OneNYC: Mayor de Blasio Announces "Citi Summer Streets" this August, Supplemented tor First Time by New "Shared Streets" Event in Lower Manhattan

June 16, 2016

For three August Saturdays, Citi Summer Streets, supported by first-ever title sponsor Citi, will again stretch from the Brooklyn Bridge to Central Park 

For first time, on Saturday August 13, adjoining areas of Lower Manhattan will be open to pedestrians and cyclists 

DOT announces schedule of Weekend Walks, community-based events that open 26 miles of streets to the public throughout summer in neighborhoods around New York City – from the Bronx’s Grand Concourse to 3rd Avenue in Bay Ridge
  
NEW YORK—Mayor Bill de Blasio today announced the 2016 schedule for Citi Summer Streets, coordinated by the Department of Transportation and supported for the first time by a title sponsor, Citi.  The program will once again open major Manhattan streets to pedestrians and cyclists, close the streets to cars and bring vital activities and programming to the public. The Mayor also announced that for the first time, in a partnership with the Downtown Alliance, City agencies and other organizations, a new “Shared Streets” program would limit vehicular traffic in lower Manhattan south of the Brooklyn Bridge on the second of the three Citi Summer Streets Saturdays, allowing pedestrians and cyclists to explore the streets of Lower Manhattan with a new perspective.

“As the weather warms, most New Yorkers find their weekend time is a precious resource to be treasured,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “With Citi Summer Streets, and for the first time, Shared Streets, New Yorkers will be given another valuable resource to enjoy – open space usually reserved for traffic. These programs will offer great opportunities to bike, walk, meet fellow New Yorkers, eat local food and enjoy activities with the family. This summer, I urge everyone to get out and take advantage of them.”

For Citi Summer Streets, DOT announced that the popular program will return for its ninth year. On Saturday, August 6, August 13 and August 20, nearly seven miles of streets – from the Brooklyn Bridge along Lafayette Street and Park Avenue up to 72nd Street will be transformed into Citi Summer Streets from 7 am until 1pm, with an array of programming. Vita Coco, another major sponsor, will bring back its giant “Beachside Slide,” to Foley Square on each of the Saturdays.  

On Saturday, August 13, the historic streets of lower Manhattan below the southern end of Citi Summer Streets will become “Shared Streets,” a 60-square-block area from Brooklyn Bridge to the Battery, between Broadway and Water Street, where pedestrians, cyclists, and a limited number of motorists will share streets to rediscover the history, culture, and commerce of lower Manhattan. On that day, between 11 AM and 4 PM, cultural programming, including walking tours and other activities, will be offered throughout the neighborhood. Several City agencies will be partnering with DOT on Shared Streets programming, including the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, the Department of Cultural Affairs, and the Department of Records and Information Services.

Large-scale car-free days have been successfully implemented in major world cities like Bogota and Paris – and on Earth Day this past April, New York City closed several major streets to traffic, including Broadway. Shared Streets will however mark the first time a major American city had limited traffic on an even wider scale. On August 13, the NYPD will staff vehicular traffic entry points into the Shared Streets zone – and will encourage all vehicles to not exceed a speed of 5 mph.  

“Today the Mayor has announced several exciting programs that will allow New Yorkers to see their city in new ways, as we are dedicating some of our most important public space – our streets – to the public,” said Department of Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg. “From Lower Manhattan to beyond, Citi Summer Streets, Shared Streets, and our Weekend Walks will allow all New Yorkers to savor the neighborhoods that make the city great. Wherever you live in this city, New Yorkers should take advantage: get out this summer to walk, bike and simply enjoy!” 

“We’re thrilled to partner with DOT for this year’s Summer Streets initiative, and to bring NYC’s film and TV magic to New Yorkers throughout the month of August,” said Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment Commissioner Julie Menin. “In honor of the 50th anniversary of the City’s Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting, this year we’ll be facilitating free mini-walking tours highlighting iconic films ‘Made in NY’ along the Summer Streets route. I encourage all New Yorkers to join us at Summer Streets, for what has become a unique NYC summer tradition.”

“As we kicked off a year of car free streets on Earth Day with our first ever Car Free Day, today we announce an exciting next step that will thrill New Yorkers of all ages,” said Council Transportation Chair Ydanis Rodriguez. “There is so much potential in our open spaces typically occupied by gas-guzzling trucks and cars. The Shared Streets initiative will instantly open up play spaces for kids, safe travel for cyclists and an easily accessible area for all New Yorkers to gather and celebrate. This is a major advancement for New York City, thanks to Mayor de Blasio, Department of Transportation Commissioner Trottenberg and their respective teams, in creating a more livable and walkable environment for all.”

"Summer is a perfect time to see our city at its best, and what better way than by walking our streets with your fellow New Yorkers,” said State Senator Liz Krueger. “For almost a decade Summer Streets has given us the chance to enjoy a streetscape free from cars. Thank you to Mayor de Blasio for continuing and expanding this sustainable and festive tradition."

"Free outdoor activities and programming, like Summer Streets, are a great part of summer in the city," said State Senator Daniel Squadron. "I thank the City, DOT, and their partners for working to open up more open spaces for more New Yorkers."

"What makes Manhattan unique is its unparalleled, walkable streetscape – but it is still so often dominated by cars and traffic," said Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer. "Programs that transform our streets into walkable public spaces offer a truly special opportunity to experience the city in a whole new way."

Assembly Member Dan Quart said, “I'm excited for these upcoming programs which will allow New Yorkers to enjoy our streets in a new way. This is a great reminder that every New Yorker is a pedestrian at some point every day – public streets are a public good. Let's all come together this summer and celebrate the things that make our neighborhoods so great.”

"I am thrilled to join the Department of Transportation, Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, the Department of Cultural Affairs, and the Department of Records and Information Services who are opening 7 miles of Summer Streets to show everything that New York City has to offer. An innovative event to gather community organizations and City agencies by linking music, performances and youth programming for all to enjoy is a true testament to the potential of opening the City's valuable public space, its streets," said Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright.

“This new ‘Shared Streets’ event will give residents and visitors to Lower Manhattan a wonderful way to experience the sights and sounds of this historic neighborhood like never before,” said Council Member Margaret Chin. “I encourage all New Yorkers to take advantage of this opportunity to get a glimpse of a future city that is less reliant on automobiles. I thank Mayor de Blasio, Commissioner Trottenberg and Downtown Alliance for making ‘Shared Streets’ a reality, and for bringing back Citi Summer Streets for its ninth straight year.”

"The streets of New York City will come alive once again as they open up to pedestrians and cyclists alike for Citi Summer Streets," said Council Member Ben Kallos. "This August I plan to take full advantage of the seven miles made available to pedestrians through this program. I want to thank Mayor de Blasio and Department of Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg for making this experience possible for New Yorkers." 

"Citi Summer Streets is a fun warm weather tradition, and I'm particularly excited to bike around a car-free Lower Manhattan on the second Saturday. I want to thank Mayor Bill de Blasio and DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg for this forward-thinking festivity that is now being replicated in cities worldwide," said Council Member Helen Rosenthal.

"Lower Manhattan is a special place," said Jessica Lappin, President of the Alliance for Downtown New York. "Across one square mile you can step, or bike, off the grid to explore the winding cobblestone streets of where New York began, and where it’s all beginning again.”

“This summer, Citi’s ‘Make It Here’ campaign is celebrating New Yorkers’ unique energy and passion, and few events will showcase that more than Citi Summer Streets and the new Shared Space,” said President of Citi U.S. Retail Banking Will Howle. “Like the Citi Bike program and ‘Adventures NYC! Presented by Citi,’ a day of biking, climbing and kayaking in Central Park on June 18th, Citi Summer Streets will provide a unique New York experience and we are thrilled to support it.”

“We’re thrilled to be a part of Summer Streets for the second year in a row,” said Vita Coco’s Vice President of Marketing, Charles van Es. “We love bringing a little bit of the beach to the hot New York City streets, and we’ll have plenty of electrolyte-filled coconut water to keep New Yorkers hydrated!"

“On behalf of the residents of this neighborhood, the Financial District Neighborhood Association is thrilled by the New York City DOT’s announcement of its Shared Streets program,” said Patrick Kennell, President of the Financial District Neighborhood Association. “Bringing this innovative concept to our neighborhood, where tens of thousands of New Yorkers live and millions of tourists visit every year, shows DOT’s forward-thinking commitment to improving the quality of life and safe enjoyment of our streets. We expect Shared Streets for Lower Manhattan to be a popular and successful event, and we are proud that our neighborhood was chosen for this exciting experience.”

DOT has separately released its schedule of Weekend Walks, now in its eighth year. Like Citi Summer Streets, Weekend Walks engages local communities by closing major thoroughfares to traffic and opening them up for locally-planned programming. Between now and October 15, the DOT will coordinate over fifty separate weekend events around New York City, partnering with 65 different community-based organizations to cover over 100 days of car-free events on 26 miles of City streets in neighborhoods all around New York City, from the Grand Concourse in the Bronx to 3rd Avenue in Bay Ridge. Each Weekend Walk is organized and hosted by a local partner and features a number of activities including music, arts and crafts, classes and youth programming. Weekend Walks highlight local cultural institutions, non-profits and community resources. The events promote healthy, safe recreation as well as local businesses, and create high-quality public space where community members can come together. Restaurants abutting Weekend Walks are allowed to offer outdoor café service, without any additional permits or fees.

The Mayor’s announcement today builds on his OneNYC long-term plans for a strong and just New York City, which focus on growth, sustainability, resiliency and equity as core principles. OneNYC has established measurable goals for tackling these challenges in the coming years – including the construction of 80,000 affordable housing units and preservation of 120,000 affordable housing units by 2024; the targeted reduction of 800,000 New Yorkers in poverty by 2025; achievement of the best air quality of any large US city and sending zero waste to landfills by 2030; spurring more than 4.9 million jobs by 2040; lowering greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent while withstanding and emerging stronger from the impacts of climate change by 2050.

Today’s announcement included dance performances and yoga demonstrations as a sample of  Citi® Summer Streets programming, specifics of which will be announced as August approaches. In addition to the Vita Coco Beachside Slide, this year’s confirmed programming will include dance, theatrical and musical performances; public art installations by internationally acclaimed artists and designers; historic walking tours; self-guided art and architecture maps; handcycles, basketball and soccer activations; a food zone with free samples; a 165-foot long, 30-foot high zip line; a climbing wall; free bike and rollerblade rental; learn-to-ride bike classes, helmet fitting and Safety Zone with Truck’s Eye View; fitness classes led by local gym instructors; and arts and crafts workshops with local museums and art institutions.  For more information on Citi Summer Streets 2016, please visit:http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/summerstreets  

For current Weekend Walk schedule and updates, please visit:http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/weekendwalks