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Methuga t1_ivwnmwg wrote

That's definitely what it is. When the change first happened, you'd see everyone still crowded on the regular sidewalk, then one brave soul would confidently step out and walk, then you would see more people slowly file out onto the new lane behind him/her. Not everyone's gotten the hang of it, but at least between 40th and 50th, it's pretty well used now

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ericje t1_ivwvkmb wrote

They should make it an actual sidewalk. In some places it's very easy for bikes to bike there, which they'll do if pedestrians are blocking the actual bike path. Like in front of the New Yorker hotel, where they designed it such that people get out of cabs right on the bike path 🙄.

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mapoftasmania t1_ivy1dxy wrote

They can’t. FDNY and other first responders need to be able to pull in there if there is a fire/emergency.

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huebomont t1_ivylajn wrote

They absolutely can widen sidewalks (in many cases the current sidewalks are far narrower than they used to be.) Plenty of streets way narrower than this. FDNY’s guidance isn’t based on anything but being too lazy to analyze in detail any real potential problems and taking the shortcut of “the status quo needs to stay the same”.

The intent with all painted sidewalk space is that it’s a footprint for future capital projects to build in concrete with a curb. The city just doesn’t have the money to do it because pouring a little concrete costs a billion dollars here thanks to corruption and graft.

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