NYC DOT Seeks Public Feedback on Comprehensive Proposal to Redesign Canal Street to Enhance Safety, Bicycle Connections, and Access to Public Space

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IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 16, 2025 Contact: (212) 839-4850, [email protected]

NYC DOT Seeks Public Feedback on Comprehensive Proposal to Redesign Canal Street to Enhance Safety, Bicycle Connections, and Access to Public Space

Three People Have Been Killed and Another 200 Injured, Including 23 Severely, in Traffic Crashes Along Canal Street Between 2020 and 2024

City to Hold Community Workshops for New Yorkers to Learn More About New Design Proposal and Share Ideas for Improving Canal Street

Pedestrians along Canal Street. Credit: NYC DOT

NEW YORK - New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez today announced the agency seeks public feedback on a comprehensive proposal to redesign Canal Street in Manhattan, one of New York City's most complex, busy, and congested corridors. The new block-by-block design proposal encompasses the entirety of Canal Street from West Street to Bowery. The redesign will help to reduce pedestrian crowding, improve sidewalk access, enhance crossing safety, simplify complex intersections, create open space, and improve connections to the existing bicycle network. The agency developed the proposed treatments following extensive community outreach. A robust traffic analysis showed the proposed treatments would lead to shorter pedestrian crossing distances and reduced cut-through traffic at major intersections. The proposal would also simplify travel for drivers by reducing conflicts with pedestrians, encouraging through traffic to avoid smaller side streets, and simplifying complicated intersections across the corridor. New Yorkers will have the opportunity to share their feedback on the proposal in-person at five community workshops, the first of which begin this week. Feedback may also be shared digitally after viewing the proposal online and completing the online survey

"Every New Yorker deserves safe streets, and that is why this proposal for Canal Street aims to turn a high-crash, highway-like corridor into a street that is safer for everyone," said NYC DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. "Through the planning process, we will gather important public feedback on how the future design of this street can improve safety for everyone, ease congestion, and increase economic growth. I encourage everyone to ensure their voices are heard through our upcoming workshops."

NYC DOT is proposing to install painted curb extensions for shorter, safer crossings at nearly 30 locations across the entire corridor. New high-visibility crosswalks would be installed at seven locations, which use patterns that are visible to both drivers and pedestrians from farther away compared to traditional crosswalks. Proposed concrete islands would be added at Sixth Avenue and at Mott Street to help shorten crossing distances, provide refuge space for pedestrians, and better direct vehicle flow. The proposed redesign would relieve pedestrian crowding with full block sidewalk extensions along Canal Street at 14 locations.

Canal Street as it currently exists includes narrow sidewalks and few public spaces for pedestrians to circulate. The agency is proposing to add more public space and create better pedestrian connections by closing Walker Street from Baxter Street to Canal Street. Curb regulations may also be updated to relocate parking and loading from Canal Street to side streets in order to rebalance vehicle space with public space. The agency is exploring upgrades on Church Street from Canal to Franklin Street that prioritize open space.

A key east-west corridor, Canal Street would benefit from several important bike connections to existing paths including the Hudson River Greenway, the Manhattan and Williamsburg bridges, Grand Street, Centre Street, and Lafayette Street. This proposal will show ways to create a two-way protected bike lane from the Hudson River Greenway to the Manhattan Bridge. Where protected bike lanes were installed, the agency saw an 18.1 percent reduction of total traffic deaths and serious injuries, and pedestrian deaths and serious injuries dropped by 29.1 percent.

NYC DOT will host five upcoming in-person workshops for New Yorkers to share direct feedback on these proposals.

The agency also encourages New Yorkers to view the proposal online and share any thoughts through the online survey.

Pedestrians along Canal Street. Credit: NYC DOT

In-Person

on-street at Canal Street and Watts Street

on-street at Canal Street and 6th Avenue

on-street at Canal Street and Walker Street

on-street at Canal Street and Walker Street

P.S. 130 The De Soto School
(143 Baxter Street, New York, NY 10013)

Location to follow wherever the on-street workshop was rained out. If there is no rain during any of the planned on-street workshops, these rain dates will not occur.

Friday, October 3rd from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Sunday, October 5th from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.