Page "Broadway (New York City)" Paragraph 55

Broadway was once a two-way street for its entire length.

The present status, in which it runs one-way southbound south of Columbus Circle ( 59th Street ), came about in several stages.

On June 6, 1954, Seventh Avenue became southbound and Eighth Avenue became northbound south of Broadway.

None of Broadway became one-way, but the increased southbound traffic between Columbus Circle ( Eighth Avenue ) and Times Square ( Seventh Avenue ) caused the city to re-stripe that section of Broadway for four southbound and two northbound lanes.

Broadway became one-way from Columbus Circle south to Herald Square ( 34th Street ) on March 10, 1957, in conjunction with Sixth Avenue becoming one-way from Herald Square north to 59th Street and Seventh Avenue becoming one-way from 59th Street south to Times Square ( where it crosses Broadway ).

On June 3, 1962, Broadway became one-way south of Canal Street, with Trinity Place and Church Street carrying northbound traffic.

Another change was made on November 10, 1963, when Broadway became one-way southbound from Herald Square to Madison Square ( 23rd Street ) and Union Square ( 14th Street ) to Canal Street, and two routes — Sixth Avenue south of Herald Square and Centre Street, Lafayette Street, and Fourth Avenue south of Union Square — became one-way northbound.

Finally, at the same time as Madison Avenue became one-way northbound and Fifth Avenue became one-way southbound, Broadway was made one-way southbound between Madison Square ( where Fifth Avenue crosses ) and Union Square on January 14, 1966, completing its conversion south of Columbus Circle.