At the very southern end of West Street at Battery Place, the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) has created an open, tree-lined pedestrian area called "Promenade South." The project includes a new plaza area, better crosswalks, a bikeway, and a rebuilt entrance to the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel.
Click here to learn more about this project in depth.
The major components of Promenade South were completed in late June 2006. Landscaping, drainage, signage, and other minor elements will wrap up in late July 2007, including final utility upgrades in the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel (night work only).
While city DOT is typically responsible for street and sidewalk construction projects in the five boroughs, the state is responsible for highways such as Route 9A (also known as West Street).
Pedestrians who have traveled from the Bowling Green area to the Battery and Battery Park City in years past remember the difficult crossing situation at West Street. The area was originally built to accommodate the heavy vehicular traffic to and from the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel. NYSDOT and other agencies recognized the increasing pedestrian traffic at the intersection of West Street and Battery Place and have designed a more foot-traffic-friendly “promenade” -- which will also manage the cars, trucks, and buses that continually traverse the intersection.
