In a rare moment of sanity, Broadway in the Garment District recently experienced a reprieve from drug addicts and predatory vagrants. Merchants, employees, and shoppers were delighted as an “experiment” cleared the so-called “pedestrian plazas” from West 36th Street to West 41st for about 10 days.
The question now is: how long will this embrace of common sense, civic order, and public safety last? The urban ideologues and bike enthusiasts who think they know what’s best for our streets could learn something from the plaza fiasco, if they would listen to the people whose lives were negatively impacted by their takeover of public property.
Like other parts of Broadway, the Garment District blocks were modified by the Department of Transportation to make room for bike lanes, Citi Bike racks, and poorly designed plazas filled with pretentious works of art. Unfortunately, the plazas quickly became magnets for drug dealers, addicts, and mentally unstable individuals.
City Hall, the DOT, and their supporters praised these “Broadway Boulevard Plazas” despite the adverse effects on local businesses and law-abiding citizens. The nonprofit Garment District Alliance seemed proud of the quirky art installed in the plazas. But it soon became obvious to everyone that the plazas only extended the squalor and danger already present around Penn Station and Madison Square Garden.
Stores and restaurants in the area suffered from shoplifters and customers feeling intimidated. However, about two weeks ago, someone with the authority to act – although it’s unclear who – responded to the merchants’ complaints and common sense prevailed. As an experiment, the seats and tables in the plazas were removed and cordoned off with yellow tape, effectively getting rid of the menace and depravity.
Employees of nearby shops and offices expressed their joy at the changes. One executive said that 98% of people in the area are happy without the seats, as they made life difficult for clients and employees. Another employee shared that the removal of the chairs has led to a significant improvement, with fewer homeless individuals and less crime.
Shoplifting was a significant issue as well. Homeless and mentally disturbed individuals would occupy the chairs, leading establishments to close down their bathrooms due to drug use. Although some desperate junkies still try to use the chairs that are tied up, the overall consensus among employees is that the seats should be completely removed.
The Garment District Alliance, which may have been involved in the temporary seat removal, claims to be working hard to create attractive and hospitable public spaces. However, they did not respond to requests for comment on how long the plazas will remain without seats. It is said that ongoing conversations are taking place with the city and other stakeholders.
The ideal solution would be to restore Broadway to its original state before the plazas were created. However, since that is unlikely to happen, the best outcome would be plazas without seats or with a larger police presence to deter criminals and maintain safety.
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