St. closures near The Rock irk fi refi ghters union
A general view during the 86th annual Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on Wednesday,
Nov. 28, 2018, in New York.
to the growing numbers of holiday
visitors at Rockefeller Center in recent
years, which has created “a real safety
issue” and a “congestion problem.”
The pedestrian spaces will be in effect
for parts of the day from Friday,
Nov. 29, through Wednesday, Jan. 1, de
Blasio said.
The city originally announced plans
for extra pedestrian space along Fifth
Avenue in an October letter sent to a
local community board, but once word
AP PHOTO
of it became public, de Blasio initially
backpedaled, saying it was prematurely
leaked by someone with an “agenda” at
the Department of Transportation.
With additional reporting by
Vincent Barone.
BY ROBERT POZARYCKI
The head of the union representing
thousands of New York City
fi refi ghters blasted the city’s
plans to close several blocks near the
Rockefeller Center Christmas tree
starting later this week.
FDNY-Uniformed Firefi ghters Association
President Gerard Fitzgerald said
Sunday that he has “deep health and
safety concerns” regarding the expanded
pedestrian plaza plan, which aims to
accommodate the tens of thousands of
visitors who converge upon Rockefeller
Center during holiday season.
The road closures, Fitzgerald
charged, will compound the normal
holiday related gridlock in Manhattan,
making it more diffi cult for emergency
vehicles to navigate the area and
respond to various emergencies. He
also claimed that the city “failed to adequately
notify” the FDNY companies
in the immediate vicinity of Rockefeller
Center, which would be most impacted
by the changes.
“The move to increase ‘pedestrian
space’ surrounding Rockefeller Center
is misguided and makes this city less
safe — plain and simple,” Fitzgerald
said in a statement. “As it is, traffi c is
interfering with our fi refi ghters abilities
to reach the scene of a fi re, but this
new plan will have wide-felt repercussions
in the form of traffi c from river
to river. We all want pedestrian safety,
but a key component of safety for all is
the ability for New York’s fi rst responders
to reach the scene of an emergency,
and this is not the best way to ensure
the safety of New York’s over-8 million
residents and millions of holiday visitors.”
In response to Fitzgerald’s charge,
a Fire Department spokesperson told
amNewYork Sunday, “As has happened
every year during the holiday season,
the Department will work closely with
NYPD and DOT to ensure both the
safety of New Yorkers and visitors, and
that our members can quickly respond
to emergencies in and around Rockefeller
Center.”
Will Baskin-Gerwitz, a City Hall
spokesman, added, “Keeping New
Yorkers safe across the city throughout
the holiday is of the utmost importance.
The NYPD and Department of Transportation
employees on the ground at
Rockefeller Center will have the fl exibility
to re-open lanes of traffi c as necessary
in the event of an emergency.”
The plan, which Mayor Bill de Blasio
announced Friday during an appearance
on WNYC-AM radio, involves
converting two traffi c lanes along Fifth
Avenue near Rockefeller Center into
added pedestrian space. Cars along
Fifth Avenue will also be prohibited
from accessing 49th and 50th Streets
during certain hours of the day.
De Blasio said the plan is in response
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