Community Board Five wishes to express its concern about the possibility of a route change for next year's Thanksgiving Day Parade

 The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade has become a New York tradition beloved by residents and visitors alike for many generations. There is simply no public space in the city that rivals Times Square in terms of its energy, identification as the heart of New York City to the world and to the millions who watch the television broadcast and attend the parade in person.

We understand that The Hotel Association of New York City has verified that there are 7,244 hotel rooms facing the parade route on  Seventh Avenue that are utilized by guests during the parade day and during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. We also wish to mention that Times Square is home to numerous advertising billboards which give the district its unique character and help to promote the city and this area as the advertising capital of America. These advertisers consider the exposure of the Thanksgiving Parade to be a major asset in their advertising campaigns. Changing the parade route would significantly impact on these important businesses

In addition, the creation of the new Broadway Plaza now allows for maximizing the number of parade viewers as well as increasing the quality of their experience. Press coverage of this year's parade stressed that the plazas offered better street views than in recent years,

Community Board Five would therefore like to request that all efforts be made to enable the Thanksgiving Day Parade to continue its traditional route through Times Square. We feel that changing the parade route would significantly impact on several key businesses in the Times Square neighborhood and deny New York City and Times Square of an important moment of exposure to the world.

Keeping the parade route through Times Square makes good business sense and we hope [the City of New York] understands our concern about its possible loss.

WHEREAS, The traffic lane between 46th and 47th Streets on 7th Avenue in front of Duffy Square is 20 feet wide while regular traffic lanes are between 10 and 12 feet wide; and

WHEREAS, New York City Transit maintains a bus stop for the M6 and M7 buses in front of Duffy Square between 46th and 47th Streets on 7th Avenue; and

WHEREAS, The Times Square Alliance observed this bus stop during the morning and evening rush hours and during parts of the day for the week of July 20-27, 2005 measuring passenger usage of this stop and determining that it was lightly used with some buses skipping it entirely; and

WHEREAS, This extra-wide lane is generally filled up by cars two abreast that must merge back into the smaller lane at the end of Duffy Square, thereby creating a traffic backup; and

WHEREAS, The Times Square Alliance would like to expand Duffy Square 5 feet into the current 20 foot traffic lane to widen the sidewalk and increase pedestrian safety at this location; and

WHEREAS, The Department of Transportation will not permit this expansion for safety reasons if New York City Transit continues to have a bus stop at this location; therefore be it

RESOLVED, That Community Board Five urges the New York City Transit Authority to undertake a study regarding moving the M6/M7 bus stop at 7th Avenue between 46th and 47th Street to another location, and that the Department of Transportation study expanding the sidewalk by 5 feet to increase the sidewalk area.

The above resolution passed with a vote of 27 in favor, 0 opposed, 1 abstention.

WHEREAS, Times Square Alliance is interested in removing all floodlights in the area; and

WHEREAS, The floodlights were installed and paid for through a grant from the Portman fund 12 years ago and have since become faulty and obsolete; and

WHEREAS, An ambient light survey has shown no problem with light in the area currently; and

WHEREAS, The Alliance currently pays $90,000 annually for upkeep and power for these obsolete floodlights which can be better utilized elsewhere; and

WHEREAS, The Alliance agrees to urge the City to increase wattage of lights on existing poles on side streets that may require additional lighting and to focus on lighting 8th avenue, which currently is not covered by these floodlights; and

WHEREAS, Community Board Five believes the City should be responsible for the cost of lighting the streets; therefore be it

RESOLVED, Community Board Five recommends the removal of all floodlights installed from 40th to 53rd Streets, Broadway to 7th Avenue.

The above resolution passed with a vote of 27 in favor, 0 opposed, 1 abstention.