New York City Closes Seven Mile Stretch to Cars and Trucks
Those of us in Southern California who live in and around downtown LA, Highland Park and Pasadena might recall the closing of the historic 110 freeway a few times in the last couple of years to foot traffic and cyclists. Sierra Mazda remembers, well it’s the city of New York’s turn.
No Cars, Summer Streets in New York
New York held three consecutive no cars or trucks events, yes even no Mazdas either. The first event took place on Saturday August 9th. The Big Apple, through the City Department of Transportation, closed down seven miles of urban streets to large vehicle traffic so that bicyclists, pedestrians and other random forms of transport could take over a swath of city from the Brooklyn Bridge to Central Park. These test events, called Summer Streets was promoted not only by mayor Michael Bloomberg, but also by and all-star and celebrity roster that included hip-hop star Jay-Z, a self-proclaimed bicycle enthusiast, musician David Byrne and bicyclist Lance Armstrong.
NYC Mayor Bloomberg proclaimed:
“We’re going to embark on a grand experiment that could dramatically alter the way we use and look at the streets of New York,” he said. “Streets that are normally tied up with cars and trucks will be turned over to the public - so that we can experience this city as never before.”
Summer Streets was staffed by the NYPD and volunteers while activities for the no cars and trucks areas consisted of:
* Bike helmet fitting and give-away
* Bike riding lessons by Bike New York
* Escorted bike rides with Transportation Alternatives, New York City’s bicycle and pedestrian advocacy group
* Free fitness classes
* Bicycle repair provided by Bicycle Habitat
* Dance classes and performances
* Percussion classes
* Bicycle racing
* Running groups led by New York Road Runners
* Kids activities like hopscotch, 4 square and sidewalk chalk
* Photo contest
* Bike rentals
* Bike sharing provided by Bike and Roll
* Bicycle safety classes presented by Bike New York and the 5 Boro Bike Club
The New York street closures, along Lafayette Street, 4th Avenue, Park Avenue and 72nd Street take place from 7 am to 1 pm. The main stage is at 24th street and there are rest stops at Spring, 24th and 51st streets with activities at each.
According to WNYC, all 3 events have been a resounding success and New York City is likely to repeat the car-less events for the summer of 2009.
REPORTER: Judging by the turnout yesterday, Summer Streets is likely to get even bigger. Janette Sadik-Khan is the city commissioner of Transportation.
SADIK-KHAN: I talked to the mayor about if this is successful, and it appears to be, that down the line we would look at potentially extending the hours, extending the days, and looking at different locations and different boroughs. So, stay tuned. - WNYC
The New York Times interviewed some car-loving dissenters, as not everyone was thrilled with Summer Streets. While some retailers along the route reported increased sales, particularly compared to the usual New York summer weekend when city dwellers seem to all vacate the borough, others, like, well, parking garages along the route, suffered. But who likes paying for parking for their cars anyways?
New York’s mayor is committed to Summer Streets, despite the criticisms as he views it a success with an overwhelming majority of New Yorkers. Afterall, Bloomberg said in June that he hoped the experiment “will become as much a part of the New York experience as strolling the Coney Island boardwalk, participating in the five-borough bike tour, or listening to the Philharmonic in the park.” - AP
We think these kind of events give city dwellers a larger sense of community and ultimately provide vacations in the day to day existence of city life.
What routes should we close again in Southern California? How about the 101 or Hollywood freeway? Anyone think the Los Angeles mayor is paying attention?
Comments
Leave a Reply