Weekend Summer Streets Extended by 2 More Hours This Year
New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez held a press conference in Harlem to announce the change, cars will be blocked from entry to select streets.
| 26 Jun 2024 | 11:49
Ydanis Rodriguez in a press conference in Harlem on June 25, talking about Summer Streets 2024. (
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The 2023 Summer Streets Manhattan event gave an opportunity for performance and celebration. (
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The citywide Summer Streets program will now run for two extra hours on five upcoming Saturdays, said New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez during a Tuesday press conference in Harlem.
The Manhattan parts of the event will close off specific sections in Harlem between the Brooklyn Bridge and West 125 Street from cars for eight hours (7 a.m. to 3 p.m.) on Aug. 3, Aug. 10 and Aug. 17. Previous years’ Summer Streets ran for two fewer hours, ending at 1 p.m. instead.
Without cars congesting the road, Rodriguez and the DOT encourage pedestrians and bikers to take advantage of the open spaces by participating in facilitated outdoor activities such as “art, wellness, biking [and] entertainment programming.”
“Our streets are our collective front yard—a shared public space for all New Yorkers,” said Rodriguez. “Summer Streets is a great reminder.”
Summer Streets began in 2008, and has expanded to its current borough-wide reach ever since. Queens and Staten Island will each host the event on July 27, and Brooklyn and The Bronx will each host on Aug. 24.
This year’s Manhattan event will see a partnership with Harlem Week during its 50th anniversary, as discussed during the press conference. Harlem Week is an annual festival which, according to Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Lloyld Williams, has about 1 million viewers worldwide.
The specific Manhattan streets to be closed off to cars for the combined event on Aug. 3, 10 and 17 are as follows: Lafayette Street and Park Avenue between Brooklyn Bridge and East 109 Street; East 109 Street between Park Avenue and 5th Avenue; 5th Avenue between East 109 Street and Central Park North; Central Park North between 5th Avenue and Adam Clayton Powell Jr Boulevard; Adam Clayton Powell Jr Boulevard between Central Park North and West 125 Street.
Williams added that there will be further collaboration between the GHCC and DOT, even beyond the event partnership.
“We look forward to seeing all of you this summer to participate in the great events the DOT is going to do,” said Williams. “And they’re going to do more work in terms of infrastructure throughout Harlem to make it safe for pedestrians, and for those riding cars and on buses, so we welcome being a partner to that as well.”
Emily Chingay—a citywide engagement advocate from Open Plans — also spoke at the press conference, praising the program for offering “safe spaces for children and adults to explore [the city] through a different lens.”
“With Summer Streets in every borough and extended hours, the joy and benefits of people-centered public places are reaching more New Yorkers than ever,” Chingay said. “The best is yet to come, and we are excited for even more innovative and inclusive programming in the future.”