New York City is gearing up for its annual Car-Free Earth Day celebration, with dozens of streets set to go vehicle-free across all five boroughs on April 25. Organized by the city’s Department of Transportation, the event will shut select streets to motor traffic from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., transforming them into open pedestrian spaces filled with free activities, live music, public art, and climate-focused programming.
Transportation Commissioner Mike Flynn emphasized the broader significance of the initiative, noting that transportation is the second biggest source of carbon emissions in New York City and that making clean transit options more accessible remains central to the city’s climate strategy. “Finding ways to make clean transportation options quicker, easier, and more affordable is key,” he said, encouraging all New Yorkers to come out and take part in the day’s events.
First launched in 2016 as a Manhattan-only event, Car-Free Earth Day has since grown into a citywide affair spanning more than 1,000 miles of bike lanes and connecting Open Streets and plazas across every borough.
City agencies and community organizations will line the routes with environmental education and activism programming throughout the day, while local artists are also set to perform at car-free locations as part of the DOT’s broader partnership with the creative community.
A standout feature this year is an installation by New York-based visual artist Frahydel Falczuk. Her large-scale work, *The Plastic Sea*, is designed to immerse visitors in the feeling of being surrounded by plastic waste, offering a striking commentary on consumption and environmental degradation under the DOT’s public art program.
Among the event’s signature locations, Manhattan will see Broadway closed from 17th Street to 46th Street, as well as St. Nicholas Avenue between 181st and 185th Streets. In Queens, Woodside Avenue from 75th to 78th Street will go car-free, while Brooklyn’s Fifth Avenue between 41st and 45th Streets will also be open to pedestrians. The Bronx will host
activities along East 188th Street from Grand Concourse to Valentine Avenue, and Staten Island’s Port Richmond Avenue between Castleton Avenue and Bennett Street will round out the citywide celebration.
Residents can find a full map of all participating locations on the DOT’s official Car-Free Earth Day page.
