A New Normal Needed on the Streets Around Trump Tower

With no signs of the protests outside of Trump Tower going away, Nicole Gelinas has a suggestion for Mayor Bill de Blasio.

1 minute read

November 18, 2016, 10:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Trump Protests

a katz / Shutterstock

Nicole Gelinas writes a column imagining a win-win solution for the city as it confronts the effects of the indefinite protest going on outside Trump Tower in New York City. There it's clear, writes Gelinas, that things aren't going back to normal anytime soon.

Fifty-sixth Street between Madison and Sixth avenues is closed to traffic (car and foot).

On Fifth Avenue, two vehicle lanes are closed. Madison has one lane closed.

Those are just a few of the problems emerging from the new state of affairs around Trump Tower, and Gelinas has a suggestion for a quick fix:

Ban all traffic except yellow cabs (whose owners have already paid to use the city’s densest streets), delivery vehicles and city buses, from 58th to 48th streets. Drivers prefer constrained predictability to unconstrained chaos.

According to Gelinas, the idea would leave room for deliveries at night, make considerations for business owners in the area, make room for pedestrians, and clean the place up a little bit.

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