In place of rusting girders and blaring horns, a quiet Greenway

Not an unusual scene for a cloudy day, perhaps, but some say the Greenway is not much livelier when the sun is shining.

As Daniel Sullivan bought freshly baked bread at the market, he mused about the good it will do, but said the rest of the Greenway is underutilized. “I think down further that way,’’ the Cambridge resident said, pointing north, “it feels a little like there’s nothing there.’’

The Greenway, which formally opened in October, is a 13.2-acre swath of open space in downtown Boston, where the elevated Central Artery once sliced the city in two. The series of parks is the parting gift of the troublesome Big Dig, but many believe it has yet to come into its own.

“One of the reasons why they wanted us here is because there’s not enough activity on the Greenway,’’ said Virginia Stein, a member of the Boston Public Market Association Board, which runs the summer market on Tuesdays and Thursdays to highlight efforts to establish a year-round public market.

“I think there could be more stuff like this,’’ said Jocelyn Johnson of Weymouth. “There are so many people looking to do things at lunch.’’

Mayor Thomas M. Menino, who welcomed the market enthusiastically yesterday, said developing the Greenway is not an easy task.

“I think there’s always a dispute,’’ he said, of accusations that the Greenway is underused. “If we put too much, they say it’s overuse; if we don’t put enough, it’s underuse.’’

Last weekend, a carousel opened on the Greenway across from Quincy Market, said Nancy Brennan, executive director of the park’s steward organization, the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway Conservancy. Brennan also said that the beloved Rings Fountain, which has been under repair, is on schedule to begin operating again, with lights, this weekend.

Peter Meade, chairman of the Greenway Conservancy, said there are many plans for the Greenway, citing ideas such as collaborations with museums or performances by students at the Berklee School of Music. He declined to give a timeline until specific events are finalized.

“You know we just got control of this place, right?’’ he asked, pleading for patience. The conservancy took over the Greenway from the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority in February.

Not everyone is willing to wait. Alison Layton of Chinatown lauded the market, saying, “It’s great to see the space being used in a way that isn’t a huge pile of construction.’’ But she said that, in general, “Boston is really conservative.’’

“If you had a space like this in Montreal or Buenos Aires,’’ she said, “there would be people performing and people hanging out.’’

Layton uses the Greenway to bike but says there is not enough space to sit down. “There’s really nothing encouraging people to stop,’’ she said.

Sullivan suggested: “Just adding more trees would make it a more accessible place. You could grab a little piece of shade and read a book.’’

Alexandra Holbrook of Andover suggested events at night for families.

Many others suggested concerts or fairs. Geoffrey Simonds of southern Maine, said he would like to see “more green and less brick,’’ though he said the Greenway is headed in the right direction.

Testing a plump tomato, Maria Maia of Milton, said she has already warmed to the Greenway. “I am so happy to have it,’’ she said. “A meandering walk through the plants is pleasant.’’ In fact, she said, gesturing with distaste toward the bricks under foot, “the only place I don’t like is this place here.’’

Vivian Nereim can be reached at vnereim@globe.com.