NYC DOT to Kick Off Open Street Season With Largest Ever Celebration Of Open Streets: Car Free Earth Day

New York: New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez was joined today in Times Square by community partners, advocates, and elected officials to announce programming for the largest-ever celebration of Open Streets: Car-Free Earth Day – an annual event hosted by NYC DOT to promote activism and education surrounding climate change, sustainability, and more sustainable modes of transportation. This year’s celebration, to be held on Saturday, April 22nd, will include seven signature event locations and 23 community produced locations featuring programming that includes performances, fitness trainings, giveaways, and educa- tional activities.

“Open Streets: Car-Free Earth Day is about encouraging New Yorkers to leave their vehicles at home and enjoying our city’s parks, plazas, and expanded network of Open Streets,” said DOT Commissioner Rodriguez. “This celebration offers an opportunity to get outdoors and enjoy ac- tivities at dozens of locations in communities around New York City. It also serves as a reminder that we only have one planet — and we must all do our part to reduce our carbon footprint and pay homage to the one beautiful planet we have.”

Through the support of Lyft, on Open Streets: Car-Free

Earth Day, Citi Bike will offer unlimited 30-minute rides on a classic Citi Bike for 24 hours. Riders can take advantage of the offer by using the promo code CARFREE23 in the Citi Bike app.

First launched in 2016, Open Streets: Car-Free Earth Day originally converted select Manhattan streets into public plazas and car-free streets for pedestrians, cyclists, and local businesses. The event has since expanded to include 30 locations located throughout the five boroughs, connecting over 80 open streets, plazas, and accessing over 1,000 miles of New York City’s bike network.

Open Streets: Car-Free Earth Day kicks off NYC DOT’s 2023 Open Streets and Public Space Programming season.

In 2023, NYC DOT is excited to work alongside community partners to execute Open Streets and programming in all five boroughs. The first set of 2023 Open Streets and Public Space Programming events will be announced on Earth Day, with more sites and events to be announced later in the year. This season includes support for partners through the Public Space Equity Program, more formal infrastructure reflecting Open Street operations (e.g. parking regulation changes), and permanent changes to the streetscape at successful Open Streets sites.

Signature event locations and the additional 23 community-organized locations can be found at nyc.gov/carfreenycp