There are two city agencies that never seem to tire of doing things: the Mayor's Office of Transportation and Utilities (MOTU), and the Streets Department. And here they go again, partnering with the University City District (UCD) to build the self-esteem of what UCD is calling a "forlorn," "lifeless," "redundant" traffic triangle that felt pretty crappy about itself already before all the adjectives, thank you very much.
According to UCD, the island that's adjacent to the University of the Sciences at 42nd and Woodland Avenue will be transformed into a "verdant oasis" of a pedestrian plaza—or ped plaza, as those in the know say—with tables and chairs and planters. On September 19th the mayor will come to pay tribute to the Little Triangle That Could as the first completed project of the city's Pedestrian Plaza Program. There will be more ped plazas to follow, just like those parklets that have been springing up everywhere.
As for this ped plaza, University of the Sciences President Dr. Helen Giles-Gee said in a statement that she was glad this "barren" space would get an update. Poor traffic triangle. Just can't get a break.