Overview
- Mayor Zohran Mamdani and NYC DOT, in an announcement Monday, proposed closing the plaza’s southern roadway to cars to connect the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Memorial Arch directly to Prospect Park.
- The plan ends the direct Union Street–Eastern Parkway link and converts the inner loop roads to two-way traffic to simplify how drivers move through the area.
- Officials say the redesign reduces pedestrian-vehicle conflict points, brings crossings down to about 24, and creates a continuous, car-free path between the arch and the park.
- Bus-priority upgrades and clearer circulation are aimed at speeding the B41 and B6 routes that carry roughly 32,900 riders each day.
- Public workshops run April 23 and 25 with a virtual session April 29 and online comments accepted through May 31, while the city cites years of advocacy and a crash history of 135 incidents injuring 221 people over the past decade as reasons to act.