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8 Pedestrian-Friendly U.S. Cities to Explore

Cities like Boston, Chicago, New York and San Francisco, with their extensive public transportation systems, have long been go-to destinations for carless travelers. But a few unexpected locales have joined the list, thanks to new and expanding transit options. In honor of Car Free Day — Friday, Sept. 22 — take stock of these old (and new) pedestrian-friendly American destinations.

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Union Station in Denver.Credit...Jamie Schwaberow for The New York Times

Downtown Denver is 23 miles from Denver International Airport, a distance covered by the University of Colorado A Line in 37 minutes. This fare acts as a day pass for limitless rides on a rapidly expanding network of light and commuter rail. The new R Line, which opened earlier this year, adds 10.5 miles to the regional system.

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A view through Chakaia Booker’s “Brick House” sculpture, installed in the Damen Arts Plaza.Credit...Michelle Litvin for The New York Times

The traditional, ethnic neighborhoods of Chicago have been joined by new restaurants and bars, fresh faces that honor a past of ice cream parlors, tiki dens and breakfast as the best meal of the day. These neighborhoods are great places for long walks — to parks, pubs and blues clubs — on both landmark boulevards and a landscaped trail where freight trains once rumbled.

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This year, Detroit launched a bike-share program, which takes visitors to places like the Museum of Contemporary Art, whose colorful exterior is a painting by Andrew Kuo.Credit...Kevin Miyazaki for The New York Times

The Motor City once had a vital streetcar system, including a track that ran down its main corridor, Woodward Avenue. In April, some 60 years after the old lines were eradicated to make way for cars, the new QLine has restored streetcar service to downtown over a 3.3-mile route. The city also added a bike-share program in May, called MoGo; a daily pass is $8.

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A tour through the Granary Burying Ground, a stop along the 2.5-mile Freedom Trail.Credit...Erik Jacobs for The New York Times

Among the many walkable attractions in Boston is the classic tour that begins at the 50-acre Boston Common, the nation’s oldest public park and endpoint of Frederick Law Olmsted’s green-space network known as the Emerald Necklace. From here, if history is your thing, walk the 2.5-mile Freedom Trail, which wends its way through 16 Revolutionary-era sites.

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The view of downtown Los Angeles from Echo Park.Credit...Laure Joliet for The New York Times

No American city is more synonymous with congestion than Los Angeles. But alongside and under those clogged highways, the city’s Metro Rail has built 105 miles of subway or light rail in Los Angeles County since 1990. Two extensions that opened in 2016 now reach west to beachfront Santa Monica and extend from Pasadena east to Azusa at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains.

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Dolores Park, in San Francisco, which has recently added tennis courts and six acres of fresh grass.Credit...Joe Fletcher for The New York Times

There’s plenty to absorb while roaming the streets of San Francisco: the mind-boggling views along that glorious waterfront; the Mission’s still-feisty, freaky, welcome-all-comers character and the meandering natural pleasures of Golden Gate Park. Just be prepared for some hikes up the city’s famed hills.

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In Arizona, the Valley Metro Light Rail runs to downtown Phoenix in one direction and Tempe and Mesa in the other.Credit...Nick Cote for The New York Times

The vast rental car center at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport attests to the dependence that visitors to Arizona’s capital have on driving. To avoid it, take the free people mover PHX Sky Train from the terminals to the Valley Metro Light Rail. Its 26 miles of track run to downtown Phoenix in one direction and Tempe and Mesa in the other. Another 40 miles are planned by 2034, and the transit authority is testing Wi-Fi on the route.

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Visitors can take a ferry to the Peopling of America Center on Ellis Island. The ride also includes admission to the Statue of Liberty.Credit...Tony Cenicola/The New York Times

One of the more underappreciated forms of car-free transportation is the NYC Ferry system. Consider the ferry to Ellis Island, which includes admission to the Statue of Liberty. There’s also plenty to explore along the shores of Brooklyn and Queens, as well as Governors Island, which is open until October 31 this year. It’s a great place for a bike ride and hosts a number of art exhibitions, among many other activities.

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