Browne suggested that there was some flexibility within the 25 percent crunch “to assure the start or end points make sense.”
It appeared unlikely, though, that the Police Department would yield much, although Mr. Condensing them into less space would make conditions along sidewalks even more crowded. The Puerto Rican Day parade, to take place June 13, draws more than two million spectators, he added. A shorter parade would mean fewer participants, he said, meaning less of an influx from out of town. Solano, a lawyer for the National Puerto Rican Day Parade, said the city would benefit more economically by keeping the traditional route, along Fifth Avenue from 44th Street to 86th Street. Finn’s organization was weighing how to respond, though the parade’s Web site still lists the step off point as 52nd Street. But this year, the police want it to start around 38th Street. The Heritage of Pride “march,” as the group calls it, scheduled for June 27, will still end in Greenwich Village. A shortened route, he added, would cut out symbolic landmarks, like passing the New York Public Library, where a huge “We Remember” banner is usually unfurled. Arthur Finn, co-chairman of Heritage of Pride, said the police could instead trim costs by allowing the parade to stop less often for crosstown traffic, in turn speeding things up.
