In New York, the city hall wants to return Fifth Avenue to pedestrians – Libération

One of the most famous routes in the world is about to get a makeover. Thursday 17 October, Eric Adamsmayor of New York, his project to redesign Fifth Avenue. The great artery, 10 kilometers long and famous for hosting an abundance of luxury stores, large companies and the Empire State Building, must by 2028 make much more room for pedestrians.

Concretely, about forty blocks, the sidewalks will be widened, unlike the road that will be reduced to a large extent. “Currently, 70% of the people who travel on Fifth Avenue are pedestrians, but they can only use less than half of the space, Eric Adams had justified himself, as reported ABC7 Eyewitness News. During the holidays, this represents 23,000 people every hour […] which pile up like sardines on narrow sides. This doesn’t make any sense – so we’re going to flip the script.”

Get inspired by the Champs-Elysées

Of the 30 meters of width of the Avenue, 14 are now reserved for sidewalks and 16 for the five lanes of the road. The project intends to keep only three traffic lanes (ie 10 meters wide in total) and reserve the rest (20 meters) for pedestrians. The transformation must also be spectacular by planting 200 trees and arranging benches.

The New York Times compare this future Fifth Avenue and “Champs-Elysées in Paris, Calle Serrano in Madrid or Bond Street in London.” “For us, it’s really about balancing the street and finally giving pedestrians the space they need,” explains the head of the city’s Public Affairs department on a daily basis.

Mentioned in the American media, some, especially taxi drivers, are worried about the traffic jams that this change could cause. Others, on the other hand, ensure that Fifth Avenue was already full and full of tourists. Some cycling associations have also denied that the creation of cycle lanes was mentioned. The city defends itself by explaining that a two-way road will be created on VIth Avenue.

The total cost of the project is estimated to be over $350 million. If city hall succeeds in its goal – several similar projects have been shelved in recent years – it would be the first major renovation of Fifth Avenue in two centuries.