EVG file photo of 14th Street
According to the agency, bus speeds along 14th Street have increased by as much as 24% since the busway was installed, while ridership has grown by up to 30%.
The initiative — called "The 14th Street Plan: Keeping People Moving and Business Booming"— will examine potential long-term upgrades for pedestrians, bus riders, cyclists and public spaces along the corridor.
The DOT is undertaking a $3 million, 24-month study focused on improvements along the entire 14th Street corridor, which serves about 28,000 daily bus riders and draws hundreds of thousands of visitors to destinations along the street.
Possible upgrades include expanded pedestrian space, new landscaping and greenery, enhanced plaza and park areas, and additional safety features. The study will also explore design improvements on nearby streets that connect to 14th Street, including routes toward Union Square, Irving Place, Broadway, University Place, the Meatpacking District and Hudson River Park.
Funding for the study includes $2 million from the city and $1 million combined from the Union Square Partnership and the Meatpacking District Management Association.
City officials say they plan to fast-track the process so capital projects can be developed by the end of the study. The city has already secured $9.5 million toward future improvements, including $9 million from the City Council and $500,000 from the Manhattan Borough President's office.
The DOT will hold its first public workshop on the project later this month: March 25, 4–7 p.m. Pratt Institute, 144 W. 14th St., 2nd floor.
Residents and stakeholders can also learn more about the project or complete a survey at this link.
Map graphic via the NYC DOT
12 comments:
14th Street from 5th Avenue through 8th Avenue is in very bad shape. It is basically in its own doom loop - while limiting traffic to buses is great for mass transit, it left the street feeling very quiet and empty. Between this and Covid, the retail exodus on these streets has been pronounced, and unlike most other retail corridors, it has never recovered. Now there is no vehicular traffic, minimal pedestrian traffic for a street like this and there is no incentive for any business to open up here. At night it feels unsafe. Something needs to be done - hopefully this is a good sign - but until then, this corridor is in bad shape and a far cry from what it was before it became bus only.
The buses are still horrendously slow. They should allow at least taxis for higher vehicles on this street.
Not a single business there has been affected because of the bus lane. No one was driving there and parking on 14th st to go to a business. That's just a NY Post narrative. **I don't think you're actually saying this argument tbh on a reread, but that's how I read it on the first read.
What's actually happening is that it was always a bit desolate. 14th st was never a flourishing small business street - it has larger tenants/buildings with less street side retail. Yes there are areas what have smaller retail, but I think what's happening to them is that the rent being charged is out of this world.
So the few smaller destinations there don't draw people in... And then therefore it becomes much less of a destination you want to walk. 13th st is WAY more interesting to walk on as a pedestrian.
It's a microcosm of a much larger issue in nyc leading to unaffordable conditions for non private equity backed businesses.
I actually agree with you that I hope a nice pedestrian zone (maybe with street side food vendors with seating like they did with Broadway) can bring people in the area.
I also hope that the busses start actually leaving correctly staggered intervals instead of clumping up at the very start of the route like they do all the time. I heard that issue was because of late drivers/lack of drivers.
Anon 9:01 AM. I have the exact opposite experience in every respect. 14th St. is much easier to deal with as a pedestrian and bus passenger and is certainly safer than decades ago. Anything that makes this a people friendly city is good. I am tired of my tax dollars and quality of life being sacrificed to cars.
Thank you for providing the survey link EV Grieve. Appreciate your taking our civic responsibilities seriously.
Anti-car zealotry at its finest. Not responsible governance. The decline of business on a major crosstown street where it should be booming is a small price to pay to stay ideologically pure in a religion of non-stop hatred toward anything resembling private transportation options.
Broadway seems to have recovered better than most other shopping streets in the city after Covid without car traffic. Shopping that can be easily replicated online, like much of the shopping that was on 14th, continues to get crushed. Can't imagine anyone was driving to 14th to shop. Loosening use restrictions so the space can be repurposed and perhaps a vacancy tax would be more helpful. I am still confused how retail spaces on incredibly busy corners in the city can be vacant for years.
This is what happens under one party dictatorship. No ideas other than left ever get through.
Looking at you, Steiner building.
Passenger cars aren't doing shit for those businesses. Delivery trucks however are.
People who use "anti car zealots" as short hand tend to think that people are driving to these businesses. 90% of people are walking or taking transit in NYC. Also where are you guys even parking if you're taking your personal cars? The answer is you're not.
There's plenty to be improved about this bus lane for sure... but quoting the suburban oriented NY Post headlines here in the East Village blog of note is definitely not the way to do it.
hahahahaha
The Department of Transportation Alternatives has always cherry picked statistics (46.235% faster, 34% safer!) and then claimed their decisions are "data-driven).
Anyone who's spent any time on 14th knows it's bullshit.
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