Upward of 500,000 people participated in New York City's "Summer Streets" program in 2023. It was back in July 2004 when the car-free streets program first launched.
© Erin Woodiel / Argus Leader / © CLIFFORD OTO/THE STOCKTON RECORD / USA TODAY NETWORK
(New York, NY) – For the first time here in summer 2023, “Summer Streets” are back in Manhattan. On Saturday from 7:00 am to 3:00 pm, a string of streets between the Brooklyn Bridge and 125th Street will be closed off to vehicular traffic. The idea is to let pedestrians freely roam the streets for walks, biking, game playing, and other activities — expanding the space to do so.
There several rest-stops that will be set up between the Brooklyn Bridge downtown and up at 125th Street. Even Grand Central Terminal gets in on the act, as the Grand Lawn will be set up with free outdoor lawn games and there will be refreshments.
This weekend marks the first of three Saturdays with “Summer Streets” in Manhattan. The summer season and street closures then shift to the Bronx and Brooklyn to close things out. According to Mayor Eric Adams, the program has more than doubled in size since it began in July 2004.
Now, “Summer Streets” includes 20 miles of car-free stretches. City Hall says more than half a million people walked, ran, cycled, or played on the closed-off streets last year.
