Times Square renovation officially opens

In 2009, a temporary project known as “Green Light for Midtown” used paving and street furniture to close Broadway to vehicular traffic between 42^nd and 47^th Streets. The goal was to improve safety and alleviate traffic conditions at a site that sees over 40,000,000 annual visitors. The project was a huge success and led the New York City Department of Transportation to begin a project to permanently close the section of Times Square to cars.