OPINION: ‘Summer Streets’ Shows That Car-Free Roads Give Kids the Independence They Need

We live uptown near the route of Manhattan Summer Streets. On the second weekend, we let our 9-year-old son ride by himself. Cars and trucks are the main thing we worry about when he is out in public, and we usually only let him ride his bike as far as the local park where he can be on the sidewalk the entire way and only has to cross one street. But the car-free streets of Summer Streets encouraged us to let him go as far in either direction on the route as he felt comfortable — just stop and turn around when he wanted to. He ended up riding all the way to Midtown — five miles from home — and returned positively beaming. Here’s his account of the ride in his own words.

Julian’s parents

The first time my parents said I could ride on Summer Streets alone, I didn’t go very far. But when I came back, my parents were very happy and said I could go out and do it again as far as I wanted to. 

So the next time, I left our apartment in Morningside Heights and biked all the way to the MetLife building [the entrance to the Park Avenue Viaduct at 46th Street, near Grand Central Terminal]. I thought I was only going to go to where the Metro-North tracks started [at 110th and Park Avenue], but then I decided to keep going.

Everybody was so happy in the street that I just wanted to go farther.

I didn’t feel unsafe, except when a bus came onto the street. But that was the only time. No one asked me where my parents were because they didn’t care (not that they needed to because it was so safe). We were all having an experience together.

There were a lot of bike bells and music. And I did get water from someone. I noticed I was thirsty when I got to the MetLife building, and I looked for someone at a tent with water. He asked if I was by myself and winked at me, and then gave me the water.

I didn’t go further than the MetLife building because it gets kind of crazy south of there. Someone is always yelling at you through a megaphone, there’s all the runners and the bikes coming out of the tunnel — it’s very chaotic.

I didn’t know how long I was gone. When I got home, I felt pretty happy, like I accomplished something. 

I don’t think any kid could do it — but that’s because some parents don’t trust their kids. Any kid is capable, but parents say things like, “You never know what could happen out there.” Or they’ve been made to believe that it’s dangerous to bike. And it is dangerous when there are so many cars. But when there aren’t, it’s not dangerous. Plus, there’s many nice people out there. 

I sometimes don’t like riding my bike because the cars make it hard to ride places by myself. But with Summer Streets, I got a chance to do just that in the street. It’s nice, with all the biking. It’s very fun.

Kids should have the right to be independent.