As Spring Blooms, Comptroller Lander Aims to Expand Open Streets

Queens, NY—In a new report, Streets for People, unveiled on a popular Open Street in Jackson Heights, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander advocates to strengthen and expand the Open Streets program with concrete steps that the City should take to ensure open streets are a vibrant fixture of New York City’s urban landscape, and that all communities can have access to them.

“Open Streets breathe life into our neighborhoods,” said Comptroller Brad Lander. “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.”

During the early pandemic years, the City created hundreds of car-free open streets throughout the five boroughs – an unprecedented expansion of pedestrian and open space in New York City, for recreation, for outdoor dining, for culture, and for schools. However, the Comptroller’s analysis finds that the number of Open Streets dropped from its peak of 326 locations in 2021 to 202 locations in 2023. New investments from the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT)’s Public Space Equity Program modestly reversed this decline in 2024, but open streets remain unevenly distributed across the city: there are more open streets in Manhattan alone than in the Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island combined.

Comptroller Lander proposes increasing funding, providing robust technical assistance and support for open streets partners in engaging communities, and cutting the red tape to ensure that the program can thrive.

“During the height of the pandemic, our neighbors went on safely socially distanced walks together thanks to our 34th Avenue Open Streets. It was a lifeline for our community when we were the epicenter. Years later, we’ve transformed it into a vibrant, pedestrianized public space, where kids safely walk to school, grandparents take English classes, and parents learn to salsa. I’m proud that Paseo Park has remained a vital part of our district, but the Department of Transportation has to do more to support these programs and its partners. I thank Comptroller Lander for his report highlighting the brilliance of the open streets program and his advocacy to ensure the program thrives and expands,” said Council Member Shekar Krishnan, District 25. 

“When you give streets back to people, magical things happen. 34th Avenue Open Street, now known as Paseo Park, has become a vital communal space in Jackson Heights, the neighborhood that ranks last in green space. This street is now a place for: Senior BINGO, skateboarding teens, food distribution, dog walks, quiet strolls, gardening, and class graduations. Paseo Park is 26-blocks of joy that we must safeguard as a public, pedestrian-first open space for future generations,” said Luz Maria Mercado, Alliance for Paseo Park.

“Open Streets have brought fresh air, joy, tranquility and most importantly, safety to our neighborhoods. A lot of the work to make our streets come to life is being done by unpaid volunteers. Right now, they often have to dip into their own pockets to program our streets. It’s time DOT funds these grassroots organizations and open streets properly. We are grateful to the Comptroller Brad Lander for shining light on this inequity,” said Jim Burke, Co-Founder of the 34th Avenue Open Street Coalition. 

Open streets have been proven to provide a host of benefits for local communities. The Comptroller’s Office conducted interviews with 36 community groups, business improvement districts (BIDs), schools, and public realm experts to assess these benefits:

• Improving street safety: Open streets improve traffic safety by significantly reducing crashes and injuries and building public support for redesigning streets with permanent safety improvements. Local enthusiasm for the Berry Street open street led to the transformation of Banker’s Anchor into a protected plaza and the creation of a two-way bike lane.

• Boosting local economies: The foot traffic from open streets also supports local businesses: a DOT report found that restaurant and bar sales on open streets were 19% higher than pre-pandemic levels, while nearby areas saw a 29% decrease in sales.

• Creating new outdoor learning and play spaces with School Streets: One Brooklyn public school started a bike education program on its open street, which resulted in the percentage of second graders who can ride a bike jumping from 35% to over 90%.

• Enhancing public safety, increasing access to free public services, and strengthening community relationships: By activating public space with programming, open streets have allowed partners to host events that create welcoming public spaces and cultivate community connections. Open streets have offered opportunities for nonprofits and City agencies to provide childcare services, nutrition education, farmer’s markets, clothing distributions, and workshops to assist people with school enrollment, housing, and language learning.

Key Challenges

While open streets have transformed public spaces across the city, partners still face significant challenges establishing, maintaining, and programming open streets.

• The Open Streets program does not have a dedicated budget or funding source. The City, instead, funds and executes the program through a patchwork of ad hoc procurement mechanisms, making it vulnerable to budget cuts and scope reductions.

• Community engagement is left solely to Open Streets operators with very little support from the City. When the City does not provide organizations with the resources and support to navigate and address community concerns, even minor opposition led to sites shutting down.

• The Open Streets program does not adequately invest in early-stage capacity building to identify potential program partners nor offer help to apply to create new open streets, hampering the program’s expansion.

• The Open Streets program provides insufficient support to even the most well-resourced partners, resulting in burnout and unsustainable operations. Inconsistent and declining amounts of City funding from year-to-year create instability for partners, some of whom opted to leave the program altogether.

• The process for securing permits from the NYC Street Activity Permit Office (SAPO) is expensive, slow, opaque, and inflexible, posing a major bureaucratic barrier for partners seeking to activate their open street with programming.

• The process of reimbursing open streets operators is extremely slow and difficult to navigate. Operators reported waiting two years after they submitted their invoices to get reimbursed, making it difficult to financially sustain their operations. Other operators struggled with the paperwork required to access funding and only received partial reimbursement for Open Streets-related purchases.

Global Examples 

Many of New York City’s international peer cities—from Barcelona, Bogota, to Montreal—have their own versions of open streets by temporarily or permanently restricting vehicle traffic on streets. Cities across the globe have successful public space management programs with resources for early-stage capacity; financial and political support from City leaders; regular data collection and impact evaluations to build support for the program; transparent processes for community engagement; and the design and implementation of high-quality infrastructure upgrades. These global best practices inform the Comptroller’s recommendations to reform the Open Streets program.

Recommendations 

Comptroller Lander proposes 12 recommendations across three key priority areas to expand the Open Streets program and better support partners, rooted in global best practices and the guidance of New York City’s public realm experts.

The City should expand and reform the Open Streets program by: 

1. Setting a goal to create at least one open street in every neighborhood.

2. Establishing a clear, transparent process for community engagement with robust support for Open Streets operators in order to address community concerns and improve design and implementation.

3. Partnering with community organizations and neighborhood groups to scale up block parties and other temporary events.

4. Providing technical support for the envisioning, planning, and designing of capital projects.

DOT should offer partner organizations robust financial support and technical assistance by: 

5. Increasing citywide funding and support for Open Street operators through new requests for proposals (RFPs) to secure and expand technical, operating, and programmatic assistance.

6. Making it easier for Open Streets partners to access funding.

7. Baselining operational funds for Open Streets to ensure the continued longevity of the program.

The City should cut red tape to strengthen management by: 

8. Reforming the burdensome reimbursement process to ensure Open Streets partners can more easily receive public funds.

9. Reforming the onerous Street Activity permitting process.

10. Developing an Open Streets Handbook.

11. Empower the Chief Public Realm Officer to oversee interagency coordination.

12. Conduct regular evaluations and publicly track data on open streets usage, economic impacts, and progress toward expanding and pedestrianizing open streets.

“The Open Streets program has provided Cooke students with additional space for outdoor learning, socializing, and physical activities, improving their overall well-being and fostering a stronger sense of community,” said Francis Tabone, PhD, Cooke School and Institute. “The NYC Open Streets program is particularly important for students with disabilities because it provides increased accessibility and inclusive opportunities.”

“Open Streets are community anchors, offering a lively venue for neighborhood gatherings and cultural celebrations, as well as an economic boost for local small businesses,” said Matthew Clarke, Executive Director of the Design Trust for Public Space. “Yet, many neighborhoods are now unequipped to activate this resource. We applaud the Comptroller’s office for prioritizing public space access and creating clear steps to make it easier for New Yorkers to use their city streets. Our Untaped Coalition agrees that the program should be made more flexible to fit the diverse needs of neighborhoods across the five boroughs and not rendered unusable by financial strain or burdensome insurance and permitting requirements. We are calling to cut the red tape and reform regulatory processes across city agencies, creating space for the public realm to flourish.”

“We applaud the Comptroller’s Office for recognizing the importance of Open Streets to New Yorkers and are proud that The Hort has been a valued partner of DOT and community partners since the inception of the Neighborhood Plaza Program in 2008. Open Streets bring communities together in a safe and shared space, and we look forward to contributing to the program’s continued success,” said Sara Hobel, Executive Director of the Horticultural Society of New York City.

“Unity is in your community. Heal and let us in!” said Tyisha Jackson, Executive Director at Incredible Credible Messengers. 

“The Loisaida Open Streets Community Coalition supports the conclusions presented in the Comptroller’s report. There should be a dedicated line item in the city budget for volunteer community-based organizations supporting pedestrian and micro mobility focused open streets, as mandated by the City Council. The budgeting and permitting processes should be accessible, easily navigated and inclusive. Programs should be fully funded, with grant amounts commensurate with services delivered. Naturally occurring open space mentorship platforms should be supported,” said Laura Sewell of the Loisaida Open Streets Community Coalition.

“We’re thrilled to see this visionary, comprehensive, people-centered plan to build a better future for New York’s public realm. The hardworking New Yorkers who create and manage public space know best what they need to succeed; this report smartly uses their insights as the basis for strategic change and understands that adequate funding is vital to the continuation of these spaces. Our city streets can enrich communities as social hubs, learning centers, playgrounds, and business boosters if we approach them with strategy and systemic investment. This is how we truly support placemakers and public space,” said Jackson Chabot, Director of Advocacy and Organizing, Open Plans.

“Street Lab is a nonprofit, and we have been working with communities and NYC DOT to support Open Streets since they launched during the pandemic. We focus on helping groups in low-income communities access and thrive in the program. Open Streets mean something even more important in these neighborhoods, where public safety and a lack of open space are longstanding challenges. We’re seeing a grassroots movement where these residents are using Open Streets to transform the street-level environment and make a real difference. New York’s program stands out compared to cities across the globe for the trust it puts in citizens. It would be a mistake to go backwards,” said Leslie Davol, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Street Lab. 

“The Sunset Park BID welcomes the Comptroller’s thorough assessment of Open Streets. The report’s recommendations are spot on. We conducted over 100 street closure days over 3 years. But like many Brooklyn neighborhoods, we were forced to abandon the program. Uncertain City funding and slow reimbursements meant we couldn’t plan programming or cover our full costs. Open Streets can be a great success, but only with a commitment from the City to sustain it,” said David Estrada, Executive Director of the Sunset Park 5th Avenue BID.

“Open Streets have become a jewel of New York City neighborhoods — beloved gathering places for families, friends, and neighbors. They are a resounding success, but right now, these new public spaces rely on substantial volunteer labor to keep them going. Funding has dried up, and the program is at risk. We should be protecting and expanding Open Streets, not letting them flounder. We’re fighting for Open Streets to be fully funded so that New Yorkers can continue enjoying the public space this great program makes available to everyone,” said Ben Furnas, Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives.

“The Open Streets program has brought us much needed new public space, made our streets safer, supported our local businesses, and most of all, it has allowed our community to reimagine how we use our streets,” said Saskia Haegens of the Vanderbilt Avenue Open Street. “However, this all heavily relies on unpaid volunteer labor and community organizations scraping together funds. This is not sustainable. Without a radical change in the City’s approach to this program, including significantly more funding for local partners and fast-tracked rollouts of street redesigns, Open Streets won’t survive.”

“There’s much to celebrate on the West 103rd Street Shared Street —safer, more beautiful, and inclusive since DOT transformed it in 2023.  Pedestrian crossings at Amsterdam Avenue, Broadway, and West End Avenues are 50% shorter, making it easier and safer to cross the streets. For the first time people on the street and those in vehicles can see each other immediately: better for drivers and much safer for those on the street in wheelchairs, and walkers, especially those with children, dogs, or mobility impairments. Beauty? We love our 40 beautiful planters across three blocks maintained by The Hort.  Residents of The Marseilles senior and supportive housing at Broadway and the Purple Circle early childhood center located there have a new parklet with flowers, safety stones, and public art designed by children from the neighborhood. It’s the centerpiece of the 6,200 square feet of new public space created by DOT. Once there was only a narrow, confining sidewalk. Now we have the joy of people getting to know each other every day,” said Peter Frishauf, Volunteer Coordinator, W 103rd Street Open Streets Community Coalition. 

“The Open Streets Program has revitalized our neighborhoods, showing it’s far more than a temporary pandemic response—it’s a transformative reimagining of public space. Across the city, communities are benefiting in unique, local ways, with incredible returns on modest public investment. To ensure these beloved spaces remain accessible and thriving, the city must commit long-term, stable funding that honors the work done and supports the people who depend on them,” said Bobby Feltault, Vice Chair, 31st Avenue Open Street Collective Inc. 

Read the report at https://comptroller.nyc.gov/reports/streets-for-people-open-streets-and-the-future-of-public-space-management-in-nyc

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