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

NYC Needs a Network of Car-Free Streets

6:14 PM EDT on July 14, 2017

The signs say Manhattan, but don’t be fooled, the island of Manhattan has no streets like this.

New York City in 2017 has several car-free blocks and pedestrianized street segments where traffic once rules, like Plaza 33 and Myrtle-Wyckoff Plaza. But unlike several other world cities, New York still doesn't have a connected grid of car-free streets.

That's true even in neighborhoods where pedestrians just don't fit on the available sidewalk space, like the Financial District, downtown Flushing, and Times Square (where the Broadway plazas form an archipelago, not a network).

Other cities have figured out that the most crowded commercial areas function better when pedestrians have the freedom to use the whole street, and motor vehicles are only allowed for essential deliveries. In this Streetopia preview, Clarence Eckerson looks at car-free streets in cities like Montreal and Buenos Aires to show how much catching up NYC has to do.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Labor Gains: Judge Tosses App Giants’ Suit to Stop Deliverista Minimum Wage

Justice Nicholas Moyne cleared the way for a long-delayed wage hike for workers who brave dangerous roads to bring food directly to New Yorkers.

September 29, 2023

Fed Up Bronxites Tell Mayor To Forget About Bus Ride Invitation After Fordham Road ‘Betrayal’

"I really would think that our mayor would be a little bit more active and speak with us, because he hasn't really made any time with riders. We're not the enemy. We just want better bus service."

September 29, 2023

City Pays $150K to Settle Suit Over Cops Who Harassed Man Who Reported Police Parking Misconduct

Justin Sherwood and his lawyer will pocket $152,000 to settle his federal civil rights suit against the city and several officers who harassed him following his 311 calls.

September 28, 2023

Police Brass Gets Booed During E-Vehicle Safety Alliance Meeting for Applauding Deliveristas

Attendees of the E-Vehicle Safety Alliance's latest meeting castigated a Transportation Bureau deputy inspector for saying that delivery workers are responsive to safety issues.

September 28, 2023
See all posts