Pedestrian plaza completed at Union Square

A new $500,000 pedestrian mall on Broadway between 17th and 18th streets was completed today in Union Square, DNAinfo reported. The newly converted space — replete with tables, chair and umbrellas — had been a prime location for accidents, with 22 pedestrian injuries occurring there between 2004 and 2009, according to the Department of Transportation. More than 200,000 people walk through Union Square on peak summer days, including more than 4,000 NYU students, according to DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Kahn. As part of the project, the intersection’s traffic signals were also simplified, making it safer to cross the street. The DOT also announced that the pedestrian plaza at Madison Square, which was created in 2008, will be extended one block south along Broadway. [DNAinfo]