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Cooling Off on Columbus Avenue Open Streets
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Isn’t that beautiful.
It was actually very boring. It wasn’t big attendance today at all, pretty sad. They open the streets to the traffic about 2 o’clock in the afternoon. Nobody was on the streets.
SAME! We were so sad. Not what it usually is for sure
It was a bit slow to get going probably due to the heat, but I was there with my kids in the afternoon until the street was shut down at 7pm and it was pretty full.
I don’t understand what you’re talking about ?
The street was wide open at 3 PM for traffic!
The street was not shut down at 7 PM at night. I was out there in the street was open at 3 PM for traffic.!
Were you on Columbus Ave? 68th to 77th Streets were definitely closed to traffic until 7pm! Or maybe you were on Columbus Ave further north?
Great! Streets are shut down, many people are inconvenienced, there is a ton of traffic on adjacent roads so a handful of people can frolic in the streets. That makes a ton of sense. But the ridiculously stubborn “open streets” people can pat themselves on the back because they stuck it to the rest of us.
I have to say I agree. And hey, don’t get me wrong; I LOVE “Summer Streets,” where the city closes Park Avenue to traffic for three Saturdays in August so that cyclists and pedestrians can have fun just enjoying Park Avenue. Thing is, there’s a clear and obvious, widely shared JOY over Summer Streets. But Columbus Avenue “Open Streets”? Not so much. A few like it, but no, there’s not that widespread fun that I’m sure the organizers anticipated. It just… doesn’t work.
A hot day and people who needed to use the M7 or M11 were unpleasantly surprised to find no bus.
And a real hardship for people with mobility issues.
There are parks and playgrounds with sprinklers very close by.
This is an affluent neighborhood where people have multiple options.
Not ok to impact essential mass transit for brunch, sprinklers and dog meet-ups.
Close a side street if needed.
It’s pretty ignorant to assume everyone who lives in the neighborhood is affluent.
Even if you are right, does that discount the rest of the post which is spot on? I love the typical UWS know-it-all nit-picker who likes to show how smart they are by changing the narrative by offering their profound interpretation of a few words of a very thoughtful post.
How do you feel about open/closed streets?
SMDH.
Agreed. But the non affluent still have access to parks and playgrounds. And they probably need access to buses even more that those who can afford taxis and Uber
Hey Will,
Actually I’ve lived here my whole life so am pretty clear about the demographics.
BTW my family is not rich.
At this point, the families with little kids who live a block or two away from Columbus “open streets” are not poor – they don’t need the open hydrant on Columbus.
But there are still non-rich people who need bus access – workers, residents etc.