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Mayor Kenney Announces 2017 'Philly Free Streets' Event

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Get ready to clear the streets of cars and clutter, with another Philly Free Streets program, at the end of October.

This time it covers several neighborhoods, from Center City up and through North Philadelphia.

Mayor Kenney expects to see throngs of pedestrians, cyclists, strollers, and wheelchairs on Saturday, October 28th, from 8 A.M. to 1 P.M.

"We just want to de-emphasize the car for a few hours, so people can enjoy being out here and being safe," Kenney said.

The seven-mile route begins at 3rd and Chestnut Streets, shifts briefly to 4th Street, back to 3rd, then Germantown Ave. at Cecil B. Moore, the route follows the bustling 5th Street commercial strip to Indiana Avenue.

It will create a car-free connection between the Historic District and several diverse neighborhoods, up to El Centro De Oro, or the Golden Block, in the Fairhill section of North Philadelphia.

Philly Free Streets 2017
A map of where the even will take place in the city. (credit: Steve Tawa)

Nilda Ruiz is with the Latino-based neighborhood group, Asociación Puertorriqueños en Marcha.

"I think people are going to be pleasantly surprised how friendly and welcoming the neighborhood is," she said.

People are encouraged to support businesses anywhere along the route and participate in family friendly activities.

Last September, South Street was the focus, and City Managing Director Michael DiBerardinis recalls about 30,000 Philadelphians and visitors flooded the streets.

"It showed what's possible, as we re-imagine our streets and our neighborhoods," he said.

That 10-mile route began at Front and South Streets, jumped to the Schuylkill River Trail, then from Martin Luther King Drive to Fall's Bridge.

The Mayor intends to shift the location of Philly Free Streets from year to year; he'd even like to do two-a-year, in the spring and fall.

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