The Next Philly Free Streets Destination: North Broad
The third installment of the popular automobile-free event will take place on August 11th.
Photo by Adjua Fisher.
The third installment of the city’s popular Philly Free Streets initiative will be held on North Broad Street from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on August 11th, Mayor Kenney revealed on Friday.
“I am thrilled to announce that we are bringing back Philly Free Streets – and it’s going to be even bigger than before,” Kenney said in a statement. “I encourage all Philadelphians to join me in walking or biking along North Broad Street to explore a historic and diverse corridor of our city.”
The annual event, described as a “people-powered initiative,” closes roads to automobiles in favor of fostering more pedestrian traffic. This year’s iteration will stretch 8 miles from City Hall all the way up to Erie Avenue.
Inspired by street closures from Pope Francis’s visit in September 2015, the first Philly Free Streets event was launched a year later with 10 miles of open roads in the city. Last year saw seven miles of car-free lanes from Old City to North Philly on the east side of Broad. More than 40,000 people participated in Free Streets in 2017.
“At its core, Philly Free Streets promotes livable streets — streets that are safe and comfortable for people of all ages and physical abilities to walk, bike, and meet their neighbors,” said Mike Carroll, deputy managing director for the Office of Transportation & Infrastructure Systems. “Philly Free Streets will again bring people together to have fun, be social, and engage in healthy activities – this time, on North Broad Street.”
