Pedestrian Mall Sees Double Standard

Many New Yorkers say the pedestrian malls that have blocked off Broadway to traffic at Times and Herald squares are a good idea – in theory. When pressed, most of them admitted to a “not in my backyard” stance, saying they wouldn’t want a similar space in their own neighborhood. This, according to a Quinnipiac poll.

Walkways or “pedestrian malls” have attracted tourists and local workers in droves, mostly during lunch hours, since the opening in May. A poll revealed that about 58 percent of Big Apple residents approve of such developments.

Quinnipiac polling director Maurice Carroll is quick to add that most people love the idea of Times Square full of lawn chairs instead of cars. The irony? 57 percent of the 1,290 people interviewed said they wouldn’t want a pedestrian mall in the same area in which they lived.

How odd. Someone should be asking them why.