The city plans to close several blocks of Broadway to vehicle traffic through Times Square and Herald Square, an experiment that would turn swaths of the Great White Way into pedestrian malls and continue Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg's effort to reduce traffic congestion in Midtown. ...

The city plans to introduce the changes as early as May and keep them in effect through the end of the year. If the experiment works, they could become permanent. ...

Last summer, the city narrowed Broadway from 42nd Street to 35th Street by setting aside two lanes on the east side of the street for a bike lane and promenade with tables, chairs and planters.

That project, called Broadway Boulevard, met with some skepticism at first but quickly became a popular lunch spot for office workers and tourists.