Recent Streetsblog NYC posts about Car-Free Streets

The signs say Manhattan, but don't be fooled, the island of Manhattan has no streets like this.

NYC Needs a Network of Car-Free Streets

By David Meyer | Jul 14, 2017 | 16 Comments

New York City in 2017 has several car-free blocks and pedestrianized street segments where traffic once rules, like Plaza 33 and Myrtle-Wyckoff Plaza. But unlike several other world cities, New York still doesn't have a connected grid of car-free streets.

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The City That Tamed Cars So People Can Walk and Bike Where They Please

By Clarence Eckerson Jr. | Jul 13, 2017 | No Comments

Nijmegen, a small Dutch city, was never on my radar. But I found myself in town last month for the Velo-City 2017 conference, and it was a marvel. The extent to which Nijmegen has prioritized walking, biking, and transit -- and kept car traffic at bay -- is something every city should strive for.

On a Manhattan avenue where transit and high-occupancy vehicles take precedence and the curb is reserved for deliveries, large amounts of street space can be claimed for walking and biking. Image: Street Plans Collaborative

Envisioning NYC’s Next Streets Revolution

By David Meyer | Jun 23, 2017 | 35 Comments

New York can be a city where everyone from young kids to elderly seniors can get around without fear, where neighborhood streets can be places of congregation and activity instead of motorways. To become that city, we'll have to shift a lot more street space from cars to transit, biking, and walking.

The western sidewalk will be extended with an epoxy-and-gravel surface, protected by granite blocks and planters. Bus stops will have raised boarding islands. Image: NYC DOT

DOT to Widen Sidewalks on 7th Avenue Between Penn Station and Times Square

By David Meyer | May 23, 2017 | 33 Comments

Midtown sidewalks are notoriously too skinny to handle the huge numbers of people on foot near Penn Station. The pedestrian crush around the nation's busiest transit hub routinely flows beyond the boundaries of the curb, and people are forced to walk in car lanes. It's uncomfortable, stressful, and dangerous. But people on foot will soon have some breathing room.

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Downtown Hartford Marries Parking Meter Reform With Car-Free Streets

By Stephen Miller | May 8, 2017 | No Comments

Pratt Street is the latest street in the United States to go car-free, at least some of the time, as part of Hartford's first agreement to spend parking meter revenue on local streetscape improvements.

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