Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Car-Free Streets

Williamsburg Walks Doubles Foot Traffic on Bedford Avenue

4:15 PM EDT on July 28, 2008

wburg_walks.jpg

Transportation Alternatives has been measuring the effect of Williamsburg Walks, the car-free street event on Bedford Avenue, and look what they found:

Foot traffic on Bedford Avenue was 96% higher than the averageSaturday, based on pedestrian counts. The number of children and seniors using thestreet also increased. And because so much more space was available for walking andsitting, the street felt open and uncongested.

The numbers come from pedestrian counts conducted on two Saturdays earlier this summer, which averaged 240 people per 15-minute span, compared to a count of 470 pedestrians during the same interval on the first day of Williamsburg Walks.

These figures should help ease any lingering anxiety that opening streets up to pedestrians won't be good for local businesses. And they bolster the argument that car-free events should not be graded on the appearance of "crowdedness." If Bedford Avenue seems less bustling than usual when cars are gone and twice as many people are present, imagine how hemmed in pedestrians must normally be, when cars are taking up the street.

Photo: Neighbors Allied for Good Growth

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Tuesday’s Headlines: Gridlock Alert — And Gridlock Abort — Day Edition

A "Gridlock Alert" day is a perfect day for supporters of congestion pricing to rally in Union Square! Plus other news.

December 5, 2023

‘Crazy Nonsense’: City Now Allows (Cough) Plateless Vehicles to (Cough) Break Idling Law

City environmental protection officials are now refusing to punish owners of commercial vehicles for idling if the trucks don't have license plates — a move that has enraged citizen enforcers.

December 5, 2023

The Explainer: What’s Next for Congestion Pricing?

Let's run through the major issues still looming over New York City's first-in-the-nation congestion toll.

December 4, 2023

Monday’s Headlines: Congestion Ahead Edition

Good news: We're not going to start our week with our typical ascent on our long-legged steed to criticize the Times for its flawed, car-centric coverage. Plus other news.

December 4, 2023
See all posts