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HomeCoronavirus13 More Miles of NYC Streets to be Opened to Pedestrians for a total of 43 Miles!

13 More Miles of NYC Streets to be Opened to Pedestrians for a total of 43 Miles!

Mayor De Blasio Surpasses Open Streets Target, Announces 13 More Miles Of Streets To Be Opened By Memorial Day Weekend

New York City offers most open streets of any American city; exceeds 40-mile target by end of May

Open Streets will be visible on Google Maps

NEW YORK—Mayor Bill de Blasio announced today that New York City will open 13 more miles of streets to pedestrians and cyclists for the Memorial Day weekend starting tomorrow, May 23rd. The new locations bring New York City’s total to 43 miles of open streets since the program was first announced in April, surpassing its original target of 40 miles by the end of May.

Google has added the previous 30 miles of Open Streets into Google Maps, allowing drivers using online navigation to steer clear of these streets; today’s new Open Streets will be added to Google Maps in the coming days.

New York City now has more miles of open streets than any other city in America.

“New Yorkers deserve space to safely enjoy the outdoors in their own neighborhoods,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “Thanks to hard work from a host of City agencies, we’ve beaten our Open Streets goal for this month – and made our city a national leader in expanding public space as we fight COVID-19.”

“As we reach a pivotal milestone in our Open Streets program, it has been heartening to see the positive responses from communities and New Yorkers across the City as they enjoy these open spaces safely,” said Deputy Mayor Laura Anglin. “We will continue to work with our local partners, elected officials, BIDS, and countless City agencies, to further identify streets and neighborhoods to help New Yorkers get outside while maintaining social distancing.”

Nearly nine miles of the new Open Streets will be placed in neighborhoods across the city and managed by local precincts; 1.8 miles will be managed by local partners; and another 2.7 miles will be adjacent to parks.

Local Partner Management
Partner Boro Street From To Mileage Notes
Red Hook Initiative BK 9th St Henry St Hicks St 0.08 9a-6p Sat
Village Alliance MN University Place 13th St 4th St 0.41 8:30a-1:30p Sun
Village Alliance MN MacDougal 4th St 8th St 0.15 8:30a-1:30p Sun
Hudson Sq BID MN Greenwich St Canal St Spring St 0.08 10a-4p all days
Alliance for Downtown NY MN Pearl St State St Cedar St 0.46 11a-3p all days
Chinatown District MN Doyers St Pell St Bowery 0.05 10a-7p all days
Alliance for Kips Bay MN 2nd Ave Service Rd 33rd St 30th St 0.13 8a-8p all days
Bedford Stuyvesant Gateway BID BK Arlington Pl Macon St Fulton St 0.07 Thurs 10-2p
Times Square Alliance MN Broadway 47th St 53rd St 0.30 8a-8p all days
Times Square Alliance MN Broadway 42nd St 41st St 0.05 8a-8p all days
Total mileage 1.78

 

Local Precinct Management
Neighborhood Boro Street From To Mileage
Bed-Stuy BK Somers St Rockaway Ave Fulton St 0.11
Williamsburg BK S 9th St Berry St Driggs Ave 0.17
Williamsburg BK Grand St Roebling St Marcy Ave 0.16
Prospect Heights BK Underhill Ave St. Johns Pl Bergen St 0.32
Prospect Heights BK Carlton Ave Park Pl Bergen St 0.18
South Richmond Hill QN 120th St 94th Ave Liberty Ave 0.53
Greenwich Village MN Jones St Bleecker St W 4th St 0.09
East Village MN Ave B 6th St 14th St 0.39
Manhattan Valley MN 103rd St Broadway Riverside Dr 0.16
Chelsea MN 22nd St 8th Ave 7th Ave 0.16
Gramercy MN Irving Place 16th St 20th St 0.18
Kensington BK Chester Ave Ft. Hamilton Parkway Church Ave 0.32
Fort Greene BK Willoughby Ave Washington Park St Hall St 0.41
Crown Heights BK Park Pl New York Ave Kingston Ave 0.29
Crown Heights BK Troy Ave St. Johns Pl Eastern Parkway 0.10
Rego Park QN 99th St Horace Harding 66th Ave 0.52
Sunnyside QN 50th Ave 48th St 44th St 0.19
Forest Hills QN 66th Rd 110th St Grand Central Pkwy 0.15
Prospect Heights BK Lincoln Pl Washington St Bedford Ave 0.41
Bed-Stuy BK Macon St Arlington Pl Tompkins Ave 0.40
Boerum Hill BK State St 3rd Ave Smith St 0.50
Homecrest BK 16th St Ave R Moore Pl 0.11
Moore Pl 16th St 17th St
Brooklyn Heights BK Willow St Middagh St Pierrepont St 0.33
Seaport MN Front St Beekman St Peck Slip 0.08
Harlem MN 117th Morningside Ave 5th Ave 0.70
Chelsea MN 21st St 9th Ave 10th Ave 0.16
Hells Kitchen MN 51st St 9th Ave 10th Ave 0.16
Harlem MN 138th Lenox Ave Adam Clayton Powell Blvd 0.15
Williamsburg BK N. 3rd St Kent Ave Metropolitan Ave 0.32
Brownsville BK Williams Ave Liberty Ave Atlantic Ave 0.11
Castle Hill BX Pugsley Bruckner Blvd Turnbull Ave 0.20
Maspeth QN 60th Street Laurel Hill Blvd 47th Ave 0.12
Forest Hills QN Ascan Ave Queens Blvd Austin St 0.07
Park Slope BK Butler St Gregory Pl 4th Ave 0.14
Gregory Pl Baltic St Butler St
Bay Ridge BK Colonial Rd 86th St 83rd St 0.16
Jamaica QN 107th Ave 159th St 160th St 0.03
Jamaica QN 108th Ave 159th St 160th St 0.03
Jamaica QN 159th St 108th Ave 109th Ave 0.12
Jamaica QN 109th Ave 159th St 160th St 0.03
Total mileage         8.76

 

Adjacent Park Roads
Park Boro Street From To Mileage
Hunters Pt QN Center Blvd 57th Ave Borden Ave 0.23
Green Central Knoll Park BK Noll St Evergreen Ave Central Ave 0.09
Plaut Triangle QN 169th St Northern Blvd 43rd Ave 0.03
Gorman Playground QN 85th Street 25th Ave 30th Ave 0.13
Nicholas Naquan Heyward Park BK Wyckoff St Bond St Hoyt St 0.12
Charles Young Playground MN 143rd St Malcolm X Blvd 5th Ave 0.16
Stuyvesant Sq Park MN Rutherford Pl 15th St 17th St 0.09
16th Street 3rd Ave Rutherford Pl 0.08
Morningside Park MN Morningside Ave Manhattan Ave 116th 0.16
Yellowstone Park QN 68th Rd 108th St Yellowstone Blvd 0.10
Painter’s Playground QN Dieterle Crescent Alderton St 65th Dr 0.13
Carroll Park BK Carroll St Court St Smith St 0.10
McGolrick Park BK Russell St Nassau Ave Driggs Ave 0.17
Betsy Head Park BK Dumont Ave Thomas Boyland St Strauss St 0.14
Baisley Pond Park QN Barron St 116th Ave Foch Blvd 0.13
Lakeview Blvd E 118th Ave 122nd Ave 0.34
155th St 119th Ave 125th Ave 0.32
Lakeview lane 122nd Ave Baisley Blvd 0.12
122nd Ave Lakeview Blvd E Lakeview Ln 0.08
Total mileage         2.72

 

In April, the Mayor and Council Speaker Corey Johnson announced that 40 miles of streets citywide would be opened by the end of May to allow greater social distancing, with a plan to expand to a total of 100 miles in the weeks and months ahead.

Under Open Streets, pedestrians and cyclists can use the roadbed of each street. No through traffic is permitted, with remaining vehicle traffic limited to local deliveries, pick-ups/drop-offs, necessary city service, utility, and emergency vehicles only. Such drivers are alerted to be hyper-vigilant and to drive at 5 MPH along these routes. Open streets hours will be from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM but may vary slightly depending on staff availability.

The City has also begun installing 9 miles of additional temporary dedicated cycling space, building on this March’s addition of lanes on a section of Manhattan’s 2nd Avenue and on Smith Street in Brooklyn. This week, crews began work on lower Broadway in Manhattan, 38th and 39th Streets in Manhattan, Crescent Street in Queens and Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn. These temporary projects, which use barrels, signage, and other barriers, may be phased into permanent bike lanes as city resources come back online and as DOT gathers additional feedback from affected community boards and elected officials.

“As the beautiful spring weather arrives, we invite New Yorkers to now safely enjoy over 40 miles of Open Streets and new bike lanes in neighborhoods across the city, including Brownsville, Brooklyn, Jamaica, Queens, and Castle Hill in the Bronx,” said NYC DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg. “We thank the NYPD and our sister agencies, BIDs and community groups as well as elected officials who have together helped us reach this point. We have more miles to come and continue to call on other neighborhoods that want an Open Street to let us know, even if you don’t have a formal community partner.”

“Opening up streets to people instead of cars is something that makes sense during the crisis,” said Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer. “I’m glad that the administration has worked to quickly to add miles to the program.”

“Our neighbors in Castle Hill have taken a hard hit during this pandemic – residents need and deserve the additional space to safely enjoy the summer weather, while continuing to follow social distancing protocols. I am grateful to the Mayor’s Office and the New York City Council for bringing the Open Streets initiative to Castle Hill, and look forward to its further expansion across District 34,” said State Senator Alessandra Biaggi.

“New Yorkers are looking forward to Memorial Day weekend and more open streets will provide for more outdoor activity. While we must continue to maintain social distancing and wear masks in public, there will be more places for people to get out and enjoy the weather,” said Assistant Speaker Assemblyman Felix W. Ortiz.

“As we enter the summer months and the weather turns warmer, New Yorkers are going to be outside more and need creative ways to ensure social distancing. Opening our streets to pedestrians will help facilitate that and make coping with this crisis a little easier. I thank Mayor de Blasio for opening the streets and hope to see the continued success of this program,” said Assemblyman Walter Mosley.

“Open streets are making a real difference in the lives of New Yorkers right now, and we need to keep giving more neighborhoods more space to socially distance outside. It’s clear we need to continue expanding this program and that we should consider this initiative a key part of reimagining how we use our public streets during and after the crisis. The Council will continue working with the administration to open more streets, particularly in neighborhoods without enough open space and in places that make it easier for people to get around our city,” said City Council Speaker Corey Johnson.

“I am happy that the areas opening to pedestrian and cyclists are in the communities that were severely impacted by COVID-19. We must continue expanding this initiative to reach all underserved communities who have historically suffered at disproportionate rates from heart disease, asthma, and obesity. These communities are among the most vulnerable to the virus,” said Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez, Chairman of the Transportation Committee. “I ask my colleagues at the Council whose communities were not hit as hard to work with us to continue opening streets in low-income communities. I will continue working alongside Mayor de Blasio, Commissioner Polly Trottenberg, and advocates to continue opening streets for pedestrians and cyclists throughout the five boroughs.”

“I want to thank Mayor de Blasio and Commissioner Trottenberg for working with the Council to reach this 40-mile milestone for open streets in May. Now, we must turn our vision to expanding our open streets operations for the next 60 miles and more so that we can lift up community groups and bring needed infrastructure improvements such as bike lanes, sidewalk extensions and more to make New York a more open city,” said Council Member Carlina Rivera.

“Neighborhood partners serve as the core of Open Streets. With the great partners we have in Bed-Stuy and Crown Heights, we can provide more open space to community residents and safely adhere to necessary social distancing practices. I welcome Open Streets, and I welcome a process that is inclusive and reaches out for community input. Thanks to all those neighborhood residents who engaged with us to advance Open Streets in Bed-Stuy and Crown Heights,” said Council Member Robert E. Cornegy, Jr.

“Kids in our neighborhoods have been thrilled to have a little extra space to play, and commuters and recreational cyclists are glad for additional routes with protection from nearby traffic. These additional blocks will help New Yorkers celebrate the warmer weather in safer, physically distant ways. I’m grateful to the Administration and the DOT for working to get these programs running across our city, and hope to continue working with you to ensure equitable citywide implementation that creates more open space and safer transit options in all neighborhoods, especially those that have been hardest hit by the health and economic impacts of the pandemic,” said Council Member Brad Lander.

“After spending weeks indoors, open and clean streets is what New Yorkers deserve. This new mile of open streets in Red Hook will allow my neighbors to have the space to walk, watch their kids play, and adhere to social distancing. I look forward to working with the Mayor and community partners to reclaim our streets for pedestrians and cyclist,” said Council Member Menchaca, Chair of the Committee on Immigration.

“As we keep opening streets, more New Yorkers can safely get outside. I look forward to the continued use of street space for pedestrians and cyclists as we work in new ways to get around our city. Thanks to the Times Square Alliance and the Alliance for Kips Bay for their partnership in this effort,” said Council Member Keith Powers.

“Sunnier days have arrived and more of our New Yorkers will be out seeking recreation in our parks and green spaces in the coming weeks,” said Council Member Paul Vallone. “Creating a temporary Open Street on the road adjacent to Flushing’s Plaut Triangle will provide residents more space to safely enjoy warmer weather and facilitate important social distancing.”

Organizations wishing to have other New York City streets considered for the Open Streets program should reach out to fill out an online survey. More information is available at nyc.gov/openstreets.

 

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