Welcome, November!
And what a month it has already been! On the first of the month, I put my love for the streets of New York City on full display and ran 26.2 miles of them.
This was my first NYC Marathon, and it was one of the most amazing experiences of my life! It was like running through 26.2 miles of a block party thrown especially for me (and 61,000+ of my fellow marathoners). There is a nonzero chance I’m still wearing my medal as you read this.
I always tell people the hardest part about running a marathon is the months of training leading up to it. Race day is really just a celebration of all that effort. And let me tell you, training is not easy! But it may not be for the reasons you think.
For me, it wasn’t the running that gave me trouble. It was the lack of public space to run in that made my training a challenge. As much as I love Central Park and Riverside, they’re really the only (mostly) car-free public space we have.
With late-night Community Board meetings and weekend tabling, it wasn't uncommon for me to run in Central Park as late as 11pm, which, as countless people reminded me, wasn’t always safe. But my only other option was running on the sidewalk. Between the crosswalks and the turning cars, I nearly got hit more times than I can count.
In the city that apparently never sleeps, when the sun goes down, where can we safely access our public space?
And now winter is coming.
As the days get shorter, I keep thinking about how much fun my long runs were during Summer Streets.
It’s such a rare way to see the city, running right down the middle of the street for the whole length of Manhattan, surrounded by hundreds of other people. But why is it only three Saturdays in August?
Back in September, I asked what public space could look like in every season. Now that it’s dark at 4:30pm, I have an idea: Winter Streets.
In the winter, when the sun is lazy to rise and eager to set, we need spaces where people feel safe to run, walk, play, and connect. Well-lit, car-free streets filled with people would let us enjoy the city after dark, without dodging traffic or retreating to an empty park. And just imagine how much more vibrant our neighborhood could feel during the coldest, darkest months of the year!
Imagine all of Broadway open to pedestrians on Saturdays in December and January. Or Columbus Avenue closed to cars after 5pm on certain weeknights. The possibilities are endless!
In the meantime, our existing public space needs attention too, especially after dark. Sometimes that’s as simple as changing a light bulb. That’s why I advocated to Community Board 7 this week to fix the street lamps that have been out in Central Park for months.
Whether you’re like me, the 61,000+ runners, and 2 million spectators who think the marathon is the best day in the city or you hate it like this self-described grumpy Upper West Sider, it is an incredible reminder of how many people our streets can hold when cars aren’t the centerpiece of the city.
So tell me: if we got Winter Streets on the UWS, which street would you want? When? And what would you do there? Hit reply and let me know!
See you out there on the streets,
Andrea Fondulas
Community Organizer & NYC Marathon Finisher
