Mayor Eric Adams announced in Midtown on Sunday that NYC will be investing at least $150 million to help change the look of Fifth Avenue and make it a pedestrian paradise all year round.
The mayor said at a Dec. 8 press conference with area stakeholders, including the Future for Fifth Partnership and the Fifth Avenue Association, that the world-famous thoroughfare will undergo a $152.7 million redesign to make navigating the roadway on foot easier for New Yorkers and visitors.
The plan includes reducing the number of traffic lanes from five to three. This will enable the city to upgrade major sewer lines, improve crosswalks and, perhaps most importantly, widen the sidewalks by 46% to accommodate the crush of holiday visitors this time of year.
“Anyone who has been on Fifth Avenue lately knows that our sidewalks just can’t keep passing with the numbers of people walking up and down the sidewalks and looking at the beautiful shops and businesses that are here,” Mayor Adams said.
The changes will be implemented along 5th Avenue between Bryant Park and Central Park, a stretch that includes landmarks like Rockefeller Center and St. Patrick’s Cathedral and an array of extravagant shops from Louis Vuitton to Bergdorf Goodman and beyond.
In addition, the city will also brighten up 5th Avenue with additional lights and 20 blocks of new street trees in planters.
“We know that this is a beautiful place to stroll, and we want to make sure you enjoy it, take your time, and appreciate what Fifth Avenue has to offer,” Adams said.
Fifth Avenue is currently 100 feet wide, with five lanes of vehicular traffic and two 23-foot sidewalks. Even though pedestrians make up 70% of all traffic on the corridor, sidewalks account for only 46% of the space, according to city measurements.
Adams said that on an average day, each block sees approximately 5,500 pedestrians an hour; during the holidays, that number nearly quadruples to up to 23,000 people an hour.
Officials said Fifth Avenue can no longer accommodate its current volume of street traffic. Adams added that the redesign will also make the avenue more accommodating for business and job growth.
Madelyn Wils of the Fifth Avenue Association said the plan would also give the popular corridor a more modern look.
“This historic investment is the start of a brand-new chapter for Fifth Avenue that will see this iconic street transform from an outdated and over-crowded road, into a beautiful tree-lined boulevard that puts pedestrians first, befitting of the most famous avenue in the world,” she said.
Officials said the design and study—and schematic design—are underway; it’s scheduled to be completed by next summer.
“There’s no question that this significant financial commitment represents the administration’s concrete commitment to advancing this new vision for Fifth Avenue,” said Fred Cerullo, president and CEO of the Grand Central Partnership. “We look forward to continuing to work with the city and our midtown stakeholders on the next phase of this project, which will provide more open spaces for pedestrians and promote increased economic activity along this iconic corridor.”
