Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Mayor Adams unveils $150M plan to transform 5th Avenue into pedestrian-centered boulevard
By
Phil Corso
Published Dec 8, 2024
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Courtesy Mayor Eric Adams' office
By
Phil Corso
Published Dec 8, 2024
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Mayor Eric Adams on Sunday announced a $152.7 million investment to transform Fifth Avenue from Bryant Park to Central Park into a pedestrian-friendly boulevard.
The redesign will expand sidewalks by 46%, reduce traffic lanes and add greenery, creating a safer, more walkable space, City Hall said. The project aims to give a boost to Fifth Avenue’s economic output, which generates $44 billion in wages annually and supports 313,000 jobs, the mayor said.
"Fifth Avenue has and will always be the economic engine of our city for the past 200 years," Adams said during the announcement. "And today, we’re putting high-octane fuel in that engine to take us the next 200 years."
The revamped corridor will feature 230 new trees, 20,000 square feet of planters and improved lighting and seating, inspired by other iconic streets like Paris’ Champs Élysées, the mayor's office said.
In a statement, City Hall said the project will “pay for itself in less than five years through increased property and sales tax revenue."
Fifth Avenue currently accommodates up to 23,000 pedestrians per hour during peak times. The redesign will double pedestrian space and shorten crossing distances by a third, City Hall said.
“This historic investment is the start of a brand-new chapter for Fifth Avenue that will see this iconic street transform from an outdated and over-crowded road, into a beautiful tree-lined boulevard that puts pedestrians first, befitting of the most famous avenue in the world,” said Madelyn Wils, interim president of the Fifth Avenue Association and co-chair of the Future of Fifth Steering Committee. “Every holiday season, our sidewalks are heaving with people spilling into the roadbed and Fifth Avenue can simply no longer accommodate the people on it.”
Construction will begin after design completion in 2025, with underground infrastructure upgrades included, Adams said.
Tagged
new york city
public safety
manhattan
Politics
transportation
Phil Corso
Phil Corso is the evening news editor at WNYC/Gothamist. Got a tip? Email [email protected].
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
US judge tosses Trump lawsuit targeting pro-Palestinian protesters in NJ
The Justice Department sued demonstrators who protested at a synagogue, under a law aimed at shielding abortion clinics.
By
Willow Higgins
Published Oct 3, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. ET
A big, bright Saturn will be the highlight of NYC's fall stargazing season
Stargazers will have a great view of Saturn and two meteor showers in October.
By
Rosemary Misdary
News
A big, bright Saturn will be the highlight of NYC's fall stargazing season
Stargazers will have a great view of Saturn and two meteor showers in October.
By
Rosemary Misdary
NYC tow companies busted for ripping off drivers must give $67K in refunds, city says
By
Liam Quigley
Off-duty NYPD officer stabbed in the Bronx, police say
By
Ryan Kost
DOC negligence factored in death at Rikers' Bellevue hospital outpost, jail officials say
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .