Open streets for restaurant service coming more sections of the city as relief for business owners

While indoor dining above 25% capacity may not materialize before the winter months drive New Yorkers back to their radiators, restaurants could have the opportunity to make more money while they can.

Mayor Bill de Blasio announced his administration would set aside additional locations in the five boroughs for eateries to serve outdoors on weekdays with streets closed to vehicular traffic as an expansion of the Open Streets and Open Restaurants initiative based on applications by BIDs, community-based organizations and groups of restaurant owners.

“Restaurants deserve every chance they can get to serve more customers this fall – and, as the weather gets cooler, New Yorkers deserve every chance they can get to enjoy outdoor dining,” de Blasio said. “The Open Streets: Restaurants program has been a success, and we’re proud to grow its reach and give restaurants more tools to make it through this crisis.”

While originally, street closures were reserved only for weekends when it was announced three months ago, now there will be weekday hours when the street closures will be in effect.  According to the de Blasio administration, there are 87 corridors set aside for service at the moment with 10,200 businesses utilizing the space and has saved an estimated 90,000 jobs.

In his morning press conference de Blasio said the city should be providing Open Streets and Open Restaurants next year as well, but is hopeful there will be a COVID-19 vaccine available by then giving business owners hurt during the pandemic a boost.

“The Open Streets initiative has already saved tens of thousands of jobs across New York City, and so we expect that car-free outdoor dining on weekdays will give an even greater boost to the economy and the quality of life of our neighborhoods,” City Department of Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg said. “We thank Mayor de Blasio and all of our agency partners and community organizations who have stepped up to expand what has already been an incredibly successful team effort.  Open Restaurants has been a lifeline for the restaurant industry during the COVID crisis, and has also helped all New Yorkers see new possibilities for how to use our streets in the future.”

The de Blasio administration outlined the additional sections of roadway as follows: