Help Redesign Park Avenue, City Asks New Yorkers

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — Work is set to begin on a massive, 20-year project to rebuild parts of Grand Central Terminal, and the construction may give the city the chance to restore Park Avenue to its former glory.

As the name suggests, Park Avenue was once home to wide, plant-covered pedestrian malls, but the medians were narrowed in 1927 to add extra lanes of car traffic.

Starting early next year, the $2 billion rehabilitation of the Grand Central train shed will force the city to tear up a stretch of the avenue as they repair tunnels and the 1.8-mile Park Avenue viaduct.

That provides an opportunity to reimagine a stretch of Park Avenue between Grand Central and 57th Street, including the possibility of widening the malls to allow pedestrian access once again.

An online portal launched last Monday by the Department of Transportation gives an overview of the avenue's history, lists some possible improvements and includes a survey where New Yorkers can weigh in on which version they like best.

As @MetroNorth begins its Grand Central Terminal Train Shed rehab, the City seeks to reimagine Park Ave between 46th and 57th Sts. Tell us what you'd like to see on this stretch of Park Ave!

Learn more here: https://t.co/Vt4cOkxEVX pic.twitter.com/JpaBIB64zx
— NYC DOT (@NYC_DOT) December 21, 2020

Options include leaving the medians as-is, expanding them slightly, or expanding them significantly to add walkable paths, public art, events, tables and chairs, concessions and even bike lanes.

The MTA's Grand Central repairs will disrupt Metro-North train service and close some streets and sidewalks along the avenue, starting with East 47th and 48th streets. The train shed needs repairs because its metal and concrete have been worn down over the years by water and de-icing chemicals, according to officials.

Read more about "Re-imagining Park Avenue" and fill out the survey at the DOT website.