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Transportation & Environment
Application by the New York City Department of Transportation for the temporary closure of two blocks of Broadway between 36th and 40th Streets to motor vehicles
WHEREAS, The New York City Department of Transportation ("DOT") proposes temporarily closing Broadway between 36th and 37th Streets and between 39th and 40th Streets to motor vehicles for the summer months of June, July, and August as part of a pilot program; and
WHEREAS, This proposed seasonal street closure program emerges from DOT's 2016 Strategic Plan and represents a test case that, if successful, could be adapted and implemented in other locations in the city in the future; and
WHEREAS, DOT proposes testing these locations on Broadway because there is little existing public space in the Garment District and this particular stretch of Broadway exhibits an especially low volume of motor vehicles during the summer months contrasted with exceptionally high pedestrian counts; and
WHEREAS, DOT proposes to post signage at 42nd St and Broadway regarding the temporary street closures on 41st street to alert southbound drivers of the changing traffic pattern; and
WHEREAS, The Applicant's proposed street design allows for motor vehicles to access business on the affected blocks via side streets; and
WHEREAS, The Applicant's proposal allows for businesses located on these blocks to received deliveries via side streets during off-peak hours; and
WHEREAS, The Applicant proposes shifting the existing curbside dedicated bicycle lane on these blocks to the center of Broadway; and
WHEREAS, The Applicant will install temporary signage encouraging bicycle riders to dismount and walk their bicycles through the public spaces; and
WHEREAS, The Applicant proposes to furnish the newly-created public space with a combination of stone benches, "street seats," turf boxes, movable furniture, and artwork; and
WHEREAS, DOT has reached out to local stakeholders and proposes partnering with the Garment District Alliance to provide programing and maintenance of the facilities; and
WHEREAS, The Garment District Alliance proposes to install 12 food kiosks via Urban Space on the block between 39th and 40th Streets to pay for the maintenance of the newly created public spaces; and
WHEREAS, The Garment District Alliance will dedicate the revenue generated from these booths strictly to the maintenance of the spaces; and
WHEREAS, The Garment District Alliance is committed to cleaning and "resetting" the spaces every night and power washing the spaces at 5am each morning; and
WHEREAS, The Garment District Alliance proposes a contract with "Urban Pathways," a homeless outreach organization, to help with the anticipated increase in the number of homeless visitors to the spaces; and
WHEREAS, The Garment District Alliance has obtained a summer-long permit from SAPO for the proposed spaces; and
WHEREAS, No food trucks would be allowed to enter these spaces; and
WHEREAS, The Applicant has received approval of the proposed street design from the New York Police Department and the Fire Department of New York; and
WHEREAS, The Applicant has committed to studying the effects of this street design on motor vehicle and pedestrian traffic during the period of the pilot program; and
WHEREAS, The Applicant has committed to returning to the Transportation and Environment Committee following the completion of the traffic study in the fall to present the results; and
WHEREAS, There was general public support for the creation of more public space in the heart of Manhattan; and
WHEREAS, Although Community Board Five ("CB5") has strong concerns regarding the best use of these spaces and recognizes a potential for abuse of these public spaces by the proposed commercial uses, CB5 supports efforts to creatively share street space and improve vehicular, bicycle, and pedestrian traffic flow as well as efforts to improve the aesthetics of the New York City streets and believes that the Applicant's proposed trial program fulfills these goals; and
WHEREAS, The Applicant has agreed to explore installing additional signage to inform southbound motor vehicles of the changing street design before the originally proposed 42nd St; and
WHEREAS, The Applicant has agreed to explore installing sloped street seats and benches in the spaces to discourage overly-long use of the spaces; and
WHEREAS, The Applicant has agreed to gather and present to the Transportation and Environment Committee information specifically regarding the impact on commercial deliveries to businesses located on the impacted blocks; therefore be it
RESOLVED, Community Board Five recommends approval of DOT's proposed temporary closing of Broadway between 36th and 37th Streets and between 39th and 40th Streets to motor vehicles for the summer months of June, July, and August as part of a pilot program; and be it further
RESOLVED, As with all large scale projects affecting the district, Community Board Five strongly encourages DOT and the Garment District Alliance to present future proposals far enough in advance to allow time for the board to conduct a more thorough investigation; and be it further
RESOLVED, Community Board Five requests that the Garment District Alliance return to the Transportation and Environment Committee in early Fall 2017, following the completion of the pilot program, to present the results of its study of the test program; and be it further
RESOLVED, Community Board Five encourages DOT and local Business Improvement Alliances to explore more appropriate revenue generating models to support these spaces while simultaneously leaving them open for their intended use by members of the public.