Get Ready, Union Square and 34th Street: Changes are Afoot

Following on the heels of the much-disputed pedestrian plaza near New York’s 42nd Street and Times Square, another such plaza is in the works for the area between 17th and 18th Streets, north of Broadway near Union Square. The plan is expected to be brought before the local community board on Monday.
Also in the works: A walkway along 34th Street, between Herald Square and the Empire State Building, which would turn the thoroughfare—one of the city’s most crowded--into a one-way street. Buses would still run in both directions, in specific lanes that would be separated from pedestrians by concrete barriers. The plan is intended to give pedestrians more room to navigate, and also to speed up ponderously slow cross-town buses—some of the slowest in the entire city. Travel time for the buses could improve as much as 35 percent.
Riders would be able to pay for their ride before they boarded, and the buses could send a signal that would keep the traffic lights green as they approached an intersection. Cars, however, would not be allowed on the block between 5th and 6th Avenues; they would go westbound from 6th Avenue the West Side Highway, and eastbound from Fifth Avenue to the FDR Drive.
Not surprisingly, many bus riders support the plan, while drivers of cars are less optimistic, fearing that the closures will make their commute even worse.
The project is expected to be finished at the end of 2012, with final designs due next year; it’s expected to cost about $30 million. The plan was first proposed back in 2008; a public hearing was held last week.
The change would significantly alter both the traffic patterns and the layout of the streets in midtown Manhattan.

Union Square Gears Up For Spring With a New Playground and More

Union Square is no longer just for market vegetables and artisanal breads.
The Parks Department and the Union Square Partnership officially opened a new 15,000-square-foot playground this week, just in time for spring.
This playground is three times larger than the previous one. And play equipment (including swings and climbing rocks) is just the beginning—certain features will make their debut when it gets (even) warmer.
The new playground has three separate “rooms” dedicated to different age groups and equipment. Toddlers get swings and climbing platforms; school-age kids are offered play equipment and a spray shower; and the last area offers more of a free-for–all experience with monkey bars and a tube slide. Landscaped gardens surround the area.
In addition, the whole north side of the park will be renovated: A newly overhauled pavilion will offer a district office, a recreation space and perhaps a café starting in early summer.
The Greenmarket itself is also gearing up for spring with a wider selection of fruits and vegetables as the weather warms up. (In coming weeks, expect asparagus, new potatoes, and perhaps artichokes.) The Market is open for business Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, from 8 am – 6 pm.
Want to know more about the square and its origins? Free walking tours depart every Saturday at 2 PM; they leave from the Abraham Lincoln Statue near 16th Street. Participants will explore the social, political, and architectural history of the area--expect plenty of discussion along the way. (Reservations are required for groups, but not individuals.)
And, oh yes, perhaps the best news of all for patrons? Five new bathrooms will be added, three of which will make their debut next month in the new comfort station.