Summer Streets is an annual celebration of New York City’s most valuable public space—our streets. Summer Streets provides space for healthy recreation and encourages New Yorkers to use more sustainable forms of transportation. Over a quarter of a million people participated in Summer Streets in earlier years, and even more are expected in 2015.
This year, August 1st, 8th and 15th from 7 a.m. until 1 p.m., nearly seven miles of New York City’s streets will be opened up for everyone to play, run, walk and bike. Immerse yourself in a seven-block-long tunnel never opened before to pedestrians, or just stroll along and experience the city’s streets in a new way—all for free. Summer Streets provides space for healthy recreation and encourages New Yorkers to use more sustainable forms of transportation. In previous years, more than 300,000 people took advantage of the open streets.
Summer Streets is modeled on other events from around the world including Ciclovía in Bogotá, Colombia and the Paris Plage in France. The event is part bike tour, part walking tour, part block party—a great time for exercise, people watching, or just enjoying summer mornings. Passersby are weclome to participate in arts and crafts workshops, listen to musical performances, learn to salsa dance, eat healthy snacks, climb a 25′ climbing wall, soar through the sky on a 160′ zipline and explore a 179 years voice tunnel.
Held from early in the morning through mid-afternoon, Summer Streets extends from the Brooklyn Bridge to Central Park, along Park Avenue and connecting streets, with easy access from all points in New York City, allowing participants to plan a trip as long or short as they wish. All activities at Summer Streets are free of charge, and designed for people of all ages and ability levels to share the streets respectfully.
Summer Streets is a project of the New York City Department of Transportation. With nearly 7 miles of open streets and 5 rest stops, there is plenty to explore at Summer Streets. And remember, everything at Summer Streets is free!
Information regarding times for street closures and advice on alternate routing will be posted closer to the date of the event, but in general:
- Street closures will begin at 6 am. Streets will reopen at 1:30 pm on the day of each event.
- Parking will be restricted along the route beginning at 11 pm the night before each event through 2 pm the day of the event
- We encourage you to plan ahead and observe posted parking restrictions.
- Garages on side streets will be accessible
- Noise volumes will be kept low throughout the event, with no amplified sound before 10 am
Click here for more information about the various ways to get to Summer Streets, including by bike, subway, rail, ferry, and by car. Please note that p arking in the streets and in local parking garages surrounding the Summer Streets route will be restricted due to street closures. All participants are encouraged to take mass transit, walk or bike to get to Summer Streets.