Riding the Slow Wave

The new Times Square design turned out to be just one of the many projects to slow down New York and make it a livable and environmentally friendly place. In April 2007 Mayor Bloomberg and Janette Sadik Khan, the then newly inaugurated transportation commissioner and a passionate cyclist took on the challenge of the transportation sector. All around the city there is change to observe: pedestrian space marked-out by bollards and potted plants, bus lanes on major traffic arteries, bike lanes, the outline of an all-mode street design policy after the ideas of Copenhagen, and a street-opening event called Summer Streets that already goes in its second year, copying a similar event in Bogota. But listen and see for yourself.

Janette Sadik Khan outlining the scheme on the Urban Age conference in Sao Paulo in December 2008.

Summer Streets 2009, not in Times Square, but on a length of seven miles Park Avenue down to Brooklyn Bridge. For three consecutive Saturdays in August the road is closed for motorized traffic and becomes a place of strolling, cycling, dancing, sports and play.

And last but not least there are a few pics of Times Square and places around town in a video of the walk21 conference fall 2009 which was held in New York City. For more films and news about livable streets please visit http://www.streetfilms.org/