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Open Boulevards, AKA Next-Level Open Streets, Are Coming To 10 Locations In NYC
By
James Ramsay
Published May 12, 2021
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David "Dee" Delgado / Gothamist
By
James Ramsay
Published May 12, 2021
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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."
NYC Mayor's Office
The announcement came after the City Council voted late last week to make the Open Streets program permanent, to put it under the Department of Transportation's control, and to expand the program to neighborhoods that have been underserved by it thus far.
Andrew Rigie, the head of the NYC Hospitality Alliance, applauded the Open Boulevards announcement, adding that the Open Restaurants program thus far has allowed about 100,000 jobs to return.
"I have no doubt when we expand this program through the Open Boulevards program and weave it with beautification and art installations and cultural initiatives and really get communities involved, we build back a more resilient, a more livable city that supports everyone in so many different ways," he said.
Responding to concerns that blocking off traffic on major commercial roads such as Ditmars Boulevard would create a mess off traffic on residential side streets, Jee Mee Kim, the Chief Strategy Officer for the Department of Transportation, said the Open Boulevards locations were selected based on pre-existing Open Streets. But she acknowledged the "underlying tension" about how streets are prioritized.
"The reason why all the Open Boulevards and Open Streets are temporary is that we're trying them out," said Kim. "Hopefully it will be a raring success, and folks will get used to driving around these streets. And I think in the end we're going to see a net benefit for the community and the businesses."
Though the CDC recently eased mask guidelines for fully vaccinated people, both the agency and New York City still recommend that people wear masks at crowded outdoor gatherings — like, for example, at an Open Boulevard.
Different stretches of the Open Boulevards program will be in operation during select hours, primarily on Saturdays and Sundays. The DOT shared a list of all the locations and their hours:.
The Open Boulevards so far
NYC Department of Transportation
Tagged
pandemic
open boulevards
open streets
reopening
outdoor dining
James Ramsay
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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