New York City's annual "Summer Streets" weekend street closures are open for more hours than ever this year. Clarence Eckerson of Streetfilms was in Manhattan over the weekend scoping out the eight or so miles of Manhattan streets dedicated to cycling, walking and other non-car activities this past Saturday.
The consensus: Extending "Summer Streets" two more hours to 3 p.m. was great, but the city ought to add even more time. Given the extreme heat we're going to be facing from here on out, New Yorkers deserve to enjoy car-free streets as the sun goes down, too.
If you love "Summer Streets" and want more it, you can use this handy tool from Streetsblog's sister organization Open Plans to tell Mayor Adams and the city's borough presidents.
More "Summer Streets" are coming up later this month:
- Aug 10 and Aug. 17 from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Manhattan.
- Aug. 24 from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Bronx and Brooklyn.
In other news:
- The theater industry's big idea for Eighth Avenue is to cram pedestrians, cyclists and vendors into tighter and tighter space. (NY Times)
- Kathy Hochul's congestion pricing antics have statewide implications. (Albany Times-Union)
- Rep. Hakeem Jeffries called congestion pricing pause "reasonable" — while insisting he still wants the tolling program to happen. (Gothamist, NY Post)
- There's plenty of victim-blaming language to go around in this Daily News write-up of Monday's cyclist tragedy in Queens.
- In Harlem, meanwhile, cops did not file charges against a driver who jumped a curb and injured two pedestrians on Monday afternoon. (NY Post)
- Bad news, Flatbush: Southbound B and Q trains will skip Church Avenue this fall so the MTA can build an elevator at the station. (Gothamist)
- Hell Gate checked in on the state of outdoor dining. We did, too.
- An MTA worker who cried wolf admitted to faked assault to get the summer off. (NY Post)
- Finally, from the assignment desk: The mayor is going to try to keep an insane schedule today, raising the question, why are we paying this guy's tolls? Check it out:
- 10:30 a.m.: Flag-Raising Ceremony for Bolivia in Bowling Green Park
- 11:30 a.m.: Weekly off-topic at City Hall
- 2 p.m.: Presents Proclamation in the Fifth Precinct in Chinatown
- 3 p.m.: Presents Proclamation at Transit District 34 in Coney Island
- 4 p.m.: Presents Proclamation in the 122nd Precinct in Staten Island
- 5 p.m.: Presents Proclamation in the 34th Precinct in Washington Heights.
- 6 p.m.: Presents Proclamation in the 47th Precinct in the Bronx
- 7 p.m.: Presents Proclamation in the 107th Precinct in Flushing, Queens.
