Car-Free Streets

Streetfilms: Scenes From Summer Streets

Saturday was the second of three Summer Streets this August, with car-free streets along Park Avenue and Lafayette Street from 72nd Street to the Brooklyn Bridge. Couldn't make it yourself? Clarence Eckerson Jr. from Streetfilms, as always, has got you covered.

By Stephen Miller

4:48 PM EDT on August 12, 2013

Saturday was the second of three Summer Streets this August, with car-free streets along Park Avenue and Lafayette Street from 72nd Street to the Brooklyn Bridge. Couldn’t make it yourself? Clarence Eckerson Jr. from Streetfilms, as always, has got you covered.

Clarence says he was particularly struck by how many people pedaled the route using Citi Bike. Although the blue bikes are already commonplace on many of the city’s streets, this photo from Clarence of the bike-share station at City Hall helps illustrate the demand during Summer Streets.

If you’re looking for the uncut version, YouTube user Sonny Sprinkles posted a 41-minute video documenting his ride from the Brooklyn Bridge to Bethesda Fountain in Central Park.

Summer Streets has kept the same schedule since its inaugural run in 2008. Given the thousands of people out enjoying the event, the next mayor might score a few livable streets points by promising to expand this popular program. There’s one more chance to enjoy car-free streets on Manhattan’s East Side this summer: the third and final Summer Streets of 2013 will take place this Saturday from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Stephen Miller

In spring 2017, Stephen wrote for Streetsblog USA, covering the livable streets movement and transportation policy developments around the nation. From August 2012 to October 2015, he was a reporter for Streetsblog NYC, covering livable streets and transportation issues in the city and the region. After joining Streetsblog, he covered the tail end of the Bloomberg administration and the launch of Citi Bike. Since then, he covered mayoral elections, the de Blasio administration's ongoing Vision Zero campaign, and New York City's ever-evolving street safety and livable streets movements.