Bloomberg's Times Square has to go Gerald to Suzannah B. Troy

Hi Suzannah,

I read your blog .... loved it!  Could you please write something about how the Mayor has totally screwed up Times Square by turning the busy thoroughfare into a pedestrian mall for tourists.  How does the street painted green give tourists the New York experience, and do the economic gains  - if any - outweigh the losses caused by the inconvenience of re-routing traffic and transit to accommodate the busiest street in the world (Shibuya in Tokyo, notwithstanding) now turned into a mall?

The mayor has never produced any study that predicts gains in revenue for the city that would outweigh the costs associated with closing the street.  And now that the plan has been in effect for some time now, I would expect to see some results in the form of a program evaluation.

The other problem I have with closure is that even revenue gains don't justify tampering with an institution like Times Square.  If you're traveling in midtown, Broadway is now "wrong way" because you'll have to circumnavigate the entire area just to get across town.

Basically, we need to get him out of office.  The man has no vision and no creativity.  You create the mall to bring traffic to an area that is underutilized.  Times Square does not need this type of enhancement.  It will be many years or even decades before we can reclaim this street and reverse this massive urban planning blunder.

Feel free to use my comments if you like.

Thanks, 
Gerald


Dear Gerald,


You are an excellent writer and I agree with you about Mike Bloomberg.  I was  forefront of the YouTube resistance against Mike Bloomberg stealing a third term and I agree about his lack of vision.
http://suzannahbtroy.blogspot.com/2010/06/mayor-bloombergs-other-more-insidious.html
Some where I have a picture of sun bathers sitting in the pollution and grime of Times Square but if you look at this photo on Broadway just below 23rd Street you can see Mike Bloomberg has made if possible for corporate America to buy advertising space and Bloomberg arranges for all kinds of stunts like the huge cones pictured in the photo including in our public parks as he does his best to limit and sweep vendors out.  


I think of Mike Bloomberg as Chauncey Gardener in Being There, very bland but above average intelligence and we are living in some comedy horror show.   I agree Mike Bloomberg must go.


Thanks for your email and stay in touch!
I look forward to reading more of your writing.


best,
Suzannah