Park Avenue Vision Plan

NYC DOT is leading a visioning effort to create a cohesive community-informed redesign for the streetscape of Park Avenue between 46th Street and 57th Street in Manhattan's Midtown East neighborhood. The City aims to transform the avenue into a greener, safer, and more pedestrian-friendly corridor. Key elements of the new design include a wider median, pedestrian enhancements, seating, landscaping, and innovative streetscape amenities.

Upcoming Outreach

Events

NYC DOT is seeking feedback at a series of public events:

  • Wednesday, April 29 from 12pm to 2pm – Two lunch hour tabling events at:
    • Lever House, 54th Street and Park Avenue
    • 425 Park Avenue, 56th Street and Park Avenue
  • Wednesday, April 29 from 5pm to 7pm (rain date is Thursday, April 30 from 5pm to 7pm) – Two rush hour tabling events at:
    • Lever House, 54th Street and Park Avenue
    • 277 Park Avenue, 47th Street and Park Avenue
  • Saturday, May 2 from 10am to 12pm – One weekend event at:
    • St. Barts, 50th Street and Park Avenue
  • Monday, May 4 at 7pm – Manhattan Community Board 6 Meeting (Virtual)
  • Thursday, May 28 at 6pm – Manhattan Community Board 5 Meeting (Virtual)

Survey

Share feedback on the new designs for Park Avenue by taking our Park Avenue Vision Plan: Design Feedback survey via SurveyMonkey.

In Manhattan, cars, yellow taxis and vans travel along Park Avenue. A raised median planted with colorful mums divides the two directions of vehicular traffic.

On This Page

About the Project

NYC DOT has engaged a multidisciplinary design team led by Starr Whitehouse, together with Thornton Tomasetti and TYLin, to work in close collaboration with stakeholders to develop the overall vision plan for Park Avenue. The design team will conduct extensive surveys of existing conditions along the corridor, including utilities and other unique needs, to help unlock the range of design possibilities available.

The Park Avenue visioning process will happen in parallel with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA)'s Metro-North Railroad major capital rehabilitation project. MTA's project will replace and waterproof the Grand Central Terminal's train shed structure directly below this segment of Park Avenue. Learn more about MTA's Grand Central Train Shed Roof Replacement Project on YouTube.

Developing the Vision

Building upon the outreach undertaken by NYC DOT in 2020, which shaped the call for proposals for this design effort, NYC DOT will rely on community input to shape the Park Avenue vision.

In late 2025, NYC DOT and the design team began collecting feedback through surveys, events, and other engagement strategies. Discussions with New Yorkers, local businesses, commuters, elected officials, and other stakeholders will provide valuable information to the project team as conceptual proposals are developed and refined through 2026.

Resources

Park Avenue Vision: Concept Design - presented to Manhattan Community Board 6 on May 4, 2026 (pdf) Park Avenue Vision: Public Workshop Presentation on February 9, 2026 (pdf) Park Avenue Vision Project - presented to Manhattan Community Board 5 on January 26, 2026 (pdf) Park Avenue Vision Project - presented to Manhattan Community Board 6 on January 5, 2026 (pdf) Park Avenue Vision Project - presented to East Midtown Governing Group on December 2, 2025 (pdf) Find previous workshop materials, community board presentations, and other resources online at: nycdotprojects.info/project/park-avenue

The Greater East Midtown Plan (2017) established the East Midtown Public Realm Improvement Fund Governing Group, creating a framework by which new commercial developments and the transfer of development rights contribute to public realm improvements across the district, including this section of Park Avenue.

History

  • 1831: Park Avenue built and named Fourth Avenue.
  • 1888: Planters installed on the medians of 34th Street to 40th Street and the street is renamed Park Avenue. More planters installed over the course of the 19th century.
  • 1927: Grand Central built and medians are narrowed to accommodate more traffic.
  • 2007: NYC DOT and Metro North reach an agreement to install pedestrian traffic signals (walk/don't walk) along a 10-block stretch that did not previously include the signals.
  • 2021: Construction on 270 Park Avenue begins, continuing previous repair and construction efforts to rehabilitate the Grand Central Train Shed led by MTA.
  • 2025: NYC DOT began community engagement with the Park Avenue community through multiple surveys, tabling sessions, and workshops. Landscape architecture firm Starr Whitehouse selected to develop an overall vision for the redesign of Park Avenue. MTA announces partnerships to rebuild Grand Central Train Shed.
  • 2026: NYC DOT and the consultant team conducted a full site assessment of the corridor, hosted initial community engagement sessions, met with various stakeholders, and coordinated with key agency partners. NYC DOT will work with MTA to advance designs of the blocks between 46th and 50th Streets and 50th to 53rd Streets to align with MTA’s train shed reconstruction work.

Contact Us

Questions? Contact the project team via our webform by selecting the topic "Safety Improvements".