Last month, city officials informed the artist who made the statue that the city wants to move it a few blocks away, to a spot near the New York Stock Exchange where cars are prohibited.

Jane Meyer, a spokeswoman for the mayor, said in a statement, “We plan to move the bull to protect the safety of New Yorkers and are exploring locations near the Stock Exchange.”

No date has been announced for relocating the statue. But should it be moved?

The context

Currently, city officials are rethinking how public streets should be utilized, from banning most car and truck traffic on 14th Street to addressing this year’s surge in cyclist fatalities. For years, streets were designed primarily for motorists. Now, policymakers are giving more consideration to others who use that space.

The Downtown Alliance, which supports moving the statue, said the countless tourists that hover near it make the area difficult to navigate.

In September, the statue was attacked by a man with a makeshift metal banjo.

The precedent

The 18-foot, three-and-a-half-ton Charging Bull was first installed under a Christmas tree near the exchange on Dec. 15, 1989. The artist who made it, Arturo Di Modica, delivered it with no notice — or permission. He has called it a “gift of encouragement to New York and the world.”