‘Smart Curbs’ program could bring more pedestrian friendly streets to the Upper West Side

An area of the Upper West Side stretching from 72nd to 86th streets between Central Park West and Broadway would serve as the location for the pilot program.

Curb space on the Upper West Side is poised for a major redesign in the new year that could add more bicycle parking, delivery load zones and outdoor dining, and the Department of Transportation is asking local residents for feedback.

A 15-block stretch of the neighborhood will serve as the pilot for the city’s “Smart Curbs” program, which aims to reimagine how the city uses one of its most valuable resources: curb space, which is now mostly dedicated to vehicle parking.

“As our city evolves, it’s clear our curb space no longer reflects New Yorkers’ needs,” Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi said in a press release. “Our curbs need to be smarter, and that education is happening through using new methods and technologies that can reduce friction and provide New Yorkers with more usable space. At the same time, this new approach will improve safety and access to small businesses, putting some of our greatest and underappreciated assets to better use.”

The program, which was announced in September, is part of a larger citywide initiative to make New York’s streets more pedestrian-friendly. It also comes as officials move forward with plans to disrupt both parking and driving in the city by charging passenger-car drivers $15 and truck drivers $24-$36 for entering the Central Business District below 60th Street.

The congestion-pricing plan will doubtless make parking even scarcer on the Upper West Side and other neighborhoods outside of the CBD. The “Smart Curbs” program concedes the initiative will mean eliminating an untold number of parking spaces. The city’s transportation department said in a press release that the Upper West Side became the subject of the pilot because of its high density and the fact that nearly three-fourths of its households do not own a car.

“In every corner of the city, this incredibly valuable real estate is languishing as free, long-term storage for private vehicles,” Carl Mahaney, director of Open Plans' Streetopia Upper West Side, said in the press release. “Meanwhile, congestion, traffic violence, climate change, and public space needs intensify.”

Neighborhood residents can give their input on the curb space redesign during an in-person workshop at P.S. 9 Sarah Anderson on Jan. 8, or during a virtual workshop on Jan. 10. The city is also providing an online form where Upper West Siders can submit feedback on curb-related issues such as double parking and truck deliveries.