Open Streets Events Enjoy Coast-to-Coast Popularity

Joining a movement that began in Colombia, American cities are finding new opportunities to temporarily restrict car traffic, giving pedestrians and cyclists the freedom of the streets. "This fall, the City of San Jose and Silicon Valley Bike Coalition will close off six miles of streets from cars — leaving the road open for biking, walking, playing and skating. The inaugural 'Viva CalleSJ,' announced this week, will take place on October 11th."

The west coast and Latin America have a good track record for these kinds of events. "San Jose is joining a number of other cities that have already hosted open streets events, including Los Angeles, Guadalajara, Mexico, and Bogota, Colombia." Los Angeles' CicLAvia is one of the more well-known open streets events in the United States. 

And now, the movement is gaining momentum on the other side of the country, especially in conjunction with New York's Vision Zero plan to reduce traffic fatalities. "On the East Coast, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio announced [...] that he will close large parts of Prospect Park and Central Park to vehicles on weekdays."