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Will The Times Square Redesign Ruin New Year's Eve?
By
Max Rivlin-Nadler
Published Dec 23, 2013
Modified Dec 23, 2013
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By
Max Rivlin-Nadler
Published Dec 23, 2013
Modified Dec 23, 2013
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Starting last year, the city began a three year project that will make permanent the pedestrian plazas that the Bloomberg administration championed for Times Square. But will this project ruin New Year's Eve for those celebrating the Gregorian calendar by corralling themselves outdoors in a horrifically crowded holding pen surrounded by drunken yahoos urinating into plastic bags? The Post certainly thinks so.
Half-finished streets may possibly inconvenience revelers next week. “The asphalt on the 43rd and 44th street blocks is in preparation for New Year’s Eve. It’s a temporary fix,” the Time Square Alliance told The Post. “It’ll remain in place there until the Super Bowl, and construction will continue next spring.”
Two retailers told the tabloid that the construction has been a "headache," and after reading the article one can't help but conclude that the city should immediately halt all public works projects, so that no one is ever inconvenienced again. But according to the Mayor's office, the project was never supposed to be done by this time.
Reached for comment, Bloomberg spokesman Marc LaVorgna told us via email: "Please send me a link to anything noting where the City stated the entire project would be completed by end of 2013." We're still looking, but in the meantime here's a link to the Post's dire warnings about the pedestrian plaza from two years ago. WHY didn't we listen to them then, and what ever will we do on New Year's Eve NOW?!
Mayor Bloomberg will be cutting the ribbon (he's really trying to fit all these in) on the first completed part of the pedestrian plaza later this morning.
Tagged
bloomberg
new year's eve
Times Square
Max Rivlin-Nadler
Max Rivlin-Nadler has been a contributor to Gothamist since 2013. He has also reported for the New York Times, NPR, and The Intercept. His years-long investigation into New York City's arcane civil forfeiture laws led to a series of reforms which altered a practice that had been taking millions from poor communities for decades. Recently, he brought back a surfing habit from a few years on the west coast, and would love to see you all out in the Rockaways.
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