The city is making more areas open only to pedestrian traffic in Midtown in anticipation of holiday crowds.

According to an NBC News article, New York City plans to bring back and expand its Open Streets program this holiday season to boost local businesses and accommodate traffic to the city’s famous Rockefeller Center Christmas tree and Fifth Avenue shopping district. “Through the holiday season, the city will pedestrianize the streets surrounding Rockefeller Center and Radio City Music Hall, according to city officials. West 49th Street and West 50th Street, between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue, will only be open to pedestrians between 11 a.m. and midnight every day.” The program will cover an area 25 percent larger than last year.
“Mayor Eric Adams said that last year's program drove $3 million in spending to businesses in the midtown area along Fifth Avenue and around Rockefeller Center, where streets get closed to all vehicles during certain times.”
FULL STORY: NYC expands car-free Open Streets plan for midtown during holiday season

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

Indy Neighborhood Group Builds Temporary Multi-Use Path
Community members, aided in part by funding from the city, repurposed a vehicle lane to create a protected bike and pedestrian path for the summer season.

Congestion Pricing Drops Holland Tunnel Delays by 65 Percent
New York City’s contentious tolling program has yielded improved traffic and roughly $100 million in revenue for the MTA.

In Both Crashes and Crime, Public Transportation is Far Safer than Driving
Contrary to popular assumptions, public transportation has far lower crash and crime rates than automobile travel. For safer communities, improve and encourage transit travel.
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