‘Car-Free Earth Day’ to Kick Off Open Streets Across Manhattan

The NYC Department of Transportation will kick off its Open Streets season on April 26, for its ninth annual Car-Free Earth Day. This means that they will close a few streets in each of the five boroughs to vehicular traffic, in order to promote environmentalism and pedestrian pleasure. There will be a total of 54 car-free streets and plazas across the five boroughs, which makes for one more than at last year’s event.

The Manhattan streets selected include: Broadway (between East 17th Street and West 46th Street), St. Nicholas Avenue (between West 81st Street and West 190th Street), and Dyckman Street (between Broadway and La Marina/Inwood Hill Park). They’ll be operating under the program from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

CitiBike will provide one day of free rides, at unlimited 30-minute intervals, to all New Yorkers. In order to access the deal, riders will have to input the code “CARFREENYC25” after going to the “Day Pass” tab on the CitiBike app.

”Car-Free Earth Day is a chance for New Yorkers to enjoy our city’s world-class streetscapes as open spaces for all,” DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez said in a statement. “We only have one planet. Temporary public art, programming, music, and other activities at dozens of car-free streets around New York City will help us remember: We must all do our part to reduce our carbon footprint and respect our environment.”

Manhattan politicians also issued statements signaling their support. “Car-Free Earth Day is an opportunity to celebrate our city’s public space and commit to working together every day to build a greener future for New York,” Borough President Mark Levine said. “I encourage everyone to spend time on an Open Street, take a free CitiBike Ride, and check out the public art and community programming in Manhattan and across the city.”

”Car-Free Earth Day is a fantastic event that sparks creativity and brings our communities closer together, making them safer and more lively. Turning streets into pedestrian-friendly spaces encourages us to rethink how we manage public space and promotes awareness of climate change and sustainable transportation,” Lower Manhattan City Council Member Carlina Rivera said.

Car-Free Earth Day began in 2016, and represents the beginning of a broader “Open Streets” season each year. The DOT notes that they granted $30 million in contracts related to Open Streets programming last year; these will reportedly go toward staffing, permitting and administrative support, community outreach, promotion, fundraising, and grant writing.

Even U.S. Congressman Jerold Nadler chimed in. “With nearly 30 blocks set to be free of traffic on Broadway, I look forward to joining our neighbors for this event, which demonstrates how much more connected our neighborhoods can become when we prioritize people over private car travel,” he said.

The Open Streets program is implemented in conjunction with a variety of local stakeholders, according to the DOT. Community-based organizations, block associations, schools, business associations, and houses of worship are reportedly consulted about the street closures. Community “partners” that want to see an “Open Street” near them can apply to the DOT for one until this fall, which the agency will review over a 90-day period.