Summer Streets 2011: Play Ball

Former Mets closer John Franco, DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan, and Knicks star John Starks announce the program for Summer Streets 2011. Photo: Noah Kazis

This August, Park Avenue will again be closed to motor vehicles for three Saturday mornings as part of the fourth annual Summer Streets event.

The details are largely the same as in years past: The route will run for seven miles from 72nd Street south to Foley Square from 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. When asked what the Department of Transportation had learned from last year’s event, Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan simply replied, “We’ve learned that it’s wildly popular.” Last year, 60,000 New Yorkers enjoyed the car-free street each Saturday, she said.

While the main attraction hasn’t changed, a new slate of programming will be available for families to enjoy. Sports fans should appreciate the participation of the New York Knicks and Mets — record-holding Mets closer John Franco and 1990s Knicks star John Starks were on hand at the press conference announcing Summer Streets this afternoon. “Maybe you can learn a few tips about shooting a basketball from me,” Starks promised potential Summer Streets attendees. Each team will have a presence at the event but it’s not quite clear if active players will be there as well.

Also along the route will be sand sculptures, a 25-foot climbing wall, and free bicycle and rollerblade rentals.

The flagship Park Avenue Summer Streets event will be joined by 18 neighborhood “Weekend Walks,” across all five boroughs.

At this point, the only question that remains about Summer Streets is when those 60,000 people will be able to come back for a fourth or fifth car-free weekend day. The state of Massachusetts, for comparison’s sake, closes Memorial Drive, a riverfront highway in Cambridge, to cars all day every Sunday from April through November.

ALSO ON STREETSBLOG

Streetfilms: NYC Summer Streets 2009

|
This past Saturday, New York City DOT and partners kicked off the second year of Summer Streets, a six-hour car-free event stretching from 72nd Street to the Brooklyn Bridge. DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan estimated that twice as many people visited the route compared to the first Summer Streets event last year. If you missed this […]

Franco, Starks and Sadik-Khan Launch NYC’s Summer of Car-Free Streets

|
Clarence put together these highlights from the morning presser with former Mets southpaw John Franco, all-time Knicks overachiever John Starks, and DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan announcing the 2011 season of Summer Streets and Weekend Walks. Said Brooklyn native Franco: “Events like this bring the city closer and makes everybody one big happy family.” Clarence also […]

Sadik-Khan Announces Summer Streets 2012

|
Summer Streets will return this August. NYC DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan today announced dates for the fifth iteration of the city’s premier car-free event. Seven miles of Manhattan streets, from the Brooklyn Bridge to Central Park, will be open to pedestrians from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. on August 4, 11 and 18. “For three […]

Streetfilms: Summer Streets Are Back!

|
Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced this week the return and expansion of the Summer Streets program along with more than 1,500 free events taking place throughout New York City this summer. The mayor was joined by DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan, who noted that some 50,000 people enjoyed Summer Streets each time it was held last year, […]

A Transcontinental Transpo Message: Don’t Be Afraid to Experiment

|
NYCDOT commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan is in Los Angeles this weekend for the StreetSummit, a gathering of Southern California bike and pedestrian advocates. In a lead-in to the conference, Sadik-Khan spoke at her alma mater, Occidental College, and Clarence Eckerson and Streetsblog LA’s Damien Newton were there. Speaking to a packed house of advocates, planners, and […]