De Blasio adds ‘play streets’ to some car-free blocks, but cuts nearly 3 miles from the program

While the city is adding just under two miles of open streets to its roster of car-free blocks, nearly three miles will be removed from the program. Mayor Bill de Blasio on Friday announced 1.72 miles of open streets across the five boroughs, as well as a new initiative called “Play Streets,” which will offer families a number of contactless activities, sports, and arts and crafts on 12 streets currently closed to cars. However, the mayor failed to mention during the press briefing that 2.77 miles will be cut from the program and returned to normal vehicle traffic at “underused locations.”

According to a press release, the city worked with local elected officials and community partners to determine which blocks should be removed from the program.

Streets that will return to normal traffic include:

Bronx
Louis Nine Boulevard: Intervale Avenue to Southern Boulevard

Brooklyn
Prospect Park West: Garfield Place to 3rd Street
Parkside Avenue: Park Circle to Ocean Avenue
East 7th Street: Caton Street to Ditmas Avenue

Manhattan
29th Street: Broadway to Madison Avenue

Queens
Center Boulevard: 57th Avenue to Borden Avenue
27th Street: 43rd Avenue to Queens Plaza North
85th Street: 25th Avenue to 30th Avenue

Opening 100 miles of streets for pedestrians remains the goal for the administration during the coronavirus pandemic. On Friday, the city inched slowly towards the goal by opening 1.72 miles of new open streets, led by local partners and precincts, marking about 70 miles closed to cars across the city.

New streets added include: 

Bronx
169th Street: 3rd Avenue to Webster Avenue (Claremont)

Brooklyn
Wolcott Street: Conover Street to Van Brunt Street (Good Shepherd Services)
Jefferson Avenue: Patchen Avenue to Malcolm X Boulevard (700 Jefferson Avenue Block Association)

Manhattan
Thompson Street: West 3rd Street to Washington Square South (Judson Memorial Church)
Broome Street: Allen Street to Ludlow Street (LES BID)
Jane Street: Hudson Street to 8th Avenue (West Village)

Queens
31st Avenue: 31st Street to 36th Street (31st Avenue Open Street Collective)
Dutch Kills: Jackson Avenue to Sunnyside Yards (Rockrose)
47th Street: 39th Avenue to Skillman Avenue (38th Avenue Open Street Coalition)
49th Street: 39th Avenue to Skillman Avenue (38th Avenue Open Street Coalition)

Staten Island
Wright Street: Canal Street to Thompson Street (Streets Lab)
Henderson Avenue: Broadway to Alaska Street (Port Richmond)
New Street: Cottage Place to Jewett Avenue (Port Richmond)

The “Play Streets” will feature craft projects for children, including making birdhouses, kaleidoscopes, and more, giant board games like Jenga and Connect 4, and sports drills for basketball, kickball, softball, and more. Other activities include dance classes, yoga exercises, reading corners, and a no-touch obstacle course created by Street Lab. All programs have been designed to meet social distancing guidelines.

“Young people deserve the chance to play freely in their neighborhoods while staying safe from COVID-19, and Play Streets will go a long way toward easing the burden of a summer unlike any other,” de Blasio said. “Rebuilding a fairer and better city means using our urban landscape creatively, and I’m proud to build on the success of our Open Streets program by finding exciting and productive uses for city streets.”

The Play Streets will launch at locations on a rolling basis starting next week and will run during the weekday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. or 5 p.m. through September 4.

Locations of Play Streets include:

Bronx
Oak Treet: Hughes Avenue to Quarry Road August 3 through September 4, Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Quarry Ballfields/ Belmont)
Cromwell Avenue: McClellan Street to Jerome Avenue, August 3 through September 4, Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Mt. Eden/ Highbridge)

Brooklyn
6th Avenue: 44th Street to 45th Street, August 5 through September 4, Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Sunset Park)
Park Place: New York Avenue to Kingston Avenue, August 3 through September 4, Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Crown Heights)
Blake Avenue: Powell Street to Mother Gaston Boulevard, July 27 through September 4, Monday-Thursday, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. (Brownsville)
Humboldt Street: Moore Street to Varet Street, July 27 through September 4, Monday-Thursday, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. (Bushwick)

Manhattan
150th Street: St. Nicholas Place to Edgecombe Avenue, August 5 through September 4, Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Harlem)
129th Street: Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard to Frederick Douglas Boulevard, July 27 through September 4, Monday-Thursday, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. (Harlem)

Queens
34th Avenue: 72nd Street to 74th Street, July 30 through September 4, Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. 4 p.m. (Jackson Heights/Corona)
34th Avenue: 79th Street to 80th Street, July 30 through September 4, Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. 4 p.m. (Jackson Heights/Corona)
34th Avenue: 92nd Street to 94th STreet, July 30 through September 4, Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. 4 p.m. (Jackson Heights/Corona)

Staten Island
Wright Street: Canal Street to Thompson Street, August 7 through September 4, Fridays, 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. (Stapleton)

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