As New York City prepares to reopen, Mayor Bill de Blasio today announced plans to temporarily use open space to support the city's restaurants while maintaining social distancing. Once the City enters Phase 2 of reopening, restaurants will be able to serve customers in outdoor seating areas without enduring a cumbersome application and approval process.
“New York’s restaurants are part of what make us the greatest city in the world. They’ve taken a hit in our fight against COVID-19 – and there’s no recovery without them,” said Mayor de Blasio. “Our Open Restaurants plan will help these businesses maximize their customer base while maintaining the social distancing we need to beat this crisis once and for all.”
The Open Restaurants seating program will include:
CURBSIDE SEATING
Once Phase 2 of reopening begins, restaurants in commercial corridors will be able to serve patrons outdoors in alignment with State guidelines. Restaurants will be able to convert parking spaces in order to use the roadbed alongside the curb for dine-in service. There will be a simple process to register and self-certify online.
Guidelines restaurants must comply with include, but are not limited to, ensuring seating is accessible, bus stops or fire hydrants are not blocked, and seating is located away from intersections. Restaurants must provide their own vertical barricades, planters, tables, and chairs.
OPEN STREETS
There are currently over 45 miles of Open Streets across the city, with continued plans to reach a goal of 100 miles citywide. Restaurants will be able to create seating areas directly in front of their establishments on these Open Streets. The City will also identify new Open Streets on commercial strips with large number of restaurants and bars as it continues to roll out new corridors in the coming weeks and months.
SIDEWALK SEATING
The City will work to create a simpler, streamlined process for sidewalk seating that would require establishments to maintain appropriate clear paths for pedestrians and people with disabilities.
The City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, and the Department of Transportation will monitor the success of this three-pronged program and will be prepared to step in if it creates concerns for accessibility or socially distanced use of the sidewalk, curb lane, or streets.
“DOT is happy to find creative ways to utilize our street space and help the restaurant industry get back on its feet, and start the long process of recovery,” said NYC DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg. “Working with our fellow agencies, we hope to not only to provide needed space to break bread with loved ones -- but at the same time promote health and cleaning protocols that will keep New Yorkers stay safe. While eating out will not be quite the same, we hope that we can provide a safe interim option as the City starts to reopen. We thank our Council colleagues and all our sister agencies who helped bring this plan together.”
“Our restaurants owners need help now more than ever and have shared their concerns about traditional practices. This plan will enliven our commercial corridors and provide businesses with a much-needed opportunity to generate further revenue while maintaining safety,” said Jonnel Doris, Commissioner of the NYC Department of Small Business Services. “With the help of our partners and communities, we will work together to support our neighborhood businesses, which make New York thrive, and bring back our City safely and equitably.”
“Summer is upon us and people are ready to get out and get back to some semblance of normalcy. With outdoor dining being included in phase two of the reopening it is imperative that the city act quickly to come up with a plan to allow restaurants to expand outdoor seating. We thank Mayor de Blasio for supporting small business and proposing a plan to get restaurants up and running safely and responsibly. As we begin to reopen, we are encouraged by the City’s efforts to streamline the process and increase the availability of outdoor seating. We look forward to working with the administration to make sure this is rolled out in a way that makes sense for businesses and the communities they serve,” said Jeffrey Garcia, President of the NYS Latino Restaurant, Bar & Lounge Association.
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