image: Snohetta

Times Square is the heart and crossroads of our city and the world for tourists and New Yorkers alike. Since Broadway first closed in 2009, Times Square has become less dangerous and more enjoyable. Retail has thrived and pedestrian injuries have been reduced by 35%—think Vision Zero. The new $27 million plazas have helped commuters get onto subways faster and made it easier for workers to get to their jobs. Plazas give tourists a place to rest, theatergoers a place to buy tickets and wait for shows, and office workers a place to eat lunch or watch the world go by.

Now, Commissioner Bratton and Mayor de Blasio want to rip up the pedestrian plazas. We can’t let that happen.

Aggressive street performers and ‘desnudas’ are an enforcement problem. They aren’t a plaza problem.  Ripping up the $27 million plazas won’t stop the behavior; it will simply move it onto already crowded sidewalks and into traffic. 

Tell Commissioner Bratton, Planning Commissioner Weisbrod, and Mayor de Blasio that New Yorkers demand thoughtful solutions, not shortsighted reactions.