53 NYC streets will go car-free for Earth Day
NEW YORK CITY (PIX11) – Earth Day will bring pedestrian and bike paradise to New York City with 53 streets blocked off to vehicle traffic – one well over a mile long.
The streets and plazas across all five boroughs will be completely car-free with art, music and programming from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Earth Day, April 20, the city’s Department of Transportation announced Tuesday.
Organization proposes innovative solar canopy project to combat climate change
Nowhere will be longer than the stretch of Broadway in Manhattan, closed from 17th Street to 46th Street – and in Brooklyn, a mile-long stretch of Berry Street will close.
And there are plenty of ways to enjoy the motor-less hours – like on a Citi Bike, which will offer free 30-minute rides for the full day.
“This event is a great way to encourage city residents to reduce our reliance on cars and to take other steps that will reduce our city’s carbon footprint and help limit the negative impacts of climate change, which we have already started to feel,” said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards.
The seven signature streets Open Streets put on by DOT include:
Manhattan
Dyckman Street from Broadway to La Marina
St. Nicholas Avenue from 181st Street to 190th Street
Broadway from East 17th Street to West 46th Street
Brooklyn
Fifth Avenue from 40th Street to 45th Street
The Bronx
East 188th Street from East Fordham Road to Grand Concourse
Creston Avenue from East 188th Street to East Fordham Road
Staten Island
Port Richmond Avenue from Post Avenue to Castleton Avenue
The 46 other locations, run by community groups, can be found here. Art installations and demonstrations, like a “Kelp Parade” centered around the ocean ecosystems, will fill the closed-off streets with life.
“New, temporary public art will help us remember: We only have one planet – and we must all do our part to reduce our carbon footprint and respect our environment,” said DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez.
The celebration is far bigger than last year’s, which only featured 30 streets for five hours.
Just like the Open Streets that run year-round, the Earth Day celebration is a vision of what a greener New York City could look like, said Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso.
“Car-free streets are more than a celebration of Earth Day, they’re a chance for New Yorkers to see the sustainable, green, healthy city of the future that’s within reach,” Reynoso said.
“By investing in public transit and encouraging a shift away from private vehicles, we can achieve a future where our streets are safer, air is cleaner, and neighborhoods are more livable.”
Emily Rahhal is a digital reporter from Los Angeles who has covered local news for years. She has been with PIX11 since 2024. See more of her work here and follow her on Twitter.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11.
