On the day when the restaurants return to activity, 13 main streets in the capital will turn into nightly pedestrians to host restaurants, dining stalls, street artists and cultural shows • Mayor Moshe Leon: "We believe it is our job to help businesses at this time as much as possible"

• Not just Ben Yehuda. The pedestrian street in Jerusalem

  Photo: 

  Lior Mizrahi

The Jerusalem Municipality is embarking on the "Open Street, Safe Street" venture, in the center of which 13 streets will become pedestrian streets at night, from the day the cafes and restaurants open to the public until the end of August.

This is the initiative of Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Leon. This trend has existed in recent years in major cities around the world and is gaining momentum in cities such as New York, London, Paris, Vienna and more. Turning the streets into nightly pedestrians will allow for a safe and accessible entertainment experience that will benefit both residents and the business owners.

Various street artists will be performing on the various pedestrian streets and tables and chairs will be placed on the sidewalks. This project significantly supports the various trading businesses, the restaurant industry and cultural business owners. 

The streets that will be converted into pedestrians: - Hillel Street, Shamai Street, Queen Shlomzion Street, Shoshan Street, Agrippa Streets, Beit Yaakov, Dekel, Sycamore, Chestnut, Gaza Street, Emek Refaim Street and Bethlehem Road. The streets will be closed in the evening for vehicular traffic on certain days and hours. The municipality of Jerusalem is also looking at promoting the initiative in East Jerusalem, on Saladin Street and Sultan Suleiman. The program will be considered for an extension to October 31st. The alternative transport and parking arrangements will be announced after public participation and near the start of the project.

Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Leon: "As part of our desire to access and contribute to the sense of security spent on the commercial streets as well as the desire to propel the Jerusalem economy forward, while assisting businesses and encouraging wider recreation outside the businesses, we initiated the project to transform the streets into pedestrians. We believe it is our job to help businesses at this time as much as possible - from helping the trade business, through the restaurant business to the artists and producers. "