Skip to content

Streetfilms: Summer Streets 2008

Conditions could hardly have been better for Saturday's Summer Streets debut, and New Yorkers responded, turning out in droves to enjoy a car-free route from Lower Manhattan to Central Park.

Conditions could hardly have been better for Saturday’s Summer Streets debut, and New Yorkers responded, turning out in droves to enjoy a car-free route from Lower Manhattan to Central Park. Of course, Clarence Eckerson was on hand to capture this historic livable streets event for Streetfilms. He offers this testimonial:

We’ll spare you the 200 adjectives we could list about how
transformational it was, for it was beyond anything on the printed
page. The general consensus was that the event succeeded beyond even
the most hoped for expectations and would pass even the most
pessimistic of measuring sticks. A page has been turned, clearly there
is no doubt: the future will hold many more large scale street openings
for pedestrians, cyclists, runners, children, dog walkers, dancers, and
any other reasonable livable space use.

If you missed it this week, take heart: early forecasts for Saturday call for partly cloudy skies with a high in the mid-80s.

Photo of Brad Aaron
Brad Aaron began writing for Streetsblog in 2007, after years as a reporter, editor, and publisher in the alternative weekly business. Brad adopted New York'’s dysfunctional traffic justice system as his primary beat for Streetsblog. He lives in Manhattan.

More from Streetsblog New York City

Report: NYPD’s Dangerous Increase In High-Speed Pursuits Did Not Decrease Crime

November 2, 2026

Would A One-Way Conversion Fix Brooklyn’s Grand Street Or Make It Worse?

November 2, 2026

Monday’s Headlines: A Cry for Justice Edition

November 2, 2026

Brooklyn Crash Victim’s EMT Twin Sister Calls Out City, DSNY for Reckless Driving

October 30, 2026

Dangerous Drivers At ‘Trunk-Or-Treat’ Show How Cars Are A Horror For Kids All Year Long

October 30, 2026
See all posts