Coronavirus News: New York City opens 13 new miles of streets to increase social distancing

Friday, May 22, 2020
NEW YORK (WABC) -- New York City is opening 13 new miles of 'Open Streets,' Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Friday, to allow for greater social distancing during the COVID-19 crisis.

"New Yorkers deserve space to safely enjoy the outdoors in their own neighborhoods," the mayor said. "Thanks to hard work from a host of City agencies, we've beaten our Open Streets goal for this month - and made our city a national leader in expanding public space as we fight COVID-19."

De Blasio said the opening of the additional streets will start Saturday.

8.8 miles opening are supported by local precincts:

Hell's Kitchen - 51st St
Harlem - 117th St, 138th St
Castle Hill - Pugsley Ave
Rego Park - 99th St
Sunnyside 50th Ave
Forest Hills - 66th Rd, Ascan Ave
Maspeth - 60th St
Jamaica - 107th Ave, 108th Ave, 109th Ave, 159th St
Brooklyn Heights - Willow St
Park Slope - Butler St, Gregory Pl
Brownsville - Williams Ave
Bay Ridge - Colonial Rd
Greenwich Village - Jones St
Chelsea - 21st St, 22nd St
East Village - Avenue B
Manhattan Valley - 103rd St
Gramercy - Irving Place
Seaport - Front St
Bed-Stuy - Somers St, Macon St
Williamsburg - S 9th St, Grand St, N. 3rd St
Prospect Heights - Underhill Ave, Carlton Ave
Kensington - Chester Ave
Fort Greene - Willoughby Ave
Crown Heights - Park Pl, Troy Ave
Prospect Heights - Lincoln Pl
Boerum Hill - State St
Homecrest - 16th St, Moore Pl

1.8 miles opening are managed by local partners:

Red Hook Initiative - 9th St
Bedford Stuyvesant Gateway BID - Arlington Pl
Village Alliance - University Pl, MacDougal St
Hudson Square BID - Greenwich St
Alliance for Downtown NY - Pearl St
Chinatown District - Doyers St
Alliance for Kips Bay - 2nd Ave Service Rd
Times Square Alliance - Broadway

2.7 miles adjacent to parks will be opened:

Hunters Point Park
Plaut Triangle
Gorman Playground
Yellowstone Park
Painter's Playground
Baisley Pond Park
Green Central Knoll Park
Nicholas Naquan Heyward Park
Carroll Park
McGolrick Park
Betsy Head Park
Charles Young Playground
Stuyvesant Square Park
Morning Side Park

The new locations bring New York City's total to 43 miles of open streets since the program was first announced in April, surpassing its original target of 40 miles by the end of May.

MORE CORONAVIRUS COVID-19 COVERAGE



COVID-19 Help, Information and Resources

UPDATES

Grieving the lost: Tri-State residents who have died
New York state
New Jersey
Connecticut
Long Island



RELATED INFORMATION

Share your coronavirus story with Eyewitness News
Stimulus check scams and other coronavirus hoaxes
Coronavirus prevention: how clean are your hands?
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on coronavirus
Total count of NYC COVID-19 cases based on patient address

Copyright © 2024 WABC-TV. All Rights Reserved.