57 Years This Month Since Traffic Drove Through Washington Square Park
Pedestrians & Bikes Only! The streets around the perimeter of Washington Square Park will be closed to traffic this year for what has been dubbed Car Free NYC this Earth Day, Friday, April 22nd.
Specifically, this shuts off Washington Square North, South, East, West and Waverly Place & West Fourth Street running from the park east to Broadway.
And, of course, Washington Square Park once notoriously had cars running through it! The Greenwich Village community rallied for years to remove traffic from the park. The anniversary of the square being closed to traffic is 57 years this month.
The other areas in the city declared “Car Free” for the day will be Broadway from the Flatiron Building to Union Square and Wadsworth Avenue between 173rd and 177th Streets in Washington Heights.
This initiative came from the New York City Council Transportation Committee chaired by Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez.
Read more about it at Streets Blog.
Map via WSP Blog
It would be great to have fewer cars. But as you get older, you need to rely on them more. Can’t ride a bike. Can’t do subway stairs. Etc. Can’t get an ambulance through to the hospital due to the DOT’s “traffic slowing” initiatives.
Also, I guess Earth Day trumps Passover this year, which starts Friday evening.
Hi Seth,
Some of this seems symbolic. It is so hard to imagine our city without cars although nice to walk or bike around Washington Sq Park and not have to worry about them.
it is a small area that is being utilized for this right now so hopefully will not inconvenience too many around Passover.
Thanks for your comment!
Cathryn