Enter your number to get our free mobile app On Wednesday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed legislation that will allow restaurants to utilize municipal spaces like sidewalks and streets for outdoor dining for another year. First granted under an executive order by Cuomo, this law allows restaurants to continue using these public spaces for another year as they recover from the economic devastation brought by the COVID-19 pandemic. "As we build New York back better than it was before, it's important that we learn from the past and capitalize on those efforts that helped so many of New York's small businesses survive amid the global pandemic," Cuomo said. "By extending the much-needed lifeline that allowed restaurants to use outdoor public spaces for seating during the pandemic, New York is ensuring that these small businesses will be able to continue to use these spaces as they work to rebuild and support the revitalization of the Empire State."