Mayor Adams Expands “Summer Streets” Program, Bringing Car-Free Streets From Brooklyn To East Harlem

New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez today announced a nearly two-mile expansion.

It’s an expansion of the “Summer Streets” program, extending it for the first time from the Brooklyn Bridge up to East Harlem in Manhattan and restoring it to three Saturdays for the first time since 2019.

Now, in its 14^th edition, the program will offer fun and free activities along eight miles of car-free streets on August 6^th, 13^th, and 20^th from 7:00 AM to 1:00 PM, along Park Avenue, Lafayette Street, and Centre Street up to East 109^th Street — including free Citi Bike day passes available on August 6^th with code SUMMER22.

DOT will also offer a wide array of activities on Open Streets and plazas across the city throughout August.

“Our streets belong to all New Yorkers, and I’m so excited to be restoring the Summer Streets program to three full Saturdays and bringing it to East Harlem for the first time,” said Mayor Adams. “This is exactly what our public space is for: making fun activities accessible to hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers for free. I look forward to more people than ever taking advantage of this incredible opportunity to enjoy the best our city has to offer.”

“Thanks to the hard work of so many city workers, especially the New York City Department of Transportation and our dedicated volunteers for the city’s largest block party, Summer Streets will be larger than ever before,” said Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi. “This summer, more New Yorkers can enjoy even more continuous car-free space and programming.”

“The Adams administration is committed to equity in everything we do, which is why we have already, this year, expanded the Open Streets program to so many new communities in all five boroughs,” said DOT Commissioner Rodriguez. “In that same spirit, we are bringing back Summer Streets this August to a record number of blocks, bringing car-free streets and exciting programming to East Harlem for the very first time. Whether you are an avid cyclist, jogger, or pedestrian, New Yorkers should get ready!”

Since 2008, DOT has presented Summer Streets on nearly seven miles of streets, spanning from the Brooklyn Bridge to Central Park. This year’s program will, for the first time, extend all the way up to 109^th Street in East Harlem, adding almost two miles to the traditional route.

This iconic stretch will be made accessible to the public for free activities and outdoor recreation, including walking, running, cycling, and playing.

Following on the successes of Open Restaurants and Open Streets programs — the latter of which was expanded to new neighborhoods this year — the city will activate the Summer Streets program for three Saturdays for the first time since 2019.

On August 6^th, the first day of Summer Streets, Citi Bike will offer free day passes. Use the code SUMMER22 in the Citi Bike app to receive unlimited 30-minute rides on a classic Citi Bike for 24 hours.

In addition, throughout August, DOT will host over 120 events throughout the city on the city’s Open Streets and plazas, along with daily Open Streets operations in all five boroughs.

DOT has secured nearly $1.3 million in federal stimulus funding this year to support the Open Streets program, and the agency has been working closely with elected officials, community partners, and local residents to identify new and established locations where new Open Streets and plazas would have the greatest impact.

Below is the list of planned programming for Summer Streets, including at two new rest stops north of the program’s previous endpoint on East 72^nd Street:

Foley Square Rest Stop, Centre Street and Duane Street

• Adaptive Basketball Games with the Wheelchair Sports Federation
• Dance Party NYC
• Free Bike Rentals by Unlimited Biking
• New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Water on the Go
• Summer Streets Art Stop
• Summer Streets Beach Chairs and Cooling Zone

Astor Place Rest Stop, Lafayette Street and Astor Place

• DEP Water on the Go
• Fitness Class Stage: Free Classes by Just Like Om, Lifetime, Energi, Athleta, and WRKNYC
• The Movement Creative: Pop-Up Parkour Playground
• Taste of Summer: Snack and Beverage Sampling Zone
• Transportation Alternatives Bike Valet

Rose Hill Rest Stop, East 26^th and 27^th Streets and Park Avenue

• Bike Repair with the Five Borough Bicycle Club
• Dance Party NYC
• DEP Water on the Go
• DOT Bike Helmet Fitting
• DOT Truck’s Eye View
• Explore NYC Rainwater with Naik Group
• Free Bike Rentals by Unlimited Biking
• Learn to Ride with Bike New York
• Summer Streets Accessibility Station
• Summer Streets Art Stop
• Transportation Alternatives Bike Valet

Midtown Rest Stop, East 51^st Street and Park Avenue

• Art and Culture Hub
  • August 6: Native Planting with Glam Gardener NYC, Marching Band Hat Making with HONK NYC, Watercolor for Beginners with Art Students League of New York, Coloring and Temporary Tattoos with the Asia Society
  • August 13: Native Planting with Glam Gardener NYC, Marching Band Hat Making with HONK NYC, Watercolor for Beginners with Art Students League of New York, Tangram Challenge with Museum of Chinese in America, Make Your Own Ojo de Dios with Urban Studio Unbound, Recycled Art Making with Materials for the Arts
  • August 20: Native Planting with Glam Gardener NYC, Marching Band Hat Making with HONK NYC, Watercolor for Beginners with Art Students League of New York, Tangram Challenge with Museum of Chinese in America, Make Your Own Ojo de Dios with Urban Studio Unbound, Recycled Art Making with Green Inspired Art
• DEP Water on the Go
• Midtown Performance Stage
  • August 6: NYC Violinist, Dahka Band, Music With A Message, Sirens of Gotham, Project Connect
  • August 13: Evan V and the Jumping Jams Band, Lilee, the Blue Dahlia, Calpulli Mexican Dance Company
  • August 20: eGALitarian Brass, Metropolitan Horn Authority, The Afro-Latineers, Niall O’Leary School of Irish Dance, HONK NYC presents HONK Family Band
• Summer Streets Art Stop
• Transportation Alternatives Bike Valet
• Zing! Kids Fitness

Upper East Rest Stop, East 81^st Street and Park Avenue (New)

• Black Girls Do Bike: Riding Tips, Bike Repair, and Bike Tours
• Fit Club NY: Physical Therapy and Recovery Services
• Fitness Class Stage: Free Classes by Orange Theory Fitness, Fit Club NY, Pure Barre, The Code, 305 Fitness, Chase Fitness, Dance Body
• Free Bike Rentals by Unlimited Biking

Uptown Rest Stop, East 109^th Street and Park Avenue (New)

• Art and Culture Hub: Event Trivia and Coloring with Ebony Bolt, Art Lives Here, the Naji Play Machine with Naji, Studio Museum in Harlem, Harlem Needle Arts
• Bindlestiff Family Cirkus (August 20)
• Go! Sports USA: Free Rollerblade Rentals and Instruction
• NYC Parks Play Mobile (August 20)
• Summer Streets Art Stop
• Uptown Pop-Up Performances
  • August 6: HONK NYC presents Off the Bar Brass Band, Marching Cobras, Batingua Arts, Fogo Azul
  • August 13: HONK NYC presents New Heights Brass Band, HONK NYC presents L-Train Brass Band, HONK NYC presents Tilted Axis Music for Mobile Electric Guitars, Fogo Azul

Below is a list of Open Street and Plaza programming partners during the month of August:

The Bronx

• Dance Party NYC
• Flatbed Follies
• Street Lab Programing
• Street Lab Public Space Programming

Brooklyn

• Broadway Forever!
• Dance Party NYC
• Flatbed Follies
• Fresh Air Fund Summer Spaces for Kids!
• Street Lab Programming
• Street Lab Public Space Pilots

Manhattan

• Bike the Block
• Broadway Forever!
• Circus Amok
• Dance Party NYC
• Flatbed Follies
• Street Lab Programming
• Street Lab Public Space Pilots

Queens

• Bike the Block
• Broadway Forever!
• Dance Party NYC
• Flatbed Follies
• Fresh Air Fund Summer Spaces for Kids!
• Queensboro Dance
• Queens Theatre Al Fresco at Corona Plaza, Featuring ATTAKKU
• Queens Theater Al Fresco at Corona Plaza, Featuring Karlos Franjo
• Queens Theatre Al Fresco at Corona Plaza, Featuring Mariano Cersa
• Queens Theatre Al Fresco at Corona Plaza, Featuring the New York City Police Department’s La Jara Band
• Street Lab Public Space Pilots
• Sunnyside Ecuadorian Heritage Event
• Sunnyside Open Air Studios
• Zing! Kids Fitness

Staten Island

• Bike the Block
• Dance Party NYC
• Street Lab Public Space Pilots

For additional details and updates about this year’s Summer Streets, please visit the DOT website or the Summer Streets website. 

For additional information on sites for Open Streets programming, please visit the Open Streets website.

“Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, New York City’s Open Streets program provided respite to New Yorkers stuck indoors due to the lockdown. But well before the Open Streets program, New Yorkers have enjoyed the Summer Streets, blocking off miles of vehicular traffic to only pedestrian traffic,” said U.S. Representative Carolyn B. Maloney. “I am thrilled that New York City is expanding the program for another successful season of non-vehicular trafficked streets. This provides an opportunity for New Yorkers to both experiences our city like never before and stays safe and healthy outside.”

“As we continue to deal with worsening heat waves and the other effects of climate change, programs like Summer Streets showcase what mobility with greener modes like walking and cycling can look like in New York City,” said Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine. “I am thrilled to see a continuous car-free stretch extend from the Brooklyn Bridge to East Harlem and also to see some our borough’s most prized Open Streets receive additional programming.”

“Summer Streets allows New Yorkers to have access to more open space outside space. During the summer months and with the increase in COVID exposure, people should be able to take part in the liveliness that the city has to offer without the risk of cars. The long-overdue expansion of Summer Streets lets people across the five boroughs allow people to walk, play and exercise outside,” said New York State Assemblymember Harvey Epstein. “I am a huge fan of Open Streets, and I look forward to its continued expansion for so many New Yorkers. I use the Open Streets in my community and applaud the city in its work to expand the program.”

“Our streets are one of the greatest gifts of living in the greatest city on Earth,” said New York State Assemblymember Eddie Gibbs. “All New Yorkers should be able to enjoy them regardless of zip code, which is why I am so appreciative that Mayor Adams and Commissioner Rodriguez have expanded Summer Streets to East Harlem. I know my family and I will take part in this fun-filled first, and I encourage all my neighbors to as well!”

“Summer Streets provide a much-needed safe space for our youth, families, and community at large to gather and enjoy their summer,” said New York City Council Deputy Speaker Diana Ayala. “My district has a long history of gathering in the streets and building community. Extending this program will allow for more opportunities to connect with free resources and take back our streets, filling them with children’s laughter and joy. I look forward to continuing to find ways to grow programs that address our needs with solutions that work for my district.”

“From Longfellow Avenue to Laurelton, New Yorkers will again have access to outdoor programming and spaces,” said New York City Councilmember Selvena N. Brooks-Powers, chair, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. “The pandemic revived the desire for accessible outdoor community green and open spaces. Thank you to Commissioner Rodriguez and the DOT for offering Summer Streets in all corners of New York City, adding engaging community programs like Dance Party NYC and Flatbed Follies in Council District 31’s Open Streets and Open Plazas. We look forward to the continued expansion of program locations and duration in future years.”

“New Yorkers deserve space in densely populated neighborhoods to enjoy the outdoors in their own neighborhoods,” said New York City Councilmember Julie Menin. “Expanding Open Streets during the summer months is a great way to get people outside, and I thank Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez for prioritizing this program. The city needs to continue initiatives that reimagine how we use our public streets to provide residents places to enjoy outdoor recreation.”

“I’m very glad that the Department of Transportation and Mayor Adams is bringing back Summer Streets for the 14^th year!” said New York City Councilmember Keith Powers. “This great program boosts local businesses, brings our city’s streets alive, and gives New Yorkers fun ways to get outside. Thank you, Commissioner Rodriguez and the mayor, for your work on this program — I can’t wait to enjoy more of all New York has to offer.”

“Summer Streets are an important — and fun — way of promoting the needs of pedestrians and cyclists by showing what’s possible when you open our roads to the public and we are thrilled to support them,” said Laura Fox, general manager, Citi Bike, Lyft. “Together with our partners at DOT, Lyft will be promoting Citi Bike as a fast, reliable, and affordable transportation option at upcoming Summer Streets events, and we encourage riders to give Citi Bike a try for free on August 6^th with the code SUMMER22!”

“New Yorkers love streets that are open to people, and Summer Streets is a great way to showcase their benefits,” said Shawn Garcia, Bronx and uptown organizer, Transportation Alternatives. “The expansion up to East Harlem is an important step, and we hope this successful program grows to bring safe, healthy, and vibrant streets to neighborhoods outside of Manhattan — especially ones that lack open space.”

“We applaud Mayor Adams and Commissioner Rodriguez for bringing back an expanded Summer Streets for another three Saturdays of car-free fun,” said Julie Tighe, president, New York League of Conservation Voters. “Summer Streets give New Yorkers a look at a greener, cleaner future of reduced car use and people-centric streets.”

“Summer Streets, along with Open Streets, give New Yorkers a taste of the car-free life and the freedom and ease that come from cyclists and pedestrians owning the roads,” said Ken Podziba, president and CEO, Bike New York. “We couldn’t be more excited to partner with DOT to bring our popular Learn to Ride classes to even more young riders this summer, and we’re looking forward to safe and fun city streets with the expansion of these programs.”

“We’re thrilled that the city is expanding the Summer Streets program to East Harlem, bringing car-free streets and family-friendly programming to another corner of New York City,” said Liam Blank, spokesperson, Tri-State Transportation Campaign. “As we face an ongoing climate emergency, it’s crucial that we repurpose more of our street space to a mix of uses and encourage more positive and sustainable use of public space. We commend Mayor Adams and DOT Commissioner Rodriguez for keeping equity at the forefront of programs like this, and we look forward to future expansions of the Summer Streets program to more neighborhoods that will truly benefit from it.”