A new study suggests that the air quality in Times Square has improved over the past few years, coinciding with the implementation of controversial car-free pedestrian plazas in the tourist hotspot.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg recently discussed the findings in a joint press conference with former US President Bill Clinton.

The study found that the air in Times Square contained 41 percent less nitrogen dioxide just one year after a new traffic grid began to limit the number of cars driving through the iconic square.

Bloomberg and Clinton touted the health benefits the cleaner air will have on the more than 250,000 pedestrians who pass through the square each day.

Some are suggesting that the findings could lead to more car-free streets in New York City, a notion that doesn't sit well with drivers in Manhattan.

Source: NY1