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Arthur Avenue, which began experimenting with a car-free "piazza" set-up, will be part of the Open Boulevards program.
David "Dee" Delgado / Gothamist
Over the next "few weeks," ten stretches of roadway in New York City will be transformed into Open Boulevards, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Wednesday, bringing outdoor dining, picnic tables, community activities, art, and performances to car-free streets.
The program, which was designed in partnership with the Department of Transportation and NYC & Company, the city's official tourism organization, is meant to create destinations for both locals and visitors from out of town.
"This is the kind of thing people are going to love, because all the life and vitality of New York City, all the diversity, all the energy will be on display," the mayor said. "This is going to be the summer of New York City, and Open Boulevards are going to be a great example of a reason people will flock here."