The report uses data aggregated by Department of Finance to highlight the economic benefits of open streets laws. On October 25, 2022, Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez announced the release of Streets for Recovery, a report on Open Streets policy developed in collaboration with Bloomberg Associates. This first-in-the-nation report uses Department of Finance data to highlight the economic benefits of Open Streets during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

DOT encourages all types of partners to apply for the Open Streets program. On December 9, 2021, the Department of Transportation (DOT) announced the opening of applications for the 2022 Open Streets and Public Spaces Programming. 

Over 11,000 restaurants are currently participating in the Open Restaurant Program. Earlier this year, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced four citywide zoning amendment proposals to support small businesses, create more grocery stores and improve accessibility in transit. One of the proposals, the permanent open restaurant zoning text amendment, seeks to establish a permanent open restaurant program by removing the geographic restrictions on where sidewalk cafes can be located.

Almost two years after the City Planning Commission’s zoning text changes, applications for the permanent program are expected to open next month. On February 2, 2024, the Department of Transportation released the final rules for the permanent outdoor dining program, “Dining Out NYC.”  Through the new program, outdoor dining will be expanded citywide on sidewalks year-round and in roadways seasonally from April through November. 

On February 27, 2023, the New York City Department of Transportation announced an investment of $7 million to bring capital upgrades to Quisqueya Plaza in Inwood. Located on Dyckman Street between Broadway and Seaman Avenue, the plaza was the first Open Street location to become a permanent plaza in 2021.