34th Ave Open Street in Queens (via NYC DOT)
On April 25, 2025, the New York City Comptroller’s office released a new report, Streets for People, which provides steps the City should take to further the Open Streets program.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, New York City implemented the program to create car-free open streets across the five boroughs to expand pedestrian access and provide open areas for activities such as recreation, outdoor dining, cultural events, and educational uses. However, there is a disparity in the distribution of these open streets across the city’s boroughs; Manhattan has more locations than the combined total of the Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island. In 2021, there were 326 Open Streets locations, in 2023, there were 202 locations. To increase this number, investments were made through the New York City Department of Transportation Public Space Equity Program, and there was a modest increase in 2024.
The benefits of the Open Streets program have been improving street safety by reducing crashes, boosting local economies, creating outdoor learning and play spaces, and increasing access to free public services.
The challenges the program has faced are lack of dedicated funding and City support, complex permitting, slow reimbursements, and inadequate resources for operations and community engagement.
The City Comptroller recommends enhanced support for the open streets program through increased financial resources, the provision of comprehensive technical assistance and support for a transparent community engagement process by program partners, and the streamlining of regulations including developing an open streets handbook and reforming the street activity permitting process. To read more recommendations, click here.
New York City Comptroller Brad Lander said, “Open Streets breathe life into our neighborhoods. Across the five boroughs, every kid knows the joy of being able to play safely in the street when it’s closed for a block party. Open Streets turn that fleeting summer joy into safer spaces for kids to play, neighbors to gather, outdoor dining to thrive, even students to learn. But small volunteer groups cannot sustain the work to successfully operate open streets without more resources, support, and clear guidelines from the City. At a time when City Hall’s lukewarm support could close the Open Streets program, let’s expand it, let’s support it, let’s help resolve conflict when it arises – and let’s make public space available to all.”
By: Chelsea Ramjeawan (Chelsea is the CityLaw intern and a New York Law School student, Class of 2025.)