Community Board 2 backs temporary "Open Streets" pilot to expand pedestrian space

Community Board 2 voted to endorse a local pilot of temporary street closures to create more pedestrian space and relieve pressure on parks during the COVID-19 emergency.

The vote follows months of public comment and a committee discussion about “Open Streets,” an initiative championed at the city level to close limited lanes or blocks to motor vehicles so pedestrians and cyclists can keep distance. The board’s traffic and transportation committee presented an initial list of streets it recommended for so-called shared-street treatment, and the full board moved that recommendation into an omnibus approval while adding language asking for clear signage and continued community outreach.

The board’s resolution supports a “shared streets” approach that keeps local access for deliveries and emergency vehicles while giving priority to people walking or bicycling. The traffic committee said the goal is to provide temporary, low-cost infrastructure so people can safely travel and recreate while public spaces and transit capacity remain restricted by the pandemic. The committee’s initial list included Barrow Street, parts of Greenwich and Thirteenth streets, Thompson Street, Washington Place and University Place, among others. The resolution says the list is an initial, “iterative” set of suggestions, not a final plan.

Councilmember Carlina Rivera, chair of the Council’s Committee on Hospitals and co‑sponsor of the Council’s Open Streets legislation, told the board the plan is intended especially for neighborhoods with crowded housing and limited park space. Rivera said the legislation “is going to be for the duration of the [pause]” and that the city intends to pilot openings and then report back on results. She said the program will include a reporting mechanism and short-term reviews so the city can adjust.

“First and foremost, we’re looking at neighborhoods where we’ve noticed there are already issues [with] social distancing,” Rivera said, adding that the program will coordinate with community boards, business improvement districts, the NYPD and the Department of Transportation.

Public commenters at the meeting voiced broad neighborhood support for expanding pedestrian space. Sameer Lavinia, a West Village resident, told the board his narrow sidewalks make distancing difficult and urged street openings on Barrow and nearby blocks. The Hudson River Park Friends submitted written testimony urging pedestrian space along the park and suggested using existing law enforcement models for neighborhood events as guidance for implementation.

The board inserted language to require clear signage on any opened streets, including direction on allowable uses, COVID‑19 public-health guidance and prudent speed limits, and to exclude active construction sites, major bus routes and other places where closures would impede emergency or essential services. The resolution asks the city to consult with block associations and other local stakeholders as individual openings are considered.

The board’s traffic committee plans to continue discussion at its next meeting to refine the list and the operational details, and the board’s staff said it will publish the draft list and meeting notices widely so block associations and neighbors can comment.

Why it matters: The measure is intended to relieve crowding on sidewalks and park paths as New Yorkers seek outdoor space while the city manages the pandemic. The board stressed the action is temporary and explicitly framed as a pilot that can be modified after local review and reporting from the city.