Think about what makes a great neighborhood street.
Maybe it's a shady bench for relaxing and people watching? Or the chatter of a sidewalk cafe and people milling about in shops? Maybe it’s the potential to bump into a neighbor? Or a perfect balance of busy and calm, just enough activity to feel lively, but quiet enough to hear birds? Perhaps there are kids playing in that care-free way only kids can play? Maybe there's a group of older neighbors playing cards? A saxophone playing in the distance?
We can all probably conjure a memory of a street like this—a place we’ve experienced that made us feel at once comfortable and connected, socially stimulated and personally at ease. That special mix of city life that inspires a sense of gratitude at being in community with others.
Now picture West 72nd Street as it exists today.
What comes to mind? If you're like us, you probably see a wide arterial with six lanes dominated by cars—a street designed more for a suburb than one of the most densely populated neighborhoods in the nation. Buses are at the mercy of traffic and double-parking; pedestrians scrounge for space on the margins and brave street crossings that are too wide and dangerous; people on bikes are forced to ride in traffic. All this despite a lot of underutilized space.
So, how did we get here? And more to the point, how do we change it?
Today, we’re launching a campaign to reimagine West 72nd Street as a people-first crosstown corridor connecting Central Park and Riverside Park. It's a broad vision for what change could look like and the many benefits such a change might bring.
Imagine a complete street that puts people before cars. It might include bus priority lanes with local access for vehicles and deliveries; a world-class, all ages and abilities bikeway; expanded sidewalks for pedestrians and shorter crossing distances at every intersection; mid-block crossings on every block; and a repurposed curb lane that serves multiple uses, not just free overnight parking—things like rain gardens to mitigate the effects of climate change, trash containers to discourage rats, and loading zones so package delivery workers have a place to be that doesn’t block the street. Plus, many, many trees.
There's a lot to get excited about.
We hope this vision can inspire everyday people to imagine what’s possible, show elected officials there’s a demand for real change that benefits their constituents, and give the Department of Transportation license to do something truly amazing on this corridor.
Check out the campaign page below and then take action by sending a letter to elected officials and the DOT to tell them it’s time to reimagine West 72nd Street and put people first.
