Mayor de Blasio has announced an expansion to Open Streets called “Open Boulevards,” which will aim to “enhance and expand 10 multi-block corridors to create dining destination experiences throughout the city.”
Of the ten corridors included in the current plan, two are in Manhattan – and both are on the Upper West Side:
- Amsterdam Avenue from 106th to 110th Street
- Columbus Avenue from 106th to 110th Street
The “Open Boulevard” status of these two corridors will only be active on Saturdays and Sundays from 11:30am to 8:30pm. The city has partnered with Columbus Amsterdam BID to designate these areas.
Here’s the full list of participating streets:
“In addition to creating extra space for dining, Open Boulevards will feature cultural activities, community-based programming, landscaping and other beautification, and art installations,” states a press release.
The city will be working with NYC & Company to market these new boulevards to “drive citywide, regional, and international tourist activity to each location.”
This announcement comes as part of Streets Week!, a suite of transportation, traffic safety, and open space policy announcements to double down on the transformative Vision Zero initiative.
“The Recovery for All of Us will come to life on these streets, where small businesses, restaurants, artists, pedestrians, and cyclists will gather to create the kind of destination you can only find in the greatest city in the world,” said the Mayor.
The City will mark Open Boulevards with branded light pole banners and gateways at entrances and public tables and chairs. Restaurants on Open Boulevards will receive free barriers at select giveaway events, to ensure safety for roadway diners and pedestrians.
The mayor’s full press conference can be viewed below.
Open Streets are here to STAY. Join me at City Hall. https://t.co/Qt2gEcSva5
— Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) May 12, 2021
what happens to bus riders – the M11 bus?
Did they intentionally do two avenues right next to one another or just completely missed the fact that they did? What’s the point of that, why not do one down further the west side or up further north?
the UWS might be the perfect place for it with the west side highway + our subway infrastructure to ease any resulting congestion, but why not put one closer to lincoln square? unless they’re also closing the cross streets to make some sort of mega block I don’t see the point. huge fan of the open streets though, the city belongs to it’s residents, not to their cars!