coronavirus new york city

Coronavirus News: 4 NYC streets closed to traffic, open for social distancing space

ByEyewitness News WABC logo

Thursday, March 26, 2020

Coronavirus News: 4 NYC streets closed to traffic, open for social distancing space

Naveen Dhaliwal reports on New York City road closures to encourage social distancing

NEW YORK (WABC) -- Four streets across New York City are being closed to traffic to promote social distancing and give people more walking space amid the COVID-19 novel coronavirus outbreak.

The following streets will be closed to vehicular traffic starting on Friday, March 27, through Monday, March 30, as part of the city's pilot program.

--Manhattan: Park Avenue between 28th Street and 34th Street.

--Brooklyn: Bushwick Avenue between Johnson Avenue and Flushing Avenue

--Queens: 34th Avenue from 73rd Street to 80th Street

--Bronx: Grand Concourse between East Burnside Avenue and 184th Street

They will be closed to vehicles from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Mayor Bill de Blasio said he's likely to close up to two streets per borough.

Officials say the move is important for everyone's overall health.

Generally, thru-traffic will be allowed on cross streets during closure hours. Pickups and drop-offs will be completed at corners/cross streets.

In the Bronx along Grand Concourse, service roads will remain open. Parked cars can remain in place, and the bus route will continue to run on service roads and thru traffic will also be allowed, including trucks/deliveries.

Additional sites are being considered for this initial pilot and will be announced when details are finalized. These current locations will be re-evaluated for continued public access.