NEW YORK CITY EXPANDS NATION-LEADING OPEN STREETS PROGRAM WITH 23 MORE MILES IN AREAS HIT HARD BY COVID-19 CRISIS and MAYOR DE BLASIO ANNOUNCES ALTERNATE SIDE PARKING REFORM

New streets bring total to 67 miles, across all five boroughs, in under two months; Additions include nine new miles of protected bike lanes

  Mayor Bill de Blasio today added another 23 miles to New York City’s nation-leading Open Streets program, bringing the citywide total to 67 miles – two-thirds of the way to the 100-mile goal laid out in late April. The new Open Streets, which are located primarily in neighborhoods hit hard by the COVID-19 crisis, include nine miles of temporary protected bike lanes.

The Administration is also prioritizing the most heat burdened communities with plans to designate certain Open Streets as “Cool Streets.” The City will open up blocks with tree-based shade and hydrants as part of DEP’s Cool Hydrant and spray cap program. The first set of “Cool Streets will be announced in the coming days.

“As the school year ends and a hot, challenging summer begins, New Yorkers will need more options to play outside,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “New York City now offers more car-free street space than any other city in the country, and we’re proud to build on that progress in all five boroughs.”

Google has added the previous 40-plus miles of Open Streets into Google Maps, allowing drivers using online navigation to steer clear of these streets; today’s new Open Streets will also be added to Google Maps in the coming days.

The nine new miles of bike corridors, like the first nine miles of temporary lanes announced in May, will be phased in throughout the summer using markings, barrels, signage, and other barriers, to implement both permanent and temporary projects along with critical connectors from already-established protected lanes. During the rollout of these bike lanes, DOT will also be implementing new Green Wave signal timing changes on DeKalb and Lafayette Avenues in Brooklyn, in addition to existing Green Wave corridors to help speed bike commutes.

“With summer now in full swing, and the City slowly reopening, we’re excited to bring new Open Streets to more communities, from the North Shore of Staten Island to Far Rockaway in Queens, along with new protected bike connections to Central Park and the Queensboro Bridge,” said NYC DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg. “Thanks to the hard work of Mayor de Blasio, our sister agencies, BIDs and other community groups, Open Streets continues to grow, helping more New Yorkers who’ve been cooped up for so long get out and keep moving while maintaining social distancing.” 

MAYOR DE BLASIO ANNOUNCES ALTERNATE SIDE PARKING REFORM

  Mayor de Blasio and Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia today announced the end of twice-weekly street cleanings, the most dramatic reform to Alternate Side Parking (ASP) in decades. Beginning Monday, June 29, the City will resume ASP regulations for one week. Going forward, residential streets will be cleaned no more than once per week.

Amended rules pertain to residential “side streets” and not to commercial areas. Streets with multiple ASP days would be cleaned on the last day of the week, as posted on each street’s currently posted sign. For example, a street with ASP regulations posted on Tuesday and Friday will now be cleaned on Friday only. Daily sweeping regulations in metered areas will not change, and DSNY will continue cleaning streets with posted No Standing, No Stopping and No Parking regulations as needed.

The City will enforce these amended regulations on a week-by-week basis and will assess conditions throughout the summer. The City will determine whether to extend, or modify the new regulations over the course of the summer.

“New Yorkers will no longer need to move their cars more than once per week when Alternate Side Parking rules are in effect,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “As our city reopens and fights back against the COVID-19 crisis, we’re proud to offer more convenient options for working New Yorkers.”

“Alternate Side Parking is a fact of life in New York City, and it is one of our best tools to keep our streets clean,” said Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia. “We are excited to test this new approach that will make life easier on New York City drivers, while also giving us the space we need to keep our City healthy, safe and clean.”

This change is the most dramatic change to ASP regulations since 2000, when the City reduced the duration of sweeping windows from 3 hours to just 90 minutes. The City has also reduced sweeping frequency in several neighborhoods, including in Brooklyn Community Board 6 (Park Slope & Red Hook), Brooklyn Community Board 7 (Sunset Park), and Manhattan Community Board 12 (Washington Heights & Inwood). Alternate Side Parking has been in place in New York City since the mid-1950s, and regulations are currently in place on nearly 2,300 miles of New York City streets.