Parts Of 32nd, 33rd Streets Closed Near Penn Station For Temporary Pedestrian Plaza
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Crossing the street at rush hour outside of Penn Station can be an enterprise fraught with peril, so New York City is trying to make it a little less perilous with a new pedestrian plaza.
As 1010 WINS' John Montone reported, people pouring out of Penn Station on Friday morning loved the sidewalk extension on West 32nd Street between Sixth and Seventh avenues, where a northbound lane of the road was closed for pedestrians.
"It really clears up traffic on the commute, rush hour -- don't bump into people," said one woman.
"We love it! More space," said another woman.
But across the street from the walkway, bus drivers said 32nd Street is way too tight, and they point to the paths some pedestrians choose to take.
"People still walk in the middle of the street," said one driver.
"They walk here on the curb while the bus is moving, and you've got to watch them," said another bus driver.
"It would be nicer if the mayor spent time teaching them how to cross the street," said another driver.
And as for the benches on the sidewalk extension, one driver called them beds for the homeless, Montone reported.
The city also completely closed 33rd Street from Seventh Avenue to just east of the Madison Square Garden loading dock to create a pedestrian plaza.
City Department of Transportation officials said the move was in an effort to alleviate heavy flows of foot traffic around the transportation hub.
Both streets will return to their pre-closure condition around Oct. 11, the DOT said.