Earth Day in NYC

New York City marked Earth Day this week by turning blocks in every borough over to pedestrians and cyclists, with free Citi Bike access and outdoor programming citywide. (nyc.gov) The city’s official Car-Free Earth Day event is set for Saturday, April 25, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., when the Department of Transportation will close select streets and run signature events in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island. Citi Bike riders can get unlimited 30-minute rides on classic bikes for 24 hours by entering promo code LYFTEARTHDAY26 in the app’s Day Pass tab. (nyc.gov) The signature locations include Broadway from 17th Street to 46th Street, St. Nicholas Avenue from 181st Street to 185th Street, and Dyckman Street from Broadway to La Marina in Manhattan; Fifth Avenue in Sunset Park; Woodside Avenue in Queens; East 188th Street in the Bronx; and Port Richmond Avenue on Staten Island. The Department of Transportation said the routes connect Open Streets, plazas, and more than 1,000 miles of the city’s bike network. (nyc.gov) City officials are using the event to push lower-carbon travel in a city where transportation is the second-biggest source of carbon emissions, according to Transportation Commissioner Mike Flynn. The agency said the annual program is meant to promote climate activism, environmental education, and “sustainable modes of transportation” through street closures, workshops, and performances. (nyc.gov) Car-Free Earth Day began in 2016 as a smaller Manhattan-only event and has since expanded across the five boroughs. This year’s program also doubles as the kickoff to the city’s Open Streets season, which temporarily gives street space to people on foot, on bikes, and at neighborhood events instead of private cars. (nyc.gov) The city’s Earth Day schedule goes beyond street closures. The official event page lists free activities and environmental programming at signature locations, while the community flyer advertises dance and music performances, fitness classes, children’s activities, cycling programs, arts-and-crafts workshops, giveaways, and sustainability demonstrations. (nyc.gov 1) (nyc.gov 2) The bike incentive is aimed at scale. Citi Bike says it operates the nation’s largest bikeshare system, with 25,000 bikes and more than 1,500 stations across Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, Jersey City, and Hoboken. (citibikenyc.com) Public art is part of the street plan, too. The Department of Transportation commissioned installations including Molly Magnell’s “City in Bloom” in Times Square and Duy Hoàng’s “An Indicating Cycle” in Sunset Park, both tied to environmental themes. (nyc.gov) By the weekend, the city’s Earth Day message will be visible in asphalt and barricades: fewer cars, more people, and a temporary map of New York built for walking, biking, and lingering outdoors. (nyc.gov)