'Summer Streets' returns with over 20 miles of car-free blocks and later hours

‘Summer Streets’ returns with over 20 miles of car-free blocks and later hours

July 13, 2026

Credit: NYC Department of Transportation on Flickr

Summer Streets returns to New York City this month with more than 20 miles of car-free streets and programming through August, along with later hours in the outer boroughs. Department of Transportation Commissioner Mike Flynn on Friday announced that the annual event will open select stretches of street to pedestrians and cyclists from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Manhattan and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island over five Saturdays in July and August, starting July 25.

“Summer Streets gives back our largest public space, our streets, so that all New Yorkers can walk, run, bike, play, dance, or simply connect with their neighbors,” Flynn said.

“This year, we’re adjusting the hours of Summer Streets in the outer boroughs to help more New Yorkers enjoy these events later in the day. We thank our sister agencies, programming partners, elected officials, and advocates for their support behind New York’s biggest block party.”

Last year’s Summer Streets featured a fully car-free corridor stretching the length of Manhattan for the first time, from the Brooklyn Bridge to Dyckman Street in Inwood. More than 500,000 people walked, ran, cycled, or played on Summer Streets in 2025.

The 2024 edition returned with expanded hours, extending street closures by two hours from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. It also marked the first time Grand Central Terminal participated in the program, hosting “The Grand Lawn” at 40th Street and Park Avenue on August 10 and 17. The event, which had been Manhattan-only for years, expanded to all five boroughs in 2023.

Like previous years’ programs, the DOT’s art program will present a series of vibrant public art installations across the Summer Streets. Two dynamic one-day art installations, “The Bower” by Elsa Ponce and “Big Spinning Wheels” by Josh Cohen, will be displayed in Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx, and on Staten Island.

Ponce’s installation is a shade structure that invites visitors to create chalk drawings on the ground using playful shadows, while Cohen’s kinetic sculptures create mesmerizing optical patterns as colorful arms spin together.

The city will also unveil four NYC Art Stop Letter designs by illustrators Amanda Lobos and Grace Park, celebrating summer throughout the event dates. The artists and illustrators were selected through open calls.

DOT has again partnered with New York Road Runners to host several free community races during Summer Streets. The series begins Saturday, July 25, in Queens, and will include events in Manhattan on August 1 and the Bronx on August 22.

Through a partnership with Lyft, event attendees can receive discounted access to Citi Bike e-bikes and bikes on July 25 using the promo code SUMMER2Wheel. Lyft will release additional promo codes for future Summer Streets dates in the coming weeks.

WABC-TV will be the official media sponsor of Summer Streets, along with Grand Central, Zespri Kiwifruit, Yerba Madre, Volo Sports, and Just Ice Tea, according to a press release.

“As a born and raised New Yorker, Summer Streets is one of my favorite seasonal traditions in NYC,” Sen. Kristen Gonzalez said. “These Saturdays are amazing opportunities to embrace our neighborhoods, connect with small businesses, organizations, and other community members, and celebrate public open spaces!”