Car-free streets return near Rittenhouse Square on Dec. 8 and 15

Center City District is bringing back its "open streets" events — which transform about seven blocks near Rittenhouse Square into car-free zones — just in time for the holiday season.

On Sundays, Dec. 8 and 15, between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m., the sections of 18th Street from Locust to Chestnut streets and Walnut Street from 15th to 19th streets will be closed to traffic. During that time, CCD hopes pedestrians will stroll, socialize and shop at the businesses along the route.

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The open streets program launched in September, with four Sundays of car-free roads near Rittenhouse Square. CCD collected data from those events and said nearly 90% of businesses along the route reported an increase in foot traffic to their storefronts. The average increase in traffic across respondents was 86%, and some of the retailers reportedly saw increases as high as 300% above their typical Sunday foot traffic. This data encouraged CCD to bring back open streets in December.

"The idea of 'Open Streets: West Walnut' began with a hypothesis: streets filled with people drive more business than streets filled with cars," CCD President Prema Katari Gupta said in a release. "September’s four-week pilot program proved just that, while also creating an extension of public space for pedestrians to use how they wanted, whether chasing giant bubbles with their kids, relaxing in lawn chairs or dining outside with friends. With the holiday season approaching, this winter edition of Open Streets will add even more magic to an already festive Center City and provide an extra boost to area businesses."

There won't be supplemental vendors on the streets, but some businesses are planning to offer special discounts and eateries will extend their tables onto the sidewalks during the events, CCD said. The CCD will also provide entertainment and amenities such as acoustic musicians, holiday carolers, a kid-friendly zone with games, story times with Santa, and cozy seating pods. The Eagles games will be broadcast during both events.

During the December open streets events, cross streets will remain open to cars at select intersections, including 16th Street, 17th Street, 19th Street, and the 1700 and 1800 blocks of Sansom Street. Roads will begin to close at 9 a.m. and are expected to reopen by 7 p.m.

Before September, Philadelphia has dabbled in open street initiatives in past years as well. For example, after Pope Francis's 2015 visit to the city, which caused many street closures, advocates pushed for planned car-free days. This resulted in the Philly Free Streets program, which hosted open street events along various roads between 2016 and 2019. MLK Drive also was closed to cars during the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, from the spring of 2020 until August 2021.