Comments on: Astor Place Moves Closer to Becoming a Great Public Space

By: Bob

Bob — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 13:49:57 +0000

cooper sq is a bus route, no? or at least a bus layover. i guess that’s the only reason it ‘has’ to be open.

By: oscarfrye

oscarfrye — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 03:45:17 +0000

why have any traffic on cooper square?
it should be closed off entirely

By: Cap'n Transit

Cap'n Transit — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 19:26:35 +0000

The most productive use I’ve seen for Cooper Square is a bus layup. Is that going to be eliminated under this plan?

By: George Haikalis, President, Institute for Rational Urban Mobility, Inc.

George Haikalis, President, Institute for Rational Urban Mobility, Inc. — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 19:26:12 +0000

As the founder and Chair of Auto-Free New York for 19 years, I can’t help but cheer on efforts to shift even tiny segments of street space from cars to people. However, this plan seems to be driven more by not significantly displacing motorists than in creating a “great public place”. What’s missing is a comprehensive planning effort to explore the upper limits of “devehicularization” of the core of our great city.

In this part of the Village, the streets with the most pedestrians are probably Broadway and 8th Street. In a really smart city, both would become auto-free light rail boulevards, like our plan for 42nd Street. (see http://www.vision42.org ). A group of us in the Village have been pressing for a carfree, river-to-river Christopher St./8th Street/St. Marks Place with a crostown trolley for many years. See http://www.villagetrolley.org

The NYCDOT plan does little to further this goal, and in some ways makes it harder to achieve. In particular, to close Broadway south of 14th Street, 4th Avenue south of 14th Street might be best made two-way, essentially a continuation of Union Square East and 4th Avenue north of 14th Street. But in doing this, crossing the intersection at Astor Place becomes a critical issue. The NYCDOT plan could be adapted to this bigger vision, but it would be better to think in larger and bolder terms sooner, than later.

By: dchadwick

dchadwick — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 19:21:34 +0000

Sounds awesome. There’s already a pretty active street scene around there, and it could totally use some room to spread out.

Slightly off-topic, but when is the new plaza outside Madison Square Park going to get some seating or something? They powered through the repaving and rerouting of traffic, but now it’s just a bunch of empty lanes with no trees or seating. Maybe the furniture is on back-order.

By: forman

forman — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 19:05:48 +0000

sounds interesting, but, what if, Cooper square went south bound and not north bound? Then the pedestrian island at the 6 train station, could be enlarged to close off the un-necessary 4th avenue merge, while auto traffic can have the benefit of choosing 6th street to drive east bound and not 8th. also this would prevent north bound traffic backing up on the bowery. In fact, all of Cooper Square is not necessary really. Being a taxi driver, i’ll probably regret saying all of this.