This is a major win for bicycles in the big apple, perhaps a proving ground for things to come:

Emulating similar experiments in Paris, London, and Bogotá, Colombia, New York City will close off to traffic a 6.9-mile route from the Brooklyn Bridge to East 72nd Street on three consecutive Saturdays, giving New Yorkers to a chance to explore and enjoy “car-free recreation corridors” — well, for six hours a stretch, at least.

Check it out: http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/16/will-summer-streets-work/index.html?hp