Res 0441-2022

Whereas, New York City's (NYC) Open Streets program began during the Spring of 2020 in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, and is an effort to transform streets into public space open to all; and Whereas, NYC's Open Streets program allows for a range of activities that promote economic development, support schools, and encourage cultural programming and community-building; and Whereas, The Open Streets program is overseen by the NYC Department of Transportation (DOT), and works with community-based organizations, public, private and charter schools, and groups of businesses citywide; and Whereas, In 2021, the NYC Council voted to make the Open Streets program permanent; and Whereas, In April of 2022, DOT announced that a total of 156 locations covering 300 blocks were slated to participate in the Open Streets program in 2022; and Whereas, The Open Streets program has provided noticeable positive economic, social and cultural benefits to the City; and Whereas, For example, according to a recently-released report by DOT entitled: "Streets for Recovery: The Economic Benefits of the NYC Open Streets Program," when comparing restaurants and bars in Open Streets corridors and those in the same borough but not in an Open Street corridor, restaurants and bars in an Open Street corridor saw: an increase in sales growth; a higher percentage of staying in business during the pandemic; and faster growth in the number of new restaurants and bars that opened during the pandemic; and Whereas, As the popularity in the use of Open Streets has increased, it is important to ensure that these streets are safe for pedestrians, cyclists, drivers and businesses; and Whereas, In recent years, NYC has experienced higher traffic fatalities, with 255 people dying due to traffic violence in 2022, 273 people dying in 2021, 243 people dying in 2020 and 220 people dying in 2019; and Whereas, In an effort to ensure Open Streets are safe for New Yorkers and to reduce speed limits in these areas, S.315 and A.1416 were introduced in the New York State (NYS) Legislature; and Whereas, S.315, introduced by NYS Senator Julia Salazar, and A.1416, introduced by NYS Assemblymember Harvey Epstein, relate to authorizing a five mile per hour speed limit for Open Streets in NYC, and would work towards ensuring that Open Streets are safer, particularly for pedestrians and cyclists; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon the New York State Legislature to pass, and the New York State Governor to sign, S.315/A.1416, which would authorize New York City to set a five mile per hour speed limit on streets participating in the Open Streets program. KK LS 11076 2/10/23