“Great sidewalks” in Midtown: this is what the new Ninth Avenue looks like

NEW YORK — New York City has announced new “super sidewalks” along a busy avenue that aim to provide more space for pedestrians as part of a multimillion-dollar improvement plan.

The project is part of a $231 million infrastructure upgrade that includes a street redesign to restore more walkable space on 9th Avenue as well as 14 miles of new water and sewer lines, many of which were installed more than a century ago.

Widened sidewalks on Ninth Avenue join Midtown’s “super sidewalks,” a growing DOT treatment to address busy pedestrian corridors such as Seventh and Eighth Avenues.

“Super sidewalks” are one of the new strategies being used to use public space appropriately and support safe, sustainable and efficient transportation options, city officials said.

“This dynamic redesign of Ninth Avenue is a shining example of the municipal government working together with the community to improve our streets and sidewalks,” said Municipal DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodríguez. “Along with similar excellent work on Seventh and Eighth Avenues, DOT is continually looking for ways to improve the safety of our public realm and address sidewalk congestion by balancing the needs of pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles. .”

Ninth Avenue is already a zero vision priority corridor as it is the commercial center of the Hell’s Kitchen district and is home to many shops, bars and restaurants, resulting in heavy foot traffic. The street has also been popular with cyclists as a southbound route, prompting the city to name a section of the boardwalk the first street in New York to have a protected bike lane across the street in 2007. .

The recently announced project will include an expansion of the painted sidewalk on the east side of Ninth Avenue. Pedestrian safety features will be added, including a mid-block crosswalk, three newly constructed pedestrian islands, and a painted curb extension. The redesign still includes a parking-protected bike lane, as well as a split-phase left-turn and three consistent traffic lanes.

The overhaul began as a large major water project of the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the city’s Design and Construction Department which, from 2012 to 2017, made connections on four Manhattan sights with the Third City Water Tunnel. Upon completion of this work, DEP added to the project more waterlines along a section of Ninth Avenue and, subsequently, a complete reconstruction and redesign of the street.

As part of the project, DEP and DDC installed 18,000 feet of steel main and 51,000 feet of ductile iron main. In addition, 5,000 feet of culverts were replaced along with storm sewers and 650,000 square feet of roadway was rebuilt with curbs and sidewalks.