City gearing up for Car-Free Day activities

BY GABE HERMAN | The city’s fourth annual Car-Free Day will be held Sat., April 27, on the heels of Earth Day the previous Saturday.

Thirty blocks of Broadway will be closed to traffic, from Times Square to Union Square, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. There will also be programming at six rest stops along the way: Times Square at 42^nd St.; 38th St.; Herald Square at 34^th St.; 26^th St.; 23^rd St. and Union Square at 17^th St.

City agencies and nonprofits will offer educational programming related to the environment and climate change. The Union Square rest stop will offer several dance and fitness programs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., along with walking tours, including by the American Institute of Architects.

City gearing up for Car-Free Day activities 1 — Councilmember Ydanis Rodriguez, at podium, and D.O.T. Commissioner Polly Trottenberg to the right of him, at a press conference announcing the upcoming Car-Free Day. (Courtesy Ydanis Rodriguez/Twitter)

The other rest stops in Manhattan will feature a mix of fitness programs, including dance and yoga, and dance performances, along with other climate programming, including arts workshops. A full list of events can be found here.

At an April 18 press conference, Polly Trottenberg, the Department of Transportation commissioner, and Councilmember Ydanis Rodriguez, chairperson of the City Council’s Transportation Committee, touted the program’s positive message.

Afterward, Rodriguez tweeted, “We need to save our planet, for our future generations! Proud to stand alongside DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg, advocates and partners as we announce Car Free Day NYC!”

City gearing up for Car-Free Day activities 2 — Broadway will look something like this for this year’s Car-Free Day. (Courtesy Dept. of Transportation)

A part of Uptown will also be closed off to traffic for the day. Nine blocks along St. Nicholas Ave., from 181^st St. to 190^th St., will be car-free from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will also be programs there related to climate change and sustainability.

Each borough will also feature a “Weekend Walk” on the day, with Manhattan’s hosted by the Chinatown Partnership and going along Forsyth St., from Canal St. to East Broadway, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Walks will feature art and cultural activities, “active lifestyle activations,” movies and fun for the whole family.

“For the fourth straight year, we are thrilled to work with Councilmember Rodriguez to transform the bustling streets of Broadway and St Nicholas Ave. into havens for New Yorkers,” Trottenberg said. “Whether they are out cycling or walking, New Yorkers can use Car-Free Earth Day as a time to reclaim their streets, enjoy the outdoors, and indulge in the vibrant culture of these communities.”