Which New York City avenue did Mayor John Lindsay close for Earth Day 1970?

New York City Mayor John Lindsay closed Fifth Avenue for Earth Day 1970.

Lindsay supported New York City’s Earth Day activities and authorized a major traffic closure in Manhattan. Fifth Avenue was shut to vehicles from East 14th Street to West 59th Street near Central Park, a stretch of more than two miles. 14th Street between Third and Seventh avenues was also closed.

The decision turned a major traffic artery into a public stage for environmental events. Lindsay also made Central Park available, while Union Square hosted crowds that the New York Times estimated at up to 20,000 people at a time and possibly more than 100,000 across the day.

Fifth Avenue is an especially plausible quiz answer because it was the best-known closure, but it was not the only street affected. Later in 1970, Lindsay also experimented with Saturday vehicle restrictions on part of the avenue, a separate traffic initiative that can cause confusion with the Earth Day closure.