Bike-Friendly Makeover Of Park Avenue Moves Ahead

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — Park Avenue is set to lose several traffic lanes to make room for wider medians, pedestrian space and a protected bike path under an updated city plan unveiled Thursday.

The redesign covers 11 blocks between East 46th and East 57th streets, according to Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the New York City Department of Transportation.

The latest version of the plan would remove one car lane in each direction and convert an additional southbound lane into a two-way protected bike lane running alongside the median.

“New Yorkers asked us to make more room for people to walk, bike and enjoy their city, and we listened,” Mamdani said. “By expanding our medians, adding greenery and seating and creating a dedicated protected bike connection, we are making Park Avenue safer and more beautiful for everyone who uses it.”

As Patch previously reported, the city unveiled two possible versions of the Park Avenue makeover in April.

Both versions proposed removing one travel lane in each direction to create larger medians with plantings, pedestrian paths, seating and new crosswalks. At the time, officials were still studying possible bike lanes, including a north-south route through the expanded median.

The updated design instead places the bike lane in dedicated roadway space alongside the median, separating cyclists from the pedestrian-focused public areas.

The avenue’s medians will be widened to accommodate new seating, landscaping, temporary art and other amenities. New crosswalks will also connect the medians along the corridor, according to the city’s plan.

The overhaul is tied to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s ongoing rehabilitation of the Grand Central Terminal train shed, which sits directly beneath that section of Park Avenue.

As Metro-North replaces and waterproofs the structure below the roadway, the city plans to rebuild the avenue above it.

Park Avenue’s medians were narrowed in 1927 to accommodate more vehicle traffic, according to DOT. The city began seeking public input on the latest redesign in 2025.

“Today marks an important step toward transforming Park Avenue into a world-class boulevard that works for people, not just cars,” Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal said.

The project is funded through the East Midtown Public Realm Improvement Fund, which was created as part of the 2017 Greater East Midtown rezoning and receives contributions from nearby commercial development projects.

City officials did not announce a construction timeline for the full 11-block redesign Thursday.

See the previous version of the plans here.

For questions, email Miranda.Levingston@Patch.com.