Crowds regularly flock to Austin Street, a commercial stretch in Forest Hills, despite the fact that actually walking around the area can feel like such a burden.
With narrow sidewalks and two-way car traffic, pedestrians not only get the squeeze, but they also need to deal with drivers making unsafe moves in an attempt to get around. For one glorious afternoon — Austin Day on Sunday, Sept. 14 — Austin Street went pedestrian-only, showing the potential of the people-first version of the block that neighborhood activists have pitched for years.
The one-day open street was created by Neighbors For A Safer Austin Street to "show everyone what a safer, better, more vibrant Austin Street could look like," according to founder Pedro Rodriguez.
Mission accomplished, as you can see in today's video:
