Car-Free Sunday on the Grand Concourse
A Clarence Eckerson, Jr. Streetfilm
Running time: 3:58 - 12.35 MB, QuickTime
Back in the early 1990s, three-and-a-half miles of the Grand Concourse, a major roadway in the Bronx, was closed to cars every Sunday from July thru November. The car-free time provided residents with much-needed open space to bike, walk, play, and get to know their neighbors. Despite its popularity Mayor Rudolph Giuliani ended Car-Free Sundays in 1996. Recently, with the help of Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion, Transportation Alternatives and many community groups, Car-Free Sundays were re-introduced on a trial basis. In this Street Film, see what happens when you close a busy street to motor vehicles on a sunny Sunday afternoon and open it up to people.
As Noah Budnick from Transportation Alternatives says, "The importance of reclaiming public space is to show people that a street that most people assume is just used for moving cars can be used for a lot more."
If you want to see Streetfilms shown on the big screen for the first time ever, stop by the Pioneer Theater in the East Village on Tuesday, August 29 at 7:00 pm for a special 75-minute program put together by Clarence Eckerson, Jr.
There will be a reception with Two Boots pizza and drinks afterwards, all included in the $9 ticket price. It will be a great night. Details here
