NYC 25x25 Plan Would Reclaim ‘13 Central Parks’ From Cars

As reported by Micah Toll, a new plan from Transportation Alternatives known as NYC 25×25 would reclaim “the equivalent of 13 Central Parks worth of public space” from cars. “The proposal calls for 25% of NYC’s street space to be converted into walkable pedestrian plazas, bike lanes, green space, and bus lanes by 2025.”

According to the article, “With traffic-clogged streets moving at an average of 5 mph (8 km/h) in Midtown Manhattan, private automobile transportation in NYC is responsible for a significant portion of the city’s carbon emissions, air pollution, and urban grime.” And despite the fact that the majority of New Yorkers don’t own a car, “NYC currently has around 3 million free parking spots lining its streets, which is more than the number of cars registered in the city.” As Toll writes, “Repurposing street space would help to both clean the city and better serve its residents.”

The article notes that “Transportation Alternatives’ plan for NYC would see the creation of 500 miles (800 km) of dedicated bus lanes, another 500 miles of protected bike lanes, new secure garbage containers to prevent the piling of garbage mounds on sidewalks, and widespread community use of car-free roads.”