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WALK THIS WAY: City Hall is out to convert Vanderbilt Avenue into a pedestrian mall. (
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Mayor Bloomberg yesterday strongly defended a plan to turn a five-block street outside Grand Central into a pedestrian plaza, saying the area could benefit from fewer cars and more walking.
And besides, he added, drivers hardly ever use Vanderbilt Avenue.
“Vanderbilt is a street with virtually no traffic,” he said.
“You’ve got to stop and say, ‘What are the streets for?’ They are for transportation. What is the basic first kind of transportation? It’s walking.”
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But before the city makes any changes to the street, officials need to examine whether emergency vehicles could access Grand Central.
“Rest assured, we will make sure emergency vehicles can get in,” Bloomberg said in response to concerns voiced by the MTA, which owns the terminal.
Congested Midtown could also use new places for people to kick back without choking on exhaust fumes, he said.
“Here’s a neighborhood that would benefit from having another place for people to congregate,” said Bloomberg, who in 2009 closed down the heart of Times Square to vehicular traffic.
Bloomberg — who typically favors the subway and his private jet for transportation — said he doesn’t think Manhattanites should be driving around anyway.
“I’m not kidding. I mean, why on earth would you have a car that’s going to cost you more to park than your apartment?” he said.
Another part of the plan would rezone the area around Grand Central to encourage new development in place of older buildings.
The agency plans to bring the proposal to Community Board 5 for approval.