Car-Free Streets
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DOT Announces Summer Streets Photo Competition
Given the heretofore undiscovered perspectives it affords, Summer Streets presents its share of photo opportunities. Making the most of them, the Department of Transportation is holding a contest for amateur shutterbugs to show off their best shots. From the Summer Streets Photo Competition press release:
August 21, 2008
Does Summer Streets Need a “Fast Lane”?
This weekend, on the second Saturday of Summer Streets, the first thing my wife Jennifer and I noticed as we ascended the ramp from 42nd Street to Park Avenue was the quiet. I mentioned to Jennifer that I had come across a blog comment likening the scene to the New York portrayed in the post-apocalyptic Will Smith movie "I Am Legend," minus the super-human zombies. Plot holes notwithstanding, that didn't do it justice. The absence of engine noise and incessant honking didn't seem eerie, or even surreal. Just blissful.
August 18, 2008
Summer Streets #2: Wetter and Better?
Car-free workouts on Cleveland Place will be back tomorrow, but what about the open-toed pumps?
August 15, 2008
Wiki Wednesday: Urban Bicycling With Children
Already a prolific contributor to the Streetsblog Flickr pool, BicyclesOnly has recently put together a StreetsWiki guide to "Urban Bicycling With Children." The entry kicks off with a look at some of the less obvious benefits to biking with kids:
August 13, 2008
Eyes on the Street: Summer Streets Gallery #2
Welcome to the second installment of our Summer Streets photo tour. This pic comes courtesy of BicyclesOnly, who says Park Avenue South is "one of the more dangerous roadways to bicycle on in Manhattan. Without the cars, it's a playground for these two."
August 12, 2008
Summer Streets: Bikes and Pedestrians Get Along Fine Without Cars
We excerpted this essay from reader Jen Petersen to lead off our first Summer Streets photo gallery yesterday afternoon. Her full account follows.
August 12, 2008
Eyes on the Street: Summer Streets Gallery #1
Reader Jen Petersen sends this shot of the intersection of Lafayette and Spring on Saturday, along with her observations of how pedestrians, cyclists, and everyone else shared the road during Summer Streets:
August 11, 2008
What Does Summer Streets Mean for Business?
While press coverage of Summer Streets has been generally positive, tales of the miffed muffler shop owner and complaining cabinet maker are bound to continue, as reporters hunt for naysayers to "balance" out their stories. But what will be the economic reality of Summer Streets? Here, Streetsblog Publisher Mark Gorton gives his account of Saturday lunch with the family at an outdoor café on Park Avenue and 51st Street.
August 11, 2008