With expanded nonprofit partnerships and an Earth Day kickoff, the program transforms two Bushwick blocks into a car-free corridor every weekend through October.
The barricades return to Troutman Street this weekend as Bushwick’s homegrown open streets program launches its third season, turning a two-block stretch between St. Nicholas and Irving Avenues into a pedestrian playground every Saturday and Sunday through October.
The 2025 season kicked off April 26th with an Earth Day cleanup and celebration, the first of 28 weekends that will see the street closed to vehicles for 10 hours each day. For the volunteers who haul out the sawhorses at 10 a.m. and cart them away at 8 p.m., the weekly ritual has become something approaching a secular sacrament.
“When a street is car-free, it becomes something more – it becomes communal,” said Yefim, a volunteer with Troutman Open Streets. “People of all ages and backgrounds gather, talk, rest, and play. It sends a message that Bushwick isn’t just a place to pass through – it’s a place to slow down, connect, and belong.”
The program, operating under the city’s Department of Transportation’s Open Streets initiative, returns with an expanded coalition of partners including The Hort, Brooklyn Community Board 4, the 83rd Precinct, the Bushwick Collective, and new this year, RiseBoro Community Partnership.
This growing institutional support belies the program’s intentionally non-commercial approach. Unlike many city open streets that function primarily as outdoor dining zones, Troutman’s organizers emphasize “nonprofit tabling, not commercial vending” and describe the space as “a place to gather” rather than a party zone.
The prohibition against outside alcohol (which “must stay within designated dining corrals”) underscores the distinction between Troutman’s model and the extended happy hour atmosphere that characterizes some other open streets.
Last year’s edition saw 692 volunteer hours dedicated to barrier setup, beautification, and trash cleanup across the 28-week season. These efforts included planting over 100 plants in street tree pits and planters, alongside regular trash collection provided by The Hort each weekend morning, supplemented by volunteers from Clean Bushwick Initiative.
Nicole DeSantis from Clean Bushwick Initiative frames this maintenance work in explicitly political terms: “We kicked off this season of Open Streets with an Earth Day cleanup to show that a clean, green Troutman is possible when neighbors come together. It’s not just about litter – it’s about pride, presence, and the power of people showing up for the place they call home.”
The program’s location along Troutman Street reflects both strategic and cultural considerations. The blocks between St. Nicholas and Irving have become globally known for the Bushwick Collective’s curated street art, bringing substantial tourist traffic to the area. The open streets program attempts to harness this visibility while maintaining connections to longtime residents.
“Troutman Open Streets is about bridging the gap between the Bushwick that’s been here for generations and the Bushwick that’s still being shaped,” said Robert Camacho, Chair of Brooklyn’s Community Board 4. “Last year, we brought the Puerto Rican Day Parade through Troutman, and it was a powerful moment of visibility and pride for long-standing residents.”
The season’s programming reflects this bridging effort, with events including clothing swaps, movement classes, pet days, Pride celebrations, and flamenco performances. The season will conclude on October 26th with the annual Bushwick Halloween Open Streets Parade, which has become a neighborhood fixture.
RiseBoro Community Partnership joins as an official partner this year, bringing its neighborhood development expertise to the open streets model. “At RiseBoro Community Partnership, our vision is to build a city where your zip code doesn’t determine your health, housing, or economic opportunity, and public space is a key part of that,” said Alex Gutierrez, a community organizer with the organization.
Gutierrez connects the open streets program to broader economic development efforts: “Through the NYC SBS Neighborhood 360 program, we’re working to strengthen Bushwick’s small business corridors by activating our streets, supporting our merchants, and connecting neighbors.”
With the program now entering its third year, the Troutman model represents a particular vision of open streets as community infrastructure rather than consumption zones. The volunteer-driven approach, emphasis on cleanliness, and focus on diverse programming suggests an attempt to craft public space that serves multiple constituencies simultaneously.
The barriers go up tomorrow, and for the next six months, the ritual will repeat: volunteers dragging out the sawhorses, sweeping the streets, and setting up tables, transforming 900 feet of asphalt into something that, for a few hours each weekend, approximates a village square.
By the Numbers: 2024’s Success
- Troutman Street (Irving to St Nicholas) closed to vehicles for 28 weeks (593 hours) in 2024.
- Volunteers contributed 692 hours in barrier setup, beautification, and trash cleanup.
- Free trash clean up provided by The Hort every Saturday and Sunday mornings in addition to volunteers from Clean Bushwick Initiative.
- Planted 100+ plants in street tree pits and planters
- 20+ small businesses events with a diverse array of artists participating in workshops or tabling
Cover image courtesy of Troutman Open Streets
