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Plagued by congestion—largely caused by bikes parked or riding through the Sherman Square Pedestrian Plaza outside the McDonald’s area at 2049 Broadway, between West 70th and 71st Streets—and after back-and-forth discussions with the Department of Transportation to improve public safety, construction officially began on Friday, November 21, on the 71st Street bike corrals.
Four new bike corrals will be installed directly in front of 234 Amsterdam Avenue, between West 70th and 71st Streets, with the capacity to support about 24 to 30 bicycles. Existing bike racks are also planned for removal to alleviate congestion in the plaza and direct bikes to a designated area marked with protected, light-brown paint on Amsterdam Avenue. The concept is part of a proposed ten-measure plan developed by the 71st Street Block Association following the 2024 Halloween night shooting outside the McDonald’s—a location that has seen multiple shootings since 2021—with the goal of reducing chaos and congestion on this heavily trafficked stretch.
“We are pleased to see the implementation of the bike corral and look forward to continuing to work with everyone to make the plaza safer and more attractive,” said Katina Ellison, West 71st Street Block Association co-president. “This is the first step toward that goal. The challenge will be to see to it that no bikes are parked or ridden on the plaza!” Ellison also expressed their gratitude to Community Board 7, the Department of Transportation, and “our elected officials for helping make this happen.”
Also included in the plan to improve the safety and cleanliness of the Sherman Square Pedestrian Plaza are increasing police presence near the McDonald’s, as well as having a McDonald’s security guard on the premises between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. ILTUWS has observed security inside the McDonald’s, and the block association continues to work with McDonald’s management to keep it effective. They are also working to remove Little Italy’s sidewalk café seating and garbage bins that sit on the street. Additionally, they would like to see vendors removed from the area where they block walking paths, though the fruit stand and existing newspaper stand are acceptable. Daily sidewalk cleaning, the installation and enforcement of sanitation containers, are also part of their goals for a better plaza.
ILTUWS contacted the DOT to ask about the timeline for the completion of the bike corrals and was told they would follow up with more details.
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