FOR SUNLIGHT
space amid ongoing COVID-19 quarantine
‘Open streets’ program
in Bushwick scrapped
Stretches in every borough but Staten Island were temporarily closed to vehicular traffi c during the
outbreak of coronavirus disease as part of a pilot program. Photo by REUTERS/Carlo Allegri
COURIER LIFE, APRIL 10-16, 2020 3
BY ROBERT POZARYCKI
The mayor’s offi ce announced
April 6 that it suspended
its “open streets” pilot
program that provided
designated areas for New
Yorkers to safely exercise
amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The spaces were not used
to the level that justifi ed the
continued assignment of up
to 80 police offi cers per location,
the mayor’s offi ce said.
The offi cers were required
to close the roadways to vehicular
traffi c and ensure
that pedestrians were practicing
social distancing.
Mayor Bill de Blasio
launched the open streets
pilot program in March after
a public outcry from
Governor Andrew Cuomo
about large crowds of people
in parks and other public
venues amid the ongoing
outbreak. Closing certain
streets to vehicular traffi c
and opening them to pedestrians
was seen as a way to
reduce density while still
giving New Yorkers a place
to exercise or get fresh air
safely.
But the mayor’s offi ce
said the open streets weren’t
heavily used by residents.
“Given the low utilization
of the open streets and
the growing number of offi
cers out sick, this is not
something we can prioritize
at this time,” the mayor’s offi
ce said in a statement.
As of April 5, according
to police, 18.6 percent of the
entire NYPD workforce —
including 6,718 uniformed
members — had called out
sick due to the coronavirus.
The open streets program
affected four roadways
across the city, including
Bushwick Avenue between
Johnson and Flushing Avenues
in Brooklyn.
The mayor’s offi ce says it
is “open to reviewing other
innovative ways to open
public space to New Yorkers
and may adjust course as
this situation evolves.”
“The brave men and
women of the NYPD never
back away from a challenge
when the safety of New Yorkers
is at stake,” said Jane
Meyer, deputy press secretary
for the mayor’s offi ce.
“We are suspending this
pilot because we must protect
them like they are protecting
us, and not enough
New Yorkers are utilizing
this program to justify its
continuation at this point in
time.”
Danny Harris, executive
director of Transportation
Alternatives, took to Twitter
to slam the decision.
“Given @NYGovCuomo
is picking up jogging and @
NYCMayor is taking daily
walks in Prospect Park,
they should lead by example
to ensure that New Yorkers
who must be out have safe
space for social distancing
by opening, not closing more
of our 6,000 miles of streets
to people,” Harris tweeted.
REUTERS/Mike Segar