Now when people think of 34th Street, Macy's and the Empire State Building come to mind.

If the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) gets its way, they'll also think of the "Transitway," two-lanes of cross-town buses set behind concrete barriers extending from the East and Hudson Rivers.

Between Fifth and Sixth Avenues, only buses will have road access in order to create wider sidewalks around the Empire State Building. West of Sixth Avenue, all other traffic will go west. East of Fifth Avenue, all other traffic will go east. That means traffic diverted from 34th Street, Manhattan’s major connection to the Midtown and Lincoln Tunnels, will be forced into surrounding streets.

Congestion, pollution, blight and reductions in safety, quality of life and property values are among the Transitway’s potential impacts, especially harmful to the thousands of New Yorkers who live, work and own businesses in its vicinity.

For them, the Transitway will be the Boondoggle on 34th Street.