Manhattan to Enjoy 6.9 Mile Temporary Car-Free Route
Mayor Bloomberg Emulates Bogota's CicloviaWhile the Mayor of New York Michael Bloomberg may have failed to get his plans for a congestion charge approved, he's not stopping the fight for liveable streets just yet. His latest plan is to create a temporary 6.9 mile car-free route from Brooklyn Bridge to 72nd Street with connections to Central Park and other open spaces. The project is entitled Summer Streets, and will run from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. on three consecutive Saturdays in August, the 9th, 16th and 23rd. The idea is based on the example of Bogota in Colombia, and is sure to get 1000s of eager bikers, walkers and other human-powered transport enthusiasts on the streets:"We anticipate that hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers and visitors will take advantage of streets temporarily opened for recreation," said Mayor Bloomberg. "We hope the Summer Streets experiment will become as much a part of the New York experience as strolling the Coney Island boardwalk, participating in the 5-borough bike tour, or listening to the Philharmonic in the park."
We're delighted to see Bloomberg continuing to work towards a cleaner, greener and more pleasant Manhattan. While temporary street closures are no answer to long term congestion in themselves, such cultural events can help citizens reimagine their surroundings and engage with the multiple benefits of reduced congestion and increased mobility.
More on Liveable Streets from our Friends at StreetFilmsFree Bikes for Governors IslandStreetFilms Covers Best of Bike to Work DayRaised Cross-walksTraffic-calming ChicanesBike Advocate Keeps Memory of Her Husband AliveClarence the Cycling SasquatchBogota Shows How to Reinvent CitiesBogota RevisitedStreetFilms Looks at Bus Rapid Transit in LAMelbourne: A Pedestrian's ParadiseIstanbul Learns from BogotaClarence: The Purple Traffic-Calming WizardPhysically Separated Bike LanesNYC's First Documented Bike Move?StreetFilms Grades New Yorkers' Bike Locking AbilitiesLady Liberty Dumps the Car and Marries Mass TransitStreetFilms Animation Explores Diverters as Traffic Calming Measure
::NYC.gov::via The Guardian::
