Change of Traffic In Times Square

This is amazing. A quick synapsis: The Bloomberg administration has been experimenting with alternate ways to reduce congestion in Times Square. This past weekend, they opted to close off sections of the road to automobile traffic, and instead open it up to pedestrian traffic. I'm really into this idea, and from the photos, it looks as if people were having a blast. I'm not sure if it would work on a normal basis, but perhaps once or twice a month? I'm sure that alone would alleviate some stress in the area, and maybe even some smog.