Negotiations last fall between community groups, advocates, the Borough President and police produced an agreement to continue devoting the four inner lanes of the eight-lane Concourse to pedestrians and cyclists on Sundays from Memorial Day through Labor Day. The Mayor's unexpected rejection of the consensus plan is stirring strong calls for the restoration of the program. Critics say the change is politically motivated (Ferrer is a Mayoral hopeful), noting the varying explanations (improper permitting, police costs, emergency vehicle access) offered by Deputy Mayors Fran Reiter and Rudy Washington. But the Mayor seems certain to spite himself with voters if he means to strike at Ferrer through a well-regarded community enhancement measure. Community groups and local bicycle and pedestrian advocates, including Transportation Alternatives, have urged the Mayor to reconsider.

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Starting May 13, New York City banned motor vehicle traffic from streets surrounding the NY Stock Exchange. The measure was ordered by the Mayor's office and came without the exhaustive traffic analysis that usually accompanies changes in NYC street usage. Pedestrian advocates said it will ease pedestrian crowding in the busy district. The pedestrianizing of Broad Street was previously called for in a Department of City Planning plan, which is still under consideration. The Stock Exchange had sought the ban since the World Trade Center bombing and an IRA car bombing three years ago in London's financial district. The IRA bomb caused extensive damage and led to sharp restrictions on automobile access in a square mile of London's financial center.