Could NYC-Style Open Streets Work on Bloomfield Avenue?

An October 15 forum at Montclair State University asked a question that matters to anyone renting, buying, or running a business along the region's main commercial strip: could the NYC open-streets model work on Bloomfield Avenue? The event, produced by D10/11 The SUB/URBAN REVIEW, screened a documentary about New York's car-free 34th Avenue and gathered advocates, a filmmaker, and local residents to imagine the avenue as a place for festivals and conversation, not just cars. Montclair Local's October 20 report brought the discussion to a wider audience just as Montclair wrapped its five-weekend Church Street car-free pilot. Here is what was said and what it means for the corridor that ties together Bloomfield, West Orange, and Montclair.

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What happened at the October 15 forum

The forum, hosted by D10/11 The SUB/URBAN REVIEW, screened "Close Encounters of the 34th Avenue Kind," a documentary about New York City's 34th Avenue open-streets corridor, then turned to a panel about whether the model could translate to Bloomfield Avenue. Filmmaker Clarence Eckerson Jr. spoke about how open streets work in practice, and VELO Bloomfield president Emily Holland talked through what it would take for Essex County to make the avenue more welcoming to people walking and biking.

D10/11 founder Lo Sontag made the case for thinking of the street as shared civic space: "Streets are where people have festivals, where they meet friends, where they have conversations. I think of New York City. But also think about your town squares." The framing is important for the local debate, because it shifts the question from traffic engineering to community character: what kind of street do the towns along the avenue want to be?

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The Church Street pilot gives the idea a local test

While the forum asked what could be, Montclair has been testing the idea in miniature. Church Street closed to vehicles from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on select weekends through a five-weekend pilot that started in June, and the final car-free weekend ran October 23-25, capped by the free, family-friendly "Meet Us on Church Street" event on Saturday, October 24 during the Montclair Film Festival's closing weekend.

The pilot has already given Montclair its own data point on what car-free weekends do to foot traffic, restaurant business, and the feel of a downtown block. Whether the pilot returns or expands, and whether the conversation spreads to Bloomfield Avenue, will depend on how the results land with merchants, residents, and the next council. This site covered the pilot's launch in June; this forum is the first serious county-level conversation about taking the model to the avenue itself.

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What it means for homeowners, buyers, and renters

• Walkable retail is a livability signal. Streets designed for people, with outdoor seating, events, and safer crossings, make a commercial district feel alive. For renters and buyers comparing Essex County towns, the strength of the main street is a real part of the lifestyle math.
• It is also an economic development story. Car-free weekends and event programming draw foot traffic that independent shops and restaurants depend on. A thriving corridor supports neighboring home values, while a struggling one is a quiet drag on the block.
• Expect tradeoff debates. Parking, deliveries, and bus access along Bloomfield Avenue are real concerns, and any proposal will have to answer them. The forum is the start of that conversation, not the end of it.
• Bloomfield Avenue connects the towns. The avenue runs through the heart of the region, so decisions about it affect commuters, shoppers, and residents in multiple Essex County towns at once.

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The bottom line

A Montclair State forum and Montclair Local's October 20 coverage have put a serious question in front of Essex County residents: could NYC-style open streets work on Bloomfield Avenue? The conversation arrived just as Montclair finished its five-weekend Church Street car-free pilot, so there is now local evidence to argue over, not just theory. For anyone deciding where to rent, buy, or open a business along the corridor, this is a story worth following, because it says a lot about what kind of main street the region wants to become.