus last year due to the pandemic, local officials began to push de Blasio this fall to bring back the no-car zones, citing the "crush of pedestrians" that would soon fill the area for events like the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting — scheduled for Dec. 1.

"[A]s the city reopens and pedestrian traffic increases again, we need a policy that creates a pedestrian-friendly area around Rockefeller Center, as well as in other areas," Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and Councilmember Keith Powers wrote in a letter to the mayor.

Meanwhile, an unscientific survey of Patch readers found broad support for blocking off streets — but some skepticism about making the program permanent, as Brewer and Powers suggested. De Blasio's announcement Wednesday made no mention of making the pedestrian spaces permanent.

The NYPD will monitor the area around the clock, officials said. Buses will bypass all stops between 48th and 52nd streets, and vehicle turns will not be allowed from Fifth Avenue onto 47th, 49th or 51st streets.

"Te Rockefeller Center pedestrianization pilot was a major success in 2019," Powers said in a statement. “I am glad that it is being brought back this year, with much holiday cheer, while we are still recovering from the pandemic and making efforts to continue to stay safe."

Related coverage:

• 2021 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Arrives: What To Know
• New Yorkers Want To Block Rockefeller Center Streets: Survey
• Pedestrianize Rockefeller Center Again For Holidays, Pols Say