A pilot Play Street Initiative began with the Juniper Play Avenue on Saturday, May 8.
During the Play Street, a length of Juniper Avenue was temporarily closed to through traffic to create a space for play and to give opportunities for walking and biking, while maintaining physical distancing.
Play Streets are a way of opening city streets to the community, which many cities have begun embracing, particularly as a response to the COVID-19 Pandemic. As the first Play Street in Las Cruces, the Juniper Play Street saw residents safely socializing, getting active, and generally enjoying the outdoors. To further explore this pilot initiative, a second Play Street is planned next month in another Las Cruces neighborhood, which has yet to be determined.
While Doña Ana County recently moved into the lowest level of COVID-19 restrictions in New Mexico's Red-to-Green framework, the community must still remain vigilant in adhering to current safety guidelines to ensure a safe return to public spaces. As circumstances change, it is our hope Play Streets will safely fill a need and will provide a fun way to get active in both current circumstances and in the future.
For information contact Mark Miller at 575/528-3271 or planning@las-cruces.org.