NYC to host largest-ever car-free Earth Day celebration
Photo courtesy of the New York City Department of Transportation on Flickr
New York City is marking Earth Day with its largest car-free celebration yet. The city’s Department of Transportation’s annual Open Streets: Car-Free Earth Day event connects 100 open streets across the city, 22 plazas, and over 1,000 miles of the five borough’s bike network to promote environmental activism and sustainable forms of transportation. This year’s celebration will be held on Saturday, April 22 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and include seven separate signature event locations and 23 community-produced locations featuring live performances, fitness instruction, giveaways, and educational programming.
With the support of Lyft, Citi Bike is offering New Yorkers unlimited 30-minute Citi Bike rides for 24 hours. Riders can enter the promo code CARFREE23 when renting a bike in the Citi Bike app.
Car-Free Earth Day was first introduced to the city in 2016 and has since expanded to include 30 locations across NYC, designating select streets for use by pedestrians, cyclists, and local businesses.
“Open Streets: Car-Free Earth Day is about encouraging New Yorkers to leave their vehicles at home and enjoying our city’s parks, plazas, and expanded network of Open Streets,” DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez Rodriguez said.
“This celebration offers an opportunity to get outdoors and enjoy activities at dozens of locations in communities around New York City. It also serves as a reminder that we only have one planet — and we must all do our part to reduce our carbon footprint and pay homage to the one beautiful planet we have.”
You can find the signature event locations here:
Manhattan
Dyckman Street
- Route: Broadway to La Marina
- Programming Highlights: Dyckman Gardens to provide performances, Hudson River Community Sailing, Uptown Soccer, DOT Safety Education, Bameso, 511 Rideshare, Creative Art Works, Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation, People’s Theatre Project, NYC Parks Canoe & Kayak Club, art-making activities by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Lyft / Citi Bike.
St. Nicholas Avenue
- Route: 181st Street to 190th Street
- Programming Highlights: Washington Heights Business Improvement District, DCAS Fleet, DOT Bike Unit, Empire Clean Cities, Lotus Music and Dance, Jazz Power Initiative, Van Cortlandt Titans Youth Football Program, Inc., Riverstone Senior Life Services, Marching Cobras, Citizens’ Climate Lobby, Bike New York, Collective for Arts, Music & Dance, Margaret V. Fitness, Fogo Azul, and Armory Foundation.
Broadway
- Route: East 17th Street to West 42nd Street
- Programming Highlights: Times Square Alliance, Broadway Green Alliance, 34th Street Partnership, Flatiron NoMad Partnership, and Union Square Partnership.
Brooklyn
Troutman Street
- Open Streets Partner: Bushwick Foundation for Artists and Merchants
- Route: St. Nicholas Avenue to Irving Avenue
- Programming Highlights: Carter Van Pelt, Duane Harriot, Ayanna Heaven, L Train Brass Band, Dream Factory, Parks Wildlife, 511 Rideshare, Empire Clean Cities, Clean Bushwick Initiative, Horticultural Society of New York.
Queens
Woodside Avenue
- Open Streets Partner: Thai Community USA
- Route: 76th Street to 79th Street
- Programming Highlights: Horticultural Society of New York, Queensboro Dance, 511 Rideshare, Zing! For Kids, Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, NYC Commission on Human Rights, Metro Plus Health, NYCDOT, Mayor’s Office of Public Engagement, Civic Engagement Commission, DSNY Compost.
The Bronx
Willis Avenue & Roberto Clemente Plaza
- Open Streets Partner: Third Ave BID
- Route: 147th Street to 148th Street
- Programming Highlights: Salsa Stories, Silver Shoes Dance, Horticultural Society of New York, Orisha Wholeness, 511 Rideshare, NYCDOT Bike Unit, Get Women Cycling.
Staten Island
Minthorne Street
- Open Streets Partner: Staten Island Chamber of Commerce and The Angiuli Group
- Route: Bay Street to Victory Boulevard
- Programming Highlights: Citizens Climate Committee, Kuki, Maker Park Radio, One Big Table (Street Lab w/ WNYC), Get Women Cycling, Skyz The Limit.
More information on the signature event locations and the additional 23 community-organized locations can be found here.
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