West Hartford Community Enjoys Vehicle-Free Center Streets Event
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Center Streets West Hartford. Aug. 24, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
The eighth Center Streets drew a crowd as a loop around West Hartford Center was closed to vehicular traffic for several hours on Sunday.
Center Streets West Hartford. Aug. 24, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
By Ronni Newton
West Hartford Center was bustling on Sunday morning, and while there were a few traffic jams they weren’t the expected back-ups at traffic signals.
At the eighth annual Center Streets event, you could find toddlers on balance bikes or tricycles, young children on bikes with training wheels, e-bikes, cargo bikes, all sorts of bike trailers, scooters, rollerblades, strollers – and many people just walking around around as a 0.7-mile loop around West Hartford Center was closed to vehicle traffic for several hours Sunday for what’s often called a “block party on wheels,” traditionally held in town on the Sunday before school resumes.
Center Streets West Hartford. Aug. 24, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Center Streets organizer Ethan Frankel, of Bike West Hartford, said this was one of the largest, if not the largest crowd ever to attend. It’s very hard to determine how many people attend because they are constantly moving and coming and going, but at 10:30 a.m. he estimated there were about 1,500 present at that moment.
“The streets are pretty much full of people, and they’re all smiling and having a great time,” Frankel said. “It’s exciting, a joyous event as always.”
Center Streets West Hartford. Aug. 24, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Like last year, the weather helped make the event a success. It was warm and sunny, but not too hot – perfect for spending time outdoors.
New this year, the Connecticut Department of Transportation hosted a Bike Bonanza. “It’s bike safety activities,” Frankel said, noting that there is an obstacle course, “and there’s something called a slow bike race where the idea is to see how slow you can go.” It’s a great test of balance and not as easy as it may sound, said Frankel, who tested it out himself.
Center Streets West Hartford. Aug. 24, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Also new this year was a cargo bike exhibit, demonstrating the types of bikes available that can be used for everyday activities including transporting children to school.
Several of Anne Cubberly’s giant “Nightfall” puppets were out strolling along the loop, and there was live music by Suburban Escape Plan on Farmington Avenue and Hartford Hot Several Band on Unity Green.
Center Streets West Hartford. Aug. 24, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
There was a West Hartford Police Department booth as well as a Vision Zero booth on Farmington Avenue, as well as tents set up by other local organizations and business sponsors.
There were several areas where children could draw with chalk, practice hula hooping, and play cornhole, jenga, and other games.
“I’m seeing some nice buy-in from some of the store,” Frankel added, with Hartford Baking Company and Nero Kitchen handing out samples, popcorn available at Larson Ace Hardware.
Center Streets West Hartford. Aug. 24, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
While LaSalle Road is still in the midst of the West Hartford Center Infrastructure Master Plan construction work, the area was safe for those attending the event. “It doesn’t look beautiful on LaSalle Right now, but it’s going to soon, and it’s safe. They’ve got the construction part of the street cordoned off,” Frankel noted.
The MDC water truck was parked on LaSalle Road, and people could fill their water bottles or grab a cup of cold water.
Returning this year was a “pop up” bike lane that created a safe pathway to the event from the Trout Brook Trail. The pop-up lane was piloted last year and was very successful, and is planned as a grant-funded addition to the infrastructure upgrades in the Center.
Center Streets West Hartford. Aug. 24, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Roads were closed to vehicles for the duration of the Center Streets event in a rectangular loop that included Farmington Avenue (from LaSalle Road to South Main Street), the southbound lanes of South Main Street to the Memorial Road extension, the Memorial Road extension to LaSalle Road, and the entire stretch of LaSalle Road up to Farmington Avenue.
Although the Town of West Hartford personnel are physically involved in closing off the streets, the event is entirely run by volunteers and is a public-private partnership with all costs paid for by sponsors.
Center Streets West Hartford. Aug. 24, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Center Streets West Hartford. Aug. 24, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Center Streets West Hartford. Aug. 24, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Center Streets West Hartford. Aug. 24, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Center Streets West Hartford. Aug. 24, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Center Streets West Hartford. Aug. 24, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Center Streets West Hartford. Aug. 24, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Center Streets West Hartford. Aug. 24, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Center Streets West Hartford. Aug. 24, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Center Streets West Hartford. Aug. 24, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Center Streets West Hartford. Aug. 24, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Center Streets West Hartford. Aug. 24, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Center Streets West Hartford. Aug. 24, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Center Streets West Hartford. Aug. 24, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Center Streets West Hartford. Aug. 24, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Center Streets West Hartford. Aug. 24, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Center Streets West Hartford. Aug. 24, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Center Streets West Hartford. Aug. 24, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Center Streets West Hartford. Aug. 24, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Center Streets West Hartford. Aug. 24, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Center Streets West Hartford. Aug. 24, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Center Streets West Hartford. Aug. 24, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Center Streets West Hartford. Aug. 24, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Center Streets West Hartford. Aug. 24, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Center Streets West Hartford. Aug. 24, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Center Streets West Hartford. Aug. 24, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Center Streets West Hartford. Aug. 24, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Center Streets West Hartford. Aug. 24, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Center Streets West Hartford. Aug. 24, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Center Streets West Hartford. Aug. 24, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Center Streets West Hartford. Aug. 24, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Center Streets West Hartford. Aug. 24, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Center Streets West Hartford. Aug. 24, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Center Streets West Hartford. Aug. 24, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Center Streets West Hartford. Aug. 24, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Center Streets West Hartford. Aug. 24, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Center Streets West Hartford. Aug. 24, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Center Streets West Hartford. Aug. 24, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Center Streets West Hartford. Aug. 24, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Center Streets West Hartford. Aug. 24, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Center Streets West Hartford. Aug. 24, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Center Streets West Hartford. Aug. 24, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Center Streets West Hartford. Aug. 24, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Center Streets West Hartford. Aug. 24, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Center Streets West Hartford. Aug. 24, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Center Streets West Hartford. Aug. 24, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Center Streets West Hartford. Aug. 24, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Center Streets West Hartford. Aug. 24, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Center Streets West Hartford. Aug. 24, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Center Streets West Hartford. Aug. 24, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Center Streets West Hartford. Aug. 24, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Center Streets West Hartford. Aug. 24, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Center Streets West Hartford. Aug. 24, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Center Streets West Hartford. Aug. 24, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Center Streets West Hartford. Aug. 24, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Center Streets West Hartford. Aug. 24, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Center Streets West Hartford. Aug. 24, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Center Streets West Hartford. Aug. 24, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Center Streets West Hartford. Aug. 24, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Center Streets West Hartford. Aug. 24, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Center Streets West Hartford. Aug. 24, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Center Streets West Hartford. Aug. 24, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
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