Lights, crosswalk, action. While some work still needs to be done — light street paving and painting — the strip of West 72nd Street between Columbus and Amsterdam avenues now features a working mid-block crosswalk, along with streetlights in both directions. Anna Correa, a spokesperson for the DOT, told ILTUWS in September, “This new mid-block crossing will make access significantly easier while improving safety for both pedestrians and drivers.”
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The addition has come with a side of salacious sidewalk chatter on the matter. Two gentlemen who run deliveries from Queens to 72nd Street daily told ILTUWS they didn’t see the need for the additional traffic lights. “I gotta stop real fast sometimes, and it’s not even that busy,” one of them said. On Wednesday, another delivery driver’s van was unknowingly obstructing the crosswalk path, blocking the crosswalk signal from pedestrians’ view on the sidewalk. When we asked the deliveryman if he was aware of the crosswalk, he responded, “Oh no, wow, that’s new. I’ll move it right now.” The absence of crosswalk paint likely contributed to his unawareness of the work in progress. DOT told us they expect the work to be completed this fall — and they’re not far off.
“Oh, well, it’s about time,” said a local named Peggy, who was picking up her lunch. “There’s a lot more activity on this street now than there used to be in recent years.”
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Westland Roe at 174 West 72nd Street took over the decade-plus void left by P.D. Hurleys, which closed in 2013. Open until 4 a.m., with food served until 3 a.m., it has brought back some of 72nd Street’s sizzle. Reverie Room, the performance space that opened above the 24-hour market at 163 West 72nd, hosts all sorts of events where the afterparty can spill onto the sidewalk as people plan for next steps, similar to the Triad Theater on the other side of the street. Malka, the Israeli restaurant led by celeb chef Eyal Shani at 161, also has an excellent evening scene, with great food. The block is bustling right now, so it’s no surprise why City Councilmember Gale Brewer advocated for the additional work.“This will help calm traffic and facilitate safer crossing for pedestrians,” wrote Brewer, who shared a PDF of her advocacy for the installation of a crosswalk with a streetlight in an April letter to Ydanis Rodriguez, the New York City Department of Transportation commissioner. “Residents and businesses agree that pedestrians regularly jaywalk in the middle of West 72nd, which is an untenable and dangerous situation for pedestrians and drivers alike.”
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