Think N.Y.C.’s Roads Are Crowded? Good Luck on the Sidewalks.
A researcher has measured how “claustrophobic” New York’s sidewalks are by gathering data on all of the people, benches, trash cans, bus shelters, bicycle racks and clutter in the way.
Any New Yorker who regularly walks around the city quickly learns which sidewalks are a pleasure to navigate and which are more like obstacle courses. Some are wide enough to stroll two, maybe three people across. Some are so narrow and crowded that it’s easier to just walk in the street, despite the danger.
Claustrophobic sidewalks, by Franchi’s definition, are those that have many pedestrians and city structures such as bus stop shelters (2,030 in Queens, for example), trash cans (more than 9,600 in Manhattan), bicycle racks (more than 12,000 in Brooklyn), trees (more than 151,000 in Staten Island) and fire hydrants (more than 15,000 in the Bronx).
