New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez today announced a new expansion, reports Harlem World Magazine.
The new expansion of the “Summer Streets” program will extend it for the first time from the Brooklyn Bridge up to East Harlem and restoring it to three Saturdays for the first time since 2019.
“Thanks to the hard work of so many city workers, especially the New York City Department of Transportation our dedicated volunteers for the city’s largest block party, Summer Streets will be larger than ever before,” said Deputy Mayor of Operations Meera Joshi. “This summer, more New Yorkers can enjoy even more continuous car-free space and programming.”
Since 2008, The DOT has presented Summer Streets on nearly seven miles of streets, spanning from the Brooklyn Bridge to Central Park. This year’s program will, for the first time, extend all the way up to 109th Street in East Harlem, adding almost two miles to the traditional route.
“Our streets belong to all New Yorkers, and I’m so excited to be restoring the Summer Streets program to three full Saturdays and bringing it to East Harlem for the first time,” said Mayor Adams. “This is exactly what our public space is for: making fun activities accessible to hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers for free. I look forward to more people taking advantage of this incredible opportunity to enjoy the best our city has to offer.”
This iconic stretch will be made accessible to the public for free activities and outdoor recreation. In addition to this, throughout August, The Department of Transportation will also host over 120 events across all five boroughs.
“As we continue to deal with worsening heat waves and the other effects of climate change, programs like Summer Streets showcase what mobility with greener modes like walking and cycling can look like in New York City,” said Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine. “I am thrilled to see a continuous car-free stretch extend from the Brooklyn Bridge to East Harlem and also to see some our borough’s most prized Open Streets receive additional programming.”
For additional details and updates about this year’s Summer Streets, please visit the DOT website or the Summer Streets website. And for additional information on sites for Open Streets programming, please visit the Open Streets website.
