Credit: Starr Whitehouse Landscape Architects and Planners
Until the 1920s Park Avenue in Manhattan actually park running through it.
Now, New York City has unveiled a new plan for transforming Park Avenue back into its original natural character, adding trees, benches, and a protected bike lane.
Mayor Mamdani and the NYC Department of Transportation are updating 11 blocks of the wide street, based on feedback from New Yorkers who want more green spaces and safety for cyclists.
The updated boulevard design makes it a “more people-centered corridor” by expanding the avenue’s median, add pedestrian space, seating, and landscaping. Two car lanes are being converted, with one existing southbound vehicle lane being converted into a two-way protected bike lane.
“New Yorkers asked us to make more room for people to walk, bike and enjoy their city, and we listened,” said Mayor Mamdani.
“This final design converts underused median space into vibrant public space while incorporating a dedicated, world-class bike connection that lays the foundation for future bike network upgrades in East Midtown,” explained NYC DOT Commissioner Mike Flynn.
The updated design covers 11 blocks from 46th Street to 57th Street. It would remove one travel lane in each direction and convert a southbound travel lane into a two-way protected bike lane. The expanded medians will accommodate seating, plantings, and public art, with crosswalks connecting along the corridor.
Illustration By: Starr Whitehouse Landscape Architects and Planners -released
The project area sits directly above the Grand Central Terminal train shed, which is undergoing a major capital rehabilitation by Metro-North Railroad. As the MTA replaces and waterproofs the structure below, the City is using the opportunity to transform the avenue above, aligning major infrastructure investment with a broader vision for public space shaped by community input.
“As more people turn to biking and walking as cleaner, more effective modes of transportation, we must continue updating our infrastructure to keep our riders and pedestrians safe,” said NY Congressman Jerrold Nadler.
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“I’m grateful to Mayor Mamdani and Commissioner Flynn for advancing this ambitious reimagining of one of Manhattan’s most iconic thoroughfares, and I look forward to seeing work get underway.”
“The reconstruction of the Grand Central Train Shed is part of the MTA’s commitment to modernize the infrastructure that keeps New Yorkers moving,” said MTA Construction and Development President Jamie Torres-Springer.
“This century-old structure made it possible for Midtown to grow into one of the world’s most important business districts—and now, as we rebuild it, we’re thrilled to partner with the city to deliver a greener, more vibrant public space.”
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