New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg announced this Monday that he’ll institute a “car free” sector on three Saturdays this August. Cars, trucks and buses will be banned on a 6.9 mile stretch of Manhattan. The circuit will run north-south along Centre Street, Lafayette St., Fourth Ave. and Park Ave., to 72nd St. The southern half of 72nd St. from Park Avenue to Fifth Ave will be off limits to vehicles from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Aug. 9th, 16th and 23rd. Mayor Bloomberg selectively described the initiative as the “Summer Streets Experiment”.
“If it works, we’ll certainly consider doing it again,” Mr. Bloomberg said, at a news conference in the East Village. “If not, we won’t. But we have never been afraid to try new ideas, especially the ones that have the potential to improve the quality of life.”
Mayor Bloomberg and transportation commissioner, Janette Sadik-Khan, described the idea as a way to make the streets an oasis for walkers, cyclists and others. Yoga, fitness, and dance classes will be available along the route, as well as places to rent bicycles. The idea may seem a bit newfangled for NYC, but the program is modeled after similar street closures,(according to Ms. Sadik-Khan), in cities around the world, including Columbia, Guadalajara, El Paso, Texas, Paris, London and Bogotá, where one of the city’s major streets was off limits to vehicles every Sunday. The plan has received mixed reactions but I think it’s a great way to add a bit more “green” to NYC streets!
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Angela 06.26.08 at 9:39 am
I think this is a wonderful idea. New York is a great pedestrian city, and mass transity is readily available anywhere there. The way to change our lives from that of conspicuous consumption to one of re-cycle/re-use/re-purpose is by taking baby steps – err, ahem – that is to say, go back to the beginning and start with the basics. Change our lifestyles a small step at a time. That’s how I did it and am continuing to do it. As one behaviour changes, it becomes easier and, actually, more obvious that many more behaviors need to be altered in some way. It even rubbed of on my unconcerned husband after he ran to tell me that the polar bears are drowning one night. I told him that I knew that and that was why we had all those re-cycling bins. He is now scrupulous about separating recyclables from garbage. It just starts with a small step like this. Great idea, Mayor Bloomberg!
moderneco7 06.26.08 at 11:40 am
Well said and good for you that you and your husband are doing your part in helping our planet! Ever little bit counts…