NYC Summer Streets
This past Saturday, I got the road bike out for the first time since my back injury and headed into Manhattan for Summer Streets.
Summer Streets is an annual celebration of New York City’s most valuable public space — our streets. On three consecutive Saturdays this August, NYC's streets are open for people to play, run, walk and bike. Summer Streets reclaims and transforms streets into active and attractive public spaces, providing safe recreational cycling and walking routes in the heart of Manhattan.
Summer Streets encourages the use of sustainable forms of transportation, reducing traffic congestion, air pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions during the event. Without the congestion of cars, participants experience the built environment from new perspectives. Free event programming allows participants to experience the rich and varied arts and cultural resources of New York City.
For three consecutive Saturdays each summer, Park Avenue is closed to cars from 7 AM until 1 PM from the Brooklyn Bridge, up to East Harlem. A few riders from Girls Bike NYC had checked it out the previous weekend and noted that the streets got pretty crowded after a couple of hours.
I used to be even more of a morning person than I am now but after getting to work at 7 AM for so many years, I’ve finally learned to enjoy sleeping in a little on the weekends. But, on this Saturday, I happened to be up early and knew it would be way more enjoyable to ride when the streets are still pretty empty and the city is its quietest. My partner and I got our bikes ready and hit the road!
We took my normal route to the Brooklyn Bridge, riding west on the Bergen Street bike lane.
As soon as you get to the Manhattan side of the bridge, you’ve reached the start of Summer Streets.
I think we ended up getting to the start at around 8:15/8:30 AM, which was on the later side than we had planned, but the streets were still empty enough to get an enjoyable ride in. The route started with a fun set of sprinklers for people to cool off in and if it had been a little hotter, you know I would have been in them.
Most cross streets were closed but major ones remained open, so riders and pedestrians had to follow the traffic signals at those intersections. Summer Streets employees were at each of these intersections, with stop/go signs to help manage the traffic and ensure everyone’s safety.
The route was still pretty clear as we made our way up Park Avenue, but there was an alarmingly large number of participants who had difficulty abiding by the signs indicating cyclists should remain on the left, and pedestrians on the right. I’ll find a way to be annoyed no matter what, we know this.
But the ride was really great. There were lots of rest stops with free events and kiosks and we got to take in some of the art installations on Park Avenue, along with the art stops that were part of the Summer Streets program.
We neared the end of the route north and had a quick break at the Uptown Rest Stop, where we listened to a live band and refilled our water bottles.
After the pit stop, we started heading back down Park Avenue in the opposite direction.
As the morning got later, the streets were becoming more and more full. Along the route, there were tents with free bicycle rentals and on the side streets with CitiBike stations, people were lined up to get a bike for the ride. So, while it got annoying to ride because of the crowds (to the point where I made us cut out at 20th Street and take the East River Greenway the rest of the way south), this was an incredible event that got SO many people outside, using city streets in a way that they normally don’t have the opportunity to. With the immense success of this program, you would think it would be expanded to last for more than just 3 Saturdays each summer, but I guess that would just be too much of an inconvenience for cars and their drivers; we all know that the city is more intent on keeping that population happy, compared to the population who benefits from an opportunity/event like this. Here I am starting to feel guilty for not doing enough work related to bicycle advocacy… (but I signed a petition for a protected bike lane on Bedford Avenue this morning - does this absolve me?)
We took the Willy B bridge back into Brooklyn and stopped for some brunch at Rabbithole on Bedford Avenue and I got my usual eggs benedict but also a DELICIOUS BLUEBERRY SCONE.
The Kent Avenue bike path got us back home to wrap up a really beautiful day of riding.
With this being my first ride back on my road bike since my back injury (my other rides have been on the Pack Rat because I thought the more upright riding position would be a bit easier on my back), I was completely surprised to have remained pain-free throughout! I also felt much stronger than I expected, so it was a relief to finally get back out and have the ride be as great as it was. Let’s see if I can keep this up!
