Park Avenue Could Get Bike Lanes, Seating In New Redesign

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — A stretch of Park Avenue just below the Upper East Side could soon get a major makeover.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Wednesday unveiled two new design concepts to "put the park back in Park Avenue," focusing on 11 blocks between East 46th and East 57th streets.

For Upper East Siders heading into Midtown for work, errands or transit, the changes could reshape a key gateway into the neighborhood, adding greenery, seating and pedestrian crossings along the avenue.

The proposal would expand the avenue’s central medians, introduce new landscaping and public seating, and add enhanced crosswalks linking the blocks.

"With this new redesign, we are putting the ‘Park’ back into Park Avenue and upgrading Midtown Manhattan by providing residents and visitors alike with more usable public space," Mamdani said in a statement.

Officials are also studying potential bike lanes and other upgrades to make the corridor more friendly for pedestrians and cyclists.

The redesign comes as infrastructure work moves forward beneath the street at Grand Central Terminal, where the Metropolitan Transportation Authority is planning a major rehabilitation of the train shed below Park Avenue.

City officials say the above-ground redesign is being coordinated alongside that work, creating a rare opportunity to rethink both the street and the space beneath it at the same time.

"As the MTA addresses critical infrastructure needs under the roadway, we have a real opportunity to invest in a greener, more accessible and more functional Park Avenue," City Councilmember Virginia Maloney said. "I appreciate the focus on public engagement and look forward to working with DOT and the community to ensure the final design reflects how New Yorkers use this corridor every day."

Plans call for removing one travel lane in each direction to make room for larger medians that could include plantings, pedestrian pathways and possibly a north-south bike route.

New crossings would also be added to connect the medians.

"Working together with our partners across the City and State, we will ensure that New York City’s streets are the envy of the world," Mamdani said.

The New York City Department of Transportation is now seeking public feedback on the new designs, with upcoming events:

• Saturday, May 2, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.: St. Bartholomew’s Church (East 50th Street and Park Avenue)
• Monday, May 4, 7 p.m.: Manhattan Community Board 6 public hearing (virtual, details here)
• Thursday, May 28: Manhattan Community Board 5 public hearing (details forthcoming)

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