DOT: Sidewalk Extension Coming to Orchard and Delancey

The southwest corner of Orchard and Delancey, right outside the Tenement Museum visitors center, is earmarked for a pedestrian-friendly facelift. By summertime, residents and tourists can expect to see the sidewalk extended roughly eight feet into the roadway. Two parking spaces will be eliminated, paving the way for flexible bollards and those large roadblock planters (LES BID is reportedly mandatory maintenance partner for upkeep).

The infrastructural update is part of the Chinatown Curbside Management Study, a nearly three-year-old DOT program that aims to alleviate congestion problems in the neighborhood. This particular location was singled out for its extreme pedestrian crowding due to the museum and its tours. The first phase is a trial period to gauge whether the sidewalk extension could work permanently. Other blockfaces highlighted for change include Mott, Hester, East Broadway, and Catherine Streets.

The other night, DOT officials presented the plan yet again to the transportation subcommittee of Community Board 3. Not much has changed in the approach since the study first began.