Manhattan's streets are giving the steering wheels a Saturday off as Summer Streets returns with a sweeping car-free route from the Brooklyn Bridge to Inwood. For three weekends, walkers, cyclists, joggers and families will get a rare chance to move through some of the city's busiest corridors without the usual parade of traffic.
The first Manhattan installment runs from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, with free fitness classes, cultural performances and family activities along the route, CBS New York reports. The forecast calls for a humid day with sun, clouds, a chance of a spot shower and a high near 86 degrees.
Brooklyn Bridge To Dyckman Becomes A Car-Free Corridor
The official route stretches from Centre Street and the Brooklyn Bridge through Lafayette Street, Fourth Avenue, Union Square, Park Avenue and Central Park North before continuing along Broadway to Dyckman Street. The NYC Department of Transportation lists rest stops from Foley Square and Astor Place to East Harlem, Washington Heights and Inwood.
Drivers should expect a much broader traffic headache than a single avenue closure. Parking along the route is restricted from midnight to 4 p.m., the Brooklyn Bridge is closed to traffic, and MTA buses are rerouted with signs posted at affected stops, according to CBS New York.
Free Fitness, Public Art And A Manhattan 5K
The event includes beginner-friendly running and walking programming, including a New York Road Runners 5K scheduled for 7:30 a.m. Saturday. The NYC DOT also highlights The Bower, a temporary shade-and-chalk installation by artist Elsa Ponce, plus music, games, bike resources and other free activities at rest stops.
Manhattan's Summer Streets will return next Saturday and the following Saturday before the city shifts to Brooklyn and the Bronx on Aug. 22. The program spans more than 20 miles across five boroughs this summer, and the city transportation department says more than 500,000 people participated in last year's events.
