Plan Includes NYC’s Largest-Ever Holiday Season-Specific Open Street, With Fifth Avenue Going Car-Free for First Time in Half-Century
Adams Administration Bringing Back Popular Open Streets Around Rockefeller Center
Administration Launches Two Campaigns Encouraging New Yorkers and Visitors to Support Local Small Businesses
With the 2022 holiday season approaching, New York City Mayor Eric Adams today unveiled a sweeping plan to cement Midtown Manhattan as the premiere international holiday destination by opening 11 city blocks to pedestrians in December — the city’s largest-ever holiday season-specific Open Street. As part of the plan, the Adams administration is launching two marketing campaigns encouraging New Yorkers and visitors to shop at local small businesses in Midtown and across the city. Through a partnership between the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT), New York City Police Department (NYPD), and the Fifth Avenue Association, the city will — for the first time in half a century — transform Fifth Avenue, from 48th Street to 57th Street, into an Open Street on three Sundays in December, while bringing back the overwhelmingly popular pedestrianized area around Rockefeller Center and Radio City Music Hall throughout the holiday season.
This dramatic expansion of public space in one of the busiest neighborhoods in the world at this time of year will significantly ease crowding, facilitating access to the iconic holiday window displays and creating a more pleasant holiday environment for New Yorkers and visitors, while enhancing public safety for all. A groundbreaking study released last month by DOT, and conducted in collaboration with Bloomberg Associates, found that hospitality industry businesses on Open Streets outperformed those on nearby non-Open Streets over the first 18 months of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Every year, people come from across the world to New York City, and to Midtown Manhattan specifically, during the holiday season. This year, we are going to make that experience safer and more enjoyable for all New Yorkers and visitors with more access to Open Streets,” said Mayor Adams. “This is the kind of bold, creative thinking that we need to ensure the city’s comeback is strong, equitable, and inclusive. And to all those coming in from out of town, I have only two messages: Happy holidays and spend money.”
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“New York City streets are one of the most valuable public assets, critical to restarting our city’s economic engine,” said Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi. “Transforming iconic Fifth Avenue into a pedestrian paradise during this holiday season shows that, once again, New York City is leading the country with bold initiatives that reimage and activate our public spaces.”
“Time and again, we’ve seen that Open Streets and holiday events drive foot traffic, increase economic activity, attract tourism, and contribute to safer, more exciting, and more prosperous commercial corridors,” said Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer. “Transforming Fifth Avenue into a car-free Open Street this holiday season will be a boon for local businesses and is yet another example of how government can work with communities to transform streets for people.”
“There is no place better in the world than New York City during the holidays,” said Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Philip Banks III. “This initiative takes the destinations that make it the best and makes them even better, more accessible, and more safe. We look forward to seeing our residents and visitors at these landmark areas and wish everyone a happy, healthy holiday season.”
Fifth Avenue: On December 4, 11, and 18, from 12:00 PM until 6:00 PM, Fifth Avenue, from 48th Street to 57th Street, will only be open to pedestrians. In addition, throughout the entire holiday season, moveable barriers will be placed on the east and west sides of Fifth Avenue, between 48th Street and 52nd Street. On days the street is not designated an Open Street, beginning in the early afternoon on weekdays and in the morning on weekends, these barriers will be used to repurpose a lane of traffic on each side of the avenue as additional pedestrian space. To accommodate high pedestrian traffic, westbound vehicle right turns will be prohibited from Fifth Avenue onto 47th Street, 49th Street, or 51st Street.
On the designated Sundays, visitors to the Fifth Avenue Open Street will be able to enjoy a range of performances, including choirs, drum lines, and a samba group. Food and beverage vendors will also serve the area, and public seating will be provided. A full list of activities and amenities will be available online.
Rockefeller Center: Starting with the lighting of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree on Wednesday, November 30, through early to mid-January, the city will pedestrianize the streets surrounding Rockefeller Center and Radio City Music Hall, using movable barriers to partially or fully close streets to cars and alleviate foot traffic along sidewalks. With the support of Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine and New York City Councilmember Keith Powers, West 49th Street and West 50th Street, between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue, will only be open to pedestrians during the most congested hours, between 11:00 AM and 12:00 AM midnight every day. The NYPD will help ensure that vehicle traffic does not enter those streets.
Sixth Avenue: Also beginning with the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree lighting on November 30 through early to mid-January, moveable barriers will be placed on the east side of Sixth Avenue between 48th Street and 52nd Street, reallocating one lane of traffic for additional pedestrian space.
Bus Service: All Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) crosstown buses will be rerouted during pedestrian-only hours on cross-streets. On Fifth Avenue, MTA buses will bypass all stops between 48th Street and 52nd Street, and, on Open Street Sundays, buses will be entirely rerouted to southbound avenues.
The NYPD will conduct round-the-clock monitoring of the area to adjust the barriers if needed during times of unusual pedestrian activity or extreme weather.
Shop Your City: “Shop Your City” is a marketing and social media campaign run by the New York City Department of Small Business Services (SBS), encouraging New Yorkers and visitors to support small businesses on Small Business Saturday, November 26. The campaign is advertised on LinkNYC kiosks, Google, Facebook, Instagram, Pandora, and Spotify, as well as in local community and ethnic print and online publications, subway stations, and convenience stores and bodegas. More information is available online.
Supporting Local Bookstores: The New York City Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME) has launched a marketing campaign called “It’s Time for New York: Bookstores,” promoting local bookstores this holiday season. Running from mid-November to late December, campaign messaging can be found in the subway and on social media. To support the campaign, New Yorkers can use the hashtag #NYCLovesBookstores on social media. A list of bookstores is available online.
The two campaigns together will invest nearly $200,000 into supporting local businesses at a critical time of year.
“We expect that New York City this December will see the largest crowds since the pandemic began, with Midtown Manhattan and the Rockefeller Center tree once again serving as major destinations for New Yorkers and tourists flocking to our city,” said DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. “Creating more space for pedestrians around Rockefeller Center will keep people safe while minimizing disruption to the rest of the city. I am especially excited to see Fifth Avenue transformed into our newest Open Street on Sundays. For their part, New Yorkers should avoid unnecessary driving in Manhattan during the holiday season — and remember that public transit is always the best way to get to Midtown. These pedestrianized streets will create a safe, spacious, and welcoming environment for everyone who enjoys the holiday season.”
“The NYPD will be deploying patrol and transportation bureau personnel, and other assets, to support the city’s efforts during the upcoming holiday season,” said NYPD Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell. “The work of the women and men of the NYPD, in tandem with our government partners in and around Midtown Manhattan, will ensure that the public can safely and securely participate in this approaching festive time of year.”
“New Yorkers don’t have to travel far to find the perfect holiday gift. With wonderful small businesses on every corner, New Yorkers across the five boroughs are lucky and should take the opportunity to shop small and local this holiday season,” said SBS Commissioner Kevin D. Kim. “By creating an Open Street along Fifth Avenue, we are creating a pedestrian paradise benefiting storefronts as well as shoppers.”
“We are proud to spotlight New York City’s wide variety of local, independent bookstores this holiday season with the launch of the ‘It’s Time For New York: Bookstores’ marketing campaign,” said MOME Commissioner Anne del Castillo. “Bookstores are an integral part of New York City’s identity, culture, and community that inspire creativity, wonder, and discovery of new worlds and ideas. We encourage all New Yorkers and visitors alike to support local bookstores as they are looking for the perfect holiday gifts for friends and family.”
