Midtown, Manhattan, New York
New Yorkers and tourists alike can rejoice over extra elbow room this holiday season as they visit the iconic Rockefeller Christmas Tree in Midtown. Mayor de Blasio on Friday announced a temporary expansion of the pedestrian space around Rockefeller Center and Radio City Music Hall to help ensure the safety and comfort of visitors at the famous holiday tree.
“The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree is New York City’s crown jewel during the holidays, and we’re always excited to welcome the world to see it—but when the world descends on Rockefeller Center for a month on end, additional tools are clearly necessary so that our Vision Zero agenda stays in place,” de Blasio said. “This historic announcement pedestrianizing Rockefeller Center will keep holiday revelers safe while ensuring minimal disruption to the rest of the life of the city.”
Officials will be using moveable barriers to help with partial or full street closures to help with foot traffic.
The FDNY-Uniformed Firefighter Association is criticizing the decision to shut down streets around Rockefeller Center for pedestrians during the holidays.
Mayor Bill de Blasio announced last week that the city would expand pedestrian space in the area and close streets to traffic, saying the increasing number of people in the area is “creating a real safety issue.”
Gerald Fitzgerald, president of the firefighters union, put out a statement Sunday saying he believes there will be increased citywide gridlock as a result of the changes — and that gridlock could affect emergency vehicles.
“The move to increase ‘pedestrian space’ surrounding Rockefeller Center is misguided and makes this city less safe – plain and simple. As it is, traffic is interfering with our firefighters’ abilities to reach the scene of a fire, but this new plan will have wide-felt repercussions in the form of traffic from river-to-river. We all want pedestrian safety, but a key component of safety for all is the ability for New York’s first 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,” he said.
It’s the worst wonderful time of the year
As the city’s decision has caused such division regarding safety fears
It’s the worst wonderful time of the year
At the worst fucking area of all
At Rockefeller Center there’s too much congestion for daily commuters to bear
It’s the worst fucking area of all
There’s barriers and bollards and cops that are guarding the masses from unconfirmed terrorist threats,
The buses are backed up and people are mashed up like cows trudging to their abattoir deaths.
It’s the worst wonderful time of the year,
With thousands of cops deployed to four blocks for danger perceived to be near
It’s the worst wonderful time of the year
(Swinging part)
Traffic’s a standstill from pedestrian overfill of tourists and commuters on cellphones
From taking pictures and texting their messages to all those that no one else gives two fucks about.
It’s the worst wonderful time of the year.
Now this space is established as bus service gets ravished to convenience holiday cheer
It’s the worst wonderful time
The worst wonderful time
It’s the worst wonderful time
of the year!!!!
(Here’s the fucking tree, the reason for all this stupidity)
Impunity City 
This isn’t about safety at all. It’s about the continued “Amsterdamming” of New York. I guarantee you that it’s a test run to make these “temporary” measures permanent.
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No doubt. Because they are going to keep this going to Mid-January. Even after the tree goes down. This city is really screwed
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Never thought I’d see a King Diamond song on here. Good taste.
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It’s actually a Mercyful Fate song, but thanks anyway. They’re one my all time favorite metal bands, not to sell Diamonds’ solo career short.
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I thought Sergeant Jameson Reagan went to Harvard Law School, so why the Yale lift?
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