New York Construction Report staff writer
A new phase of the Broadway Vision plan to connect Manhattan’s Flatiron District to Union Square was announced this week.
The NYC Department of Transportation is launching public outreach to design pedestrian, cyclist, and public space improvements along Broadway from East 21st Street down to Union Square at East 17th Street. The new phase follows a project to complete similar upgrades with expanded outdoor dining between Madison Square and Herald Square, just north of the new project area, with additional improvements coming from East 21st Street up to East 33rd Street.
“Broadway Vision is more than a project — it’s a new way of looking at how this iconic street can serve New Yorkers and support our city’s comeback,” said Mayor Eric Adams. “Just north of this new phase, New Yorkers are walking and biking safely, eating meals outside, and visiting local businesses, thanks to the work our team delivered in just three months. This next phase of Broadway Vision will provide the same kind of vibrant public spaces connecting Union Square and Flatiron, just like our administration is doing with incredible success across the entire city.”
Broadway Vision is being called “the crown jewel of vibrant, attractive public space transformations in the city.”
“We are so proud of the work completed this past year as we transformed Broadway north of the Flatiron, where pedestrians, cyclists, and those who love outdoor dining together find a quieter, safer, and more welcoming street,” said DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. “As we now begin to look south toward Union Square, we want all stakeholders in this vital community — residents, business owners, office workers, and other street users — to come out and provide feedback on the design changes they would like to see in this next phase.”
The goal of the Broadway Vision project is to transform public spaces along Manhattan boulevard — from Columbus Circle to Union Square. Construction includes expanded outdoor dining, shortened crossings and wider crosswalks to enhance pedestrian safety, curb extensions and narrower turns to calm traffic, reconfigured curb lanes to facilitate loading and pickups/drop offs, and additional public space and cycling amenities like seating, planters, new Citi Bike stations, as well as additional bike parking.
“When we prioritize people over private cars, we bring our neighbors together with new public spaces while making New York a safer city for pedestrians,” said U. S. Representative Jerry Nadler. “I applaud the expansion of the Broadway vision plan to connect Manhattan’s Flatiron District to Union Square. “This latest phase of the Broadway Vision plan brings us closer to a Vision Zero future, with expanded bicycle access and improved public space amenities, all while helping to calm our congested streets.”
