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Greenwich Village residents once again are irked by the latest city plans to close several streets near New York University to automobile traffic.
Release of the latest proposal, called the "Greenwich Village Auto-Free Zone," closely followed residents' successful battle to get Washington Place reopened to vehicular traffic last month after a six-month experiment.
The Washington Place closing followed an accident in April, 1992, when an out-of-control car hurtled into the park from Washington Place, killing five people and injuring 26. New York University and city transportation officials say the closing of Washington Place, however, had been planned before the accident.
Yet the new proposal cites pedestrian safety as an issue, saying that the high volume of students and visitors "spilling out into the streets" creates "a potential for accidents." The recent proposal, issued only in draft form by the city's Planning Department, would involve the closing of the following streets: Sections of MacDougal and Bleecker Streets from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays; parts of Washington Square East and Washington Square South, as well as adjacent blocks of Sullivan and Thompson Streets...