August 06, 2016
Thom Carroll/PhillyVoice
A family bikes down JFK Boulevard Saturday afternoon in Center City.
The City of Philadelphia will host an event in September that will give residents seven miles of car-free streets.
Mayor Jim Kenney's Office announced on Friday that the inaugural Philly Free Streets event will be held on Saturday, September 24 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The event will temporarily prohibit vehicles from using a seven-mile route that stretches from the intersection of Front and South Streets along the Delaware River to the Fairmount section fo the city along the Schuylkill River.
“My commitment to improving neighborhoods and bettering the futures of children does not stop with the new community schools or expanded pre-K,” Kenney said in a statement. “Philly Free Streets will transform our streets into a safe environment for physical activity, learning, and bettering the futures of thousands of children.”
City officials claim the event is an expansion of a long-standing commitment to open streets.
However, the idea of closing the streets on a regular basis for pedestrians and cyclists quickly gained traction during Pope Francis’ visit in 2015.
The seven-mile route, which will pass through 15 neighborhoods, will feature free, family-friendly fitness activities and pop-up educational programming.
Here is the full route of #PhillyFreeStreets. Businesses will be open and activities will be available! pic.twitter.com/uES4wTPn7x
— Philly Free Streets (@PhillyFreeSts) August 5, 2016
The event will be organized by Managing Director’s Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Systems and the Office of Special Events in partnership with Snap Kitchen.
For more information about the event, click here.
