Broadway to Remain Closed to Traffic in Times Square

After a trial run instituted by Mayor Bloomberg last year, Broadway will remain permanently closed to traffic in Times Square according to The Associated Press.

Last year, the city closed off two sections of Broadway to New York City to drivers in Times Square and Herald Squares in an effort to reduce congestion in these pedestrian-heavy intersections, largely due to the presence of the Broadway Theatre houses drawing in hundreds of thousands each night.

The aim of the project was to improve flow of traffic along Seventh Avenue and Avenue of the Americas, making the trip down Seventh Avenue, from 59th to 23rd Street, up to 17 percent faster than before. It also looked to reduce pollution and increase safety.

In an effort to eliminate car traffic and make the squares more pedestrian-friendly, table-and-chair "pedestrian plazas" were installed in the middle of the streets where road used to be, and where, on any given day, hundreds of New Yorkers now gather with coffee cups and pizza boxes.

The Department of Transportation has been working to gather results data gathered from studying taxis routes using the GPS systems placed in the cabs.  Mayor Michael Bloomberg is expected to make an official announcement about the plans shortly. Reports claim that the city will release the data today.