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Summer Streets 2016 Is Kicking Cars To The Curb In August
By
Scott Heins
Published Jun 16, 2016
Modified Jun 16, 2016
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By
Scott Heins
Published Jun 16, 2016
Modified Jun 16, 2016
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New Yorkers will get to walk, run, rock-climb, bike, zipline, dance, and waterslide down the middle of the street this August as Summer Streets returns for its ninth year. For three consecutive Saturdays (August 6th, 13th, and 20th), we'll get a reprieve from the loud, noxious, and deadly cars and trucks that control urban byways and get the chance to play atop the asphalt.
All told, Summer Streets will close off seven miles of roadway beginning near the Brooklyn Bridge and running up Lafayette Street and Park Avenue to 72nd Street, from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Specific attractions for summer 2016 will include public art installations, guided walking tours, DIY art projects, free food samples, a 30-foot-high zip line, rock climbing, free bike and rollerblade rental, bike and fitness classes, crafts workshops, basketball, and soccer (for those keeping score at home, there's no word on whether or not the Sound Tunnel is re-opening). The Mayor's Office also confirmed at a press conference Thursday that the giant Beachside Slide is back on the docket for Foley Square all three weekends. Check out the fun!
Along with Summer Streets, the DOT is rolling out another season of Weekend Walks, which will bring 50 different weekend events to closed-off roads normally crowded with traffic, from the Bronx to Bay Ridge. Sweetening the deal, any restaurant within the confines of a Weekend Walk will be allowed to serve patrons outdoors, even if they lack a regular permit. Hey, partner, could you pass the garbage plate?
Finally, Saturday, August 13th will turn much of lower Manhattan into "Shared Streets," which means a 60-square-block area from the Brooklyn Bridge to Battery Park will be altered to severely—but not completely—limit automobile presence. The City is heralding it as a chance to "rediscover the history, culture, and commerce of lower Manhattan." The NYPD will be staffing special vehicle traffic entry points and encouraging vehicles to limit their speed to 5 mph. What a concept!
Tagged
shared streets
summer streets
weekend walks
Scott Heins
Scott Heins is a freelance photo and video journalist based in New York City, and a frequent contributor to Gothamist + WNYC. His work often centers around labor rights, housing, and policing. In 2018-2019 he traveled to four states while covering a wave of public school teachers strikes, with work featured in The New York Times, The Intercept, Getty Images, Splinter, and Bloomberg Photos. Scott is a dues-paying member of the National Writers Union's Freelance Solidarity Project.
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