arrow A bike rider passes a group of Queens residents marching for compromise on the 34th Avenue Open Street Afia Eama/Gothamist
When the New York City Council voted last month to codify Open Streets into city law, making barricaded, traffic-free roadways permanent, it became clear the program had moved beyond its initial purpose: giving cooped up New Yorkers extra space outdoors while remaining socially distanced during the pandemic.
Under the new legislation, which passed 40 to 8 and was signed into law by Mayor Bill de Blasio, the existing 235 Open Streets locations will be allowed to use curbside parking spots for programming, and they’ll have the option to keep the streets closed to through traffic 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Additionally, the Department of Transportation will be responsible for adding and maintaining 20 Open Streets locations in areas “underserved” by the program.
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arrow 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.