Car-Free Streets

The traffic and transportation committee of Brooklyn CB 10 endorsed the concept of a weekend street closure along Bay Ridge's Third Avenue Wednesday night, but due to a large number of unknowns, they held off on voting for the actual proposal. The elected officials supporting the Bay Ridge Summer Streets plan -- State Senator Marty Golden and City Council Member Vincent Gentile -- are now working to find answers to the community board's questions in time for the full board to vote on the plan.

A quick note from Brooklyn Community Board 10 regarding a meeting set for 7:00 tonight:

Should a pedestrian-friendly Times Square serve as a model for other American cities? Who would ask such a thing? Certainly not the real New Yorkers who constitute the city's hard-bitten press corps.

Los Angeles's CicLAvia is more than a seven and a half mile street party with a funny name. In a city so closely associated with cars and car culture, it's one of the many signs that Los Angeles is changing and one's status is not represented by the vehicle one owns.

Since 2009, the Department of Transportation has been engaged in a major study of Jackson Heights' streets and sidewalks. At the request of community groups and with federal funding from Rep. Joe Crowley, DOT has been developing a plan to make the neighborhood safer, less congested, and more transit-accessible. After two years of research and community engagement, DOT will be presenting its first recommendations next Saturday, February 12.

A little weekend viewing from the west coast of England. Since the summer of 2009, neighbors in Bristol have organized "Playing Out" events on seven streets, setting aside car-free hours for kids to play in the street without constant parental supervision. Watching this video immediately brought to mind Clarence's Streetfilm of the 78th Street play street in Jackson Heights.

For Angelenos, Sunday was a day that we’ll never forget. Our first Open Streets party was an unparalleled success.  So much so that even the critics of the concept grudgingly came on board when it was obvious that they missed the boat on supporting and experiencing a groundbreaking day.

The first 2010 installment of Summer Streets is tomorrow, and I can't think of a better way to get in the mood than to check in on this inspiring grassroots victory for livable streets in New York City.