For nearly two miles along Vernon Boulevard, stretching from Long Island City into Astoria, runners, walkers and cyclists took over the roadway Saturday as the city’s Summer Streets program returned to Queens.<\/p>\n
The annual initiative temporarily closes select streets to vehicle traffic, giving New Yorkers space to exercise, commute and recreate.<\/p>\n
What You Need To Know<\/p>\n
Summer Streets transformed nearly two miles of Vernon Boulevard into a car-free corridor for runners, walkers and cyclists on Saturday
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DOT Commissioner Mike Flynn said the city is considering expanding the program and is asking New Yorkers for feedback
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Flynn defended bike lane projects after U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy called for reducing federal funding for them
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Summer Streets heads to Manhattan on Aug. 1, 8 and 15, followed by Brooklyn and the Bronx on Aug. 22<\/p>\n
Richard, a Queens native, said the event offers a rare opportunity to run without worrying about traffic.<\/p>\n
\u201cPlaces where you can run around, not having to worry about, \u2018Am I going to run into a car or not?\u2019 That\u2019s a big concern for a lot of us. Obviously not all year long, but maybe just a week \u2014 kind of like today,\u201d he told NY1.<\/p>\n
New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Mike Flynn said the agency is looking ahead to the future of the Summer Streets program<\/a> and is seeking public feedback on how it could evolve.<\/p>\n \u201cShould it evolve? Should it be bigger? Should it look different? I think we really want to hear from New Yorkers about that,\u201d Flynn said.<\/p>\n He acknowledged that expanding the program comes with challenges and said officials continue to adjust routes based on community input.<\/p>\n \u201cWe always listen to the feedback. Like I just got here from Staten Island, and last year we had it on a different street, and we got some pretty helpful feedback from businesses there. So we relocated it. It’s a balancing act,\u201d Flynn said.<\/p>\n