2 JULY 15, 2021 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
Cuomo extends curbside dining another year
BY KEVIN DUGGAN
EDITORIAL@QNS.COM
@QNS
New York restaurants and bars can continue to
use public street and sidewalk space for outdoor
dining for at least another year, thanks
to state legislation signed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo on
Wednesday, July 7.
The new law extends COVID-era emergency
regulations which helped businesses weather the
devastating tolls and stringent safety guidelines of
the pandemic.
“By extending the much-needed lifeline that allowed
restaurants to use outdoor public spaces for
seating during the pandemic, New York is ensuring
that these small businesses will be able to continue to
use these spaces as they work to rebuild and support
the revitalization of the Empire State,” Cuomo said
in a statement.
The bill, introduced by State Sen. Roxanne Persaud
(D–Brooklyn) and Assembly Member Pat Fahy (D–Albany),
allows for businesses licensed by the city to use
municipal space, such as sidewalks or closed streets.
In June 2020, an executive order by Cuomo allowed
businesses to set up alfresco dining while
indoor capacity was still limited as part of Phase
Two of the state’s reopening.
Those regulations had to be codifi ed into law aft er
Cuomo’s declared Disaster Emergency expired on
June 24.
In New York City the Department of Transportation
managed the scheme, converting 8,550 parking
spaces into street seating, and Mayor Bill de Blasio
claimed the eff ort saved some 100,000 jobs.
DOT is currently working on a permanent version
of itsOpen Restaurantsprogram and plans to start
taking long-term applications in winter 2022.
The executive director of the NYC Hospitality Alliance,
Andrew Rigie, lauded the governor’s move.
“New York City’s restaurant industry was absolutely
devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic
Photo by Dean Moses
and thousands of struggling businesses relied on
outdoor dining to remain safe while generating critical
revenue streams to stay open and support their
workers,” Rigie said in a statement. “We applaud
the governor for signing this widely supported and
common-sense legislation into law that will ensure
customers can continue to enjoy a glass of wine while
dining alfresco.”
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