By Gus Saltonstall
The official start of the Open Streets season took place on Saturday, April 20, and 132 initial locations opened for the season across the city, including some on the Upper West Side.
Open Streets is a collection of blocks that become restricted to cars, instead prioritizing pedestrians, bikers, outdoor dining, and other activities and events. The program began during the COVID-19 pandemic, in an effort to help with social distancing and give people better options for outdoor activities. It also helps combat climate change, supporters say.
“[This] largest Open Street activation in New York City’s history should be a poignant reminder of our collective responsibility to combat climate change and to our fellow New Yorkers as we work together to minimize our carbon footprint so that we can pave the way for a brighter future for our planet and future generations,” Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez said in a press release.
Here are the initial Upper West Side and Morningside Heights Open Streets locations to know about for this spring and summer.
Columbus Avenue Open Street
- Location: Columbus Avenue from West 68th to 77th streets.
- Hours: Sundays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- Type: Full closure.
- Partner: Columbus Avenue Business Improvement District
West 94th Street Open Street
- Location: West 94th Street from Columbus Avenue to Central Park West.
- Hours: Mondays to Fridays from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Type: Full closure.
- Partner: Columbia grammar and Preparatory School
Amsterdam Avenue Open Street
- Location: Amsterdam Avenue from West 106th Street to Cathedral Parkway.
- Hours: Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m.
- Type: Full closure.
- Partner: Lenape Bloemendael DMA and Columbus Amsterdam Business Improvement District
Amsterdam Avenue Open Street
- Location: Amsterdam Avenue from Cathedral Parkway to West 111th Street.
- Hours: Saturday and Sundays from 10 a.m. to midnight.
- Type: Full closure.
- Partner: West 111th Street Block Association.
La Salle Street Open Street
- Location: La Salle Street from Claremont Avenue to Broadway.
- Hours: Thursdays from 3:30 to 9 p.m.
- Type: Full closure.
- Partner: Morningside Area Alliance.
More Open Streets are expected to open throughout the coming months, but all new applications take a minimum of 90 days to review by the DOT.
You can find out more information — HERE.
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DOT Commissioner makes no mention of bus detours?
Impact of Open Streets on essential MTA bus transit
Or what to do if you are a driver with kids and family who need to go someplace, and your a busy mom who works? I remember having to drive around for 30 minutes just to find an open street!
Fantastic, glad they have returned to the longer hours for the Columbus Open Streets.
Suppose all the neighborhood stores go out of business?
Suppose we eliminate free public parking. What’s your point?
Worth noting this is sponsored by the Columbus Avenue Business Improvement District. If Open Streets were bad for business it is safe to say they would not be sponsoring it!
None of the stores on Columbus Avenue rely on vehicular traffic for business.
Yes they do, deliveries, workers, some visitors who visit family or friends and then spend in these businesses. Vehicles exist and are a viable product in NYC and the UWS.
Not on Sundays.
Yes on Sundays, actually the worst transportation problems for area workers other than night shift workers are for the ones that work weekends. Its much easier to drive on weekends than use transit to access the UWS from far places.
Why? Hardly any residents use these stupid “open streets”. And they’re only closed to cars. Motorbikes, motorcycles and ebikes are free to speed through these open streets so not safe for pedestrians. Also, those rickshaw pedi-cabs love open streets too.
I seriously doubt you have been attending the open streets then, I literally have gone every week & they are full of people and families enjoying the extra space. Have never seen a moped or ebike on the Open Street, unless you count the bike lane getting its usual use.
I have seen mopeds and e-bikes on the Open Street.
Obviously, you don’t have to earn a living and support people, helping them eat during this inflationary period. Who has time to sit around in an open street?
Seriously? Who has time to sit around and enjoy the neighborhood on a Sunday? Evidently a lot of people! I’d encourage you to come check it out for yourself.
We are surrounded by beautiful parks. Why hang out on a hot tar filled filthy street instead and risk getting run over by an ebike? Such a stupid idea pushed by NYCDOT and the Transalt cult.
You do know we have one of the greatest parks in the world 2 blocks from the “Open Streets” which has lots of open space if you can avoid the e-bikes and mopeds the Mayor thought would be a great idea! “Open Streets” which should actually be called “Closed Streets” that is the handiwork of hedge funded lobby Transportation Alternatives who are admittedly anti-car.
Except for car share companies of course who are their donors and I guess don’t have any impact on the environment (!!) who support them with megabucks and in whom they invest! So as a result of this they have the DOT in their pocket and the majority of N.Y. residents feeling as if the government does not work for them. Bus detours, car detours and generally impossible to get around for the profits of a hedge fund with some good propaganda and millions of dollars.
There’s no need to spin wild conspiracy theories. As others have mentioned, its just nice to enjoy a coffee & stroll Columbus without the constant honking, exhaust and aggressive NJ drivers. I am also looking forward to my kids having the space to practice riding their bikes as there’s not a great place for that in Central Park.
There’s absolutely no conspiracy theory here. Everything I said is absolutely true.
How could there be any analysis being done by DOT. Columbus terminating at 77th conflicts with Farmer’s Market and creates gridlock – an obviously bad idea.
Once again, the residents surrounding the Columbus Ave open Streets can kiss their nice Sunday afternoons goodbye. Snarled traffic, overflowing garbage cans, unlicensed loudspeaker music at Manny’s and from the end of June until the beginning of school in September no one but food delivery bike riders will be using the closed area.
Lodge a complaint with 311 of the DOT’s actions. I hear there are a whole lot of them there aimed at DOT Chair Rodriguez. Call your council members. Write letters.
I live next to Columbus and I love the open streets. So much better than the loud and dangerous traffic on the Amsterdam and Broadway bow tie.
Ulrika,
No concerns about people who need the bus?
The bus will still run nearby. The train still runs nearby.
Ulrika,
Folks need reliable bus transit and pay a fare for that.
Essential mass transit is not a priority in your opinion?
To the Open Streets credit, the Columbus Avenue open street is better than the street fairs which we need much less of.
I always hear people looking down on the street markets (“it’s just the same cheap stuff”), but they are always full of people.
Most of the street fairs in NYC are run by the same company Clearview Festival Productions or Mardi Gras Festival Productions and have the exact same vendors and exact same format throughout NYC. Once you’ve seen one, you’ve seen all.
Please post how bus routes are affected.
The Closing of Columbus Avenue, is a safety hazard and an inconvenience. Traffic is backed up to 86th and Columbus, emergency vehicles have no way of getting through and the buses need to be rerouted. It has proven year after year to be mess of an idea with no positive outcome for the residents and tourists in the area.
The streets are not closed to emergency vehicles. They can get through more easily than they could in traffic.
Does anyone use these open streets anymore? It just makes the surrounding streets a nightmare.
it’s tragic that the 20% of Manhattan residents who own cars will be mildly inconvenienced for a few mornings.
Jim,
Are you not aware that this results in bus detours?
It’s tragic that only 18% of our families in Manhattan have children under 18. ‘Only the wealthy and people without children can live here, Transportation Alternatives, a multimillion dollar wants us to get rid of our cars and be dependant on for profit rental cars & bikes. Open Streets is the privatization of public space maintained by residents who pay the highest taxes in the U.S.
I have to disagree, I take my kids on public transportation like many other parents in the neighborhood, it’s far faster and more affordable than driving.
Most people are concerned about public transportation access not cars.
But they also recognize that since NYC will never be vehicle free, many of our valued local workers and businesses may be negatively affected by not bring able to use their vehicles and get deliveries
24% of UWS residents may own cars but Manhattan needs the many more who drive and don’t live here. Manhattan is the center of a 4 state metropolitan area, not a college campus for those who don’t want to leave the college lifestyle behind yet.
I love to see the open streets come back. It’s just too bad they are only there on weekends.
A permanent closure of Columbus Avenue like 34th Avenue in Jackson Heights won’t fly here.
Thrilled the Columbus open streets is returning to the longer schedule. As a resident living off of Columbus in this stretch, I absolutely love sitting on a lounge chair on Sunday afternoon, sipping a coffee, taking in the sun.
Why do you prefer sitting in a lounge chair on pavement to going to a park?
Some people like spending time in the city! I like people watching and walking around the neighborhood. Parks are nice to “escape” the city, but sometimes I don’t want to escape, I just wish it was a little less noisy and cramped and hard to find fresh air. Which is why Open Streets is so great! It lets people safely enjoy the city with a little more space and without horns blaring all the time.
Isn’t that an argument that is made for sidewalk and curbside dining?
Urbanists like people watching in a troubling way! Out in Greenpoint and Williamsburg, there’s someone affiliated with Transportation Alternatives and the other urbanist movements who has watched people to the point he has been accused of stalking by multiple women and candidates for political office.
Well, whatever you think of these, it doesn’t mitigate climate change, becuause it takes longer to drive the detour, not to mention the idling with all the other traffic being shunted right at the closure point with not much notice.
Am I the only one who likes the Columbus Open Street? When does it officially start?
You are far from the only one!
There is a loud minority in the WSR comments but the Open Streets are very popular and you’ll find many more people out enjoying the street in real life than are here complaining online.
Open Street program is a travesty of resident’s rights to their own streets. We pay millions for parks, playgrounds and sidewalks for all of these recreational purposes. Leave the streets for vehicles and services – yes, we NEED those.
The amount of space taken up for cars and free public parking is a travesty or residents rights. Why should the 20% of residents who own cars be able to store their private property on public land for free?
Why should the minority of residents who own dogs have free dog runs on public land and be allowed to have their dogs use public sidewalks as toilets? Why should the minority of residents with children have free schooling and free maintained playgrounds in schools and parks built on public land? I can’t ride a bike; why should bike riders be allowed to zoom thru pedestrian crosswalks on bike lanes paved with public dollars for free? Maybe people should pay subscriptions, like they do in some places, if they want firetrucks to respond to an emergency; most people don’t experience house fires.
We do it because we’re all in this together. The city is a diverse mix of people with different needs and proclivities all living together. Not everybody uses every amenity personally. But we can’t just support the urban amenities WE like and say to hell with everyone else. Tolerance and give-and-take are essential.
Furthermore its not only residents who drive using these parking spots. Manhattanites like to be indifferent to the transportation problems of those who don’t have the privilege of living in Manhattan, whether they drive or use public transit.
So thankful for open streets and so happy it’s coming back sooner! Such a fun neighborhood event. I love seeing everyone outside enjoying the themselves and our local businesses.
I was at the Amsterdam open street twice this weekend and it’s great. That little stretch up there from 106 to 111 is fabulous without traffic.
Just to be clear, due to 110-111 closure, the M11 is rerouted to 120th St,
That especially impacts people needing to get to nursing home and hospital
Glad to hear it extends to 111th St again. The article said 110th (Cathedral Parkway). Summer weekend brunch outside the Hungarian Pastry Shop is a joy.
Except if you need to get to the hospital by bus. Been there, couldn’t do that.
The UWS is surrounded by two world-class parks and there are open spaces and parks all up and down the UWS from Lincoln Center to community gardens. This program may be of value in industrial areas of the city but we have an abundance of open space here. We also have many street fair closures. So what is the real purpose of this? These closures hinder emergency vehicles. They cause congestion which leads to aggressive driving, more emissions, and added stress for residents. It makes it harder for our seniors tog et around and they hinder mass transit. It is time to end this nonsense.
I completely agree. This is all very bizarre, bordering on surreal.
Can we have a vote? I say it should be called “closed streets” because streets are closed to their normal use. And the supporters tend to be very closed minded and refuse to admit the huge negative impact this has on many of their neighbors, particularly the elderly.
The one on lower Columbus is a nightmare. There is plenty of room to frolic nearby. There is Central Park a block away. The wide sidewalks by AMNH. Is the market still open at the school? Is this not good enough. So selfish.
But of course this won’t get published. Not sure why I waste my time.
If we let people vote on street space, the 80% of people who don’t own cars might not be content with just banning cars from a few blocks a few Sundays per year. Our unelected community board, which is disproportionately filled with people who benefit from free street parking, might be the only thing protecting the status quo where every single one of our streets has parking on it, and none are dedicated to any other use.
If there were ever a vote on this Open Streets would be over! This is the work of the minority spurred on by ablest Trans Alt lobby who could care less about the actual people who live and pay taxes in NY. No concern for the elderly, the disabled, Mothers with children and people who must work for a living. Would love this to be voted on cause it would lose big time! Sad when the minority rules the majority in a democratic system! Money talks.
I would love to see it voted on. Who do you think would win? The handful of online complainers or the hundreds of people who show and enjoy the street ?
Does anyone else remember the WSR comment section being extremely gung ho for Diane di Stasio only for Gale Brewer to get 80%+ of the vote? A good reminder the complainers are not representative of the UWS =)
Is this all about your kids learning how to ride their bikes? The complainers are bringing up real issues that negatively impact them. There are streets in the park that are closed to traffic. Is there a ban against kids riding bikes there?
We have one parking spot in our neighborhood for every 19 residents. We allocate those spots not by how much you’re willing to pay or to who needs them the most, but by who is willing to spend the time waiting for an open spot. So you have to have a lot of time to park a car on city streets. Time to find a spot, time to do the alternate side dance. People with a lot of time on their hands are disproportionately represented in comments section and in our endlessly time consuming community boards.
Give more power to voters and less to community boards and you will start seeing very different decisions being made.
That does explain a lot. As a working parent, I don’t have the time or money to waste on car ownership.
I don’t think upsetting the balance on parking will help either. How many UWS residents will want to pay garage rates for a resident permit? In terms of who needs parking the most, what about area workers with non visible disabilities, it would be very bad for our society if someone with a non visible disability had to walk around explaining their disability to everyone all the time.
People who have time to park? Your mean retired essential workers who need a car to visit family, vacation or do anything outside the city where there is no adequate public transportation. “People who have time to park.” You mean two people with kids who can’t afford $700 garages and, one fortuntely works at home? Open Streets were for undersourced communities-hardly Manhattan. Mark Gorton the billionaire tech guy and CEO of Tower Research, LLC lives in the 80’s and this is his baby. CB7 is a Chamber of Commerce and rubber stamps OS. Residents pay the highest taxes in the U.S. Manhattan is a gated community for the rich.
Hundreds of people enjoy it but thousands are inconvenienced.
Why not designate a few blocks of the ubiquitous street fairs for this kind of “open ” streets? Then the people who want them will have something even if it’s not always the same blocks. The burden of rerouting traffic will be shared rather than always impacting the same streets.
And do not allow closures that impede access to any hospitals. Closing 106th-110th on Amsterdam would have allowed access to the hospital via 110th street, but adding 110 to 111 makes the detour much worse!
The people opposing the open streets will win. Transportation issues seem to be on the bottom of most people’s priority lists. The hundreds who enjoy the street didn’t complain when Open Streets were cancelled during the summer on nice weather days. If its there, great, if its not, it is what it is.
Ah, yes — that time of year when something fun and exciting is met by the UWS curmudgeoners 🎉
I agree – streets with cars on them functioning normally are pretty fun and exciting. It is the curmudgeonly supporters of shutting streets to cars who are ruining things!
As soon as I saw the heading I knew the comments section would be full of complaints about bus routing. You would think they were closing streets for a week
This is a very congested area. Some of us would appreciate a bit of peace on a Sunday. It’s not so much to ask.
Cue all the readers complaining about…*other* people complaining. Can you say “ironic”?
I can confirm that the stretch of Amsterdam includes 110th-111th Street, hosted by the West 111th Street Block Association. We have surveyed the neighborhood continuously and the program maintains overwhelming support. Some of the feedback includes residents who are homebound who have commented that even though they cannot physically be present on the Open Street, they appreciate that they can hear birds chirping and local musicians playing as opposed to the usual traffic noise and idling tour buses. For those concerned about emergency vehicle access, we work closely with the FDNY and Mt. Sinai EMS. They support the program because the presence of an emergency lane and lack of gridlocked vehicles actually improves their response time. We also work closely with the MTA regarding the bus re-route which does have an impact on some neighbors, which is relocated no more than 1 block. Accommodations are available for those requiring assistance.
Open Streets-30 million more of tax payers money this year while libraries and essential services are cut. One millionaire, Peter Frishauf of ParktoPark103 and member of Transportation Alternatives oushed block “enhancements” on W103rd using a Block Association “survey.” It omitted the fact that we would be losing 20 parking spaces. The block is destroyed and a “parklet” was created in front of the Marseille, even thou we have 80 parklets at the intersections of the Broadway meridians. Sheldon Fine, director of WS for supported housing in on CB7 has always had NO PARKING in front of the building (8 parking places). Even his workers can’t park. All our buildings have low income seniors & disabled residents, Many have cars and/or walk one block to the park. I took my mom in her wheel chair to RSD park when she was in the Kateri Nursing home.
Wait until the West 111th Street Block Association tries to take away parking spots like what was done on 103rd Street, or the fake park that basically closed 34th Avenue in Jackson Heights. No one has a problem with Open Streets that are limited and targeted and something “special” that isn’t a block party every single day for wannabe college students. Birds chirping and local musicians may be nice for a period, but there’s something as too much of a good thing.
Gretchen,
The M11 northbound is already rerouted due to open streets starting at 106.
But due to 110-111 closure, the bus can’t get back to Amsterdam til 120th.
That is significant for people with mobility issues.
Also a problem if Columbia closing 116th path access
Ali, that is correct. However, it is important to remember that people wishing to board the southbound M11 do not have to travel all the way to 120th, the stop is relocated 1 block west on Broadway.
This is our 4th year managing this Open Street and we take the concerns of all neighbors very seriously. We work very hard to minimize any negative impact.
Tom, as previously mentioned, this is our 4th year and so far, the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.
I waited over an hour for the bus last year along with 20-30 very angry neighbors. The bus schedule is already cut back on the weekends. There was an issue with the train, there were obviously no cabs coming into the area, and the apps were not showing the buses in real time. When a bus did show up the driver couldn’t let everyone on.
And this isn’t just about the buses. I can’t even begin to fathom what’s happening in the minds of people who need an ‘open’ street to enjoy themselves when they’re living in a place like NYC with so many options for entertainment. And since you mentioned those unfortunate people who are confined inside, who are so elated over the sounds of chirping birds, how about finding a way to help them take part in this COMMUNITY activity?
Gretchen,
Respectfully it is a huge hardship for people most in need of bus access and mostly not in a position to complain.
People from all over need the bus (and are paying a fare for worse service)
Who would have ever thought NYC would have sacrificed essential mass transit so people had more room for brunch?
Ali,
Respectfully, if you think the only people utilizing the Open Street at Amsterdam & 111th are having brunch, then clearly you have not spent much, if any time there.
I ride the bus, and take the subway so I am very familiar with the unpredictability of the service. I have acknowledged multiple times that we understand the hardship the reroute causes and that we work very hard to accommodate those who are inconvenienced.
Caly,
I am sorry to hear about your negative experience with the bus. I am sure that was very frustrating. However, that sounds like a larger issue with the MTA and not a direct result of the Open Street.
One of my favorite things to see on the Open Street are children learning to ride a bike or scooter or roller skate. I am very familiar with our neighboring parks and I cannot think of a nearby suitable place to do this.
Maxine,
I don’t know all of the details behind the 103rd Open Street but I did take the survey and enjoy the area quite often. There are 3 Million free on-street parking spots in NYC and that is clearly not enough for those who rely on those spots. But what I will never understand is why some people feel as though the use of the curb space in front of or near their building is their right to use, solely because they made the choice to own a car. Free on-street parking in front of your building is not written into your lease or deed. In fact, it used to be illegal. Only 22% of UWS households own a car, The removal of a few spaces to create more space for everyone seems like a win-win to me, but obviously we have opposing opinions. And that is okay…we can respectfully disagree.
There’s a reason why Broadway has its own bus route and Amsterdam has its own bus route.
I live at the corner of 77 St and Columbus. Traffic was a total nightmare last summer every Open Streets day. Honking all day, on top of all the other din of two street fairs plus Open Streets. Cops stood there and did nothing to ease the traffic or noise. I called the Open Streets people and they said they were working on the traffic issue. Let’s see how it pans out this year but I’m not optimistic.
Greetings Dora,
That does sound very frustrating. This sounds like an enforcement and communication issue more than a problem with the actual Open Street. For example, should drivers be notified earlier that the street is closed ahead, allowing them to take an alternate route without it being a significant detour?
Additionally, and I know this may sound hard to believe, but we had to actively work with Google Maps and WAZE to make sure that the street closure is reflected on their navigation systems. In this day & age, its wild to see how many drivers will ignore physical warnings of a street closure so long as their navigation system tells them it’s clear. Once we had those updates made, the number of frustrated & confused drivers was greatly reduced.
It’s good to remember that cities aren’t loud, VEHICLES are loud. We have come to accept excessive road noise as a foregone conclusion but it is not. In fact, all of that honking you hear is actually illegal, but again, the law is rarely enforced.
Hopefully this year will be better!
~Gretchen
People drive vehicles, vehicles are NOT anthropomorphic beings, it is unrealistic to push an anti-car agenda in NYC.
The Open Streets program has been overwhelmingly popular in our neighborhood. We have made it a point to listen to feedback and are clear that the vast majority of community members appreciate the program. This initiative has allowed our block association to foster and reinforce relationships among neighbors, community organizations, locally owned businesses, artists, and the many students in Morningside Heights.
It succeeds through the involvement and ongoing communication of many and it’s important to keep that going. We’re looking forward to our best Open Street season yet. We invite neighbors and visitors to enjoy this important public resource for community development in a city that has lost much of its local culture and neighborhood connectedness.
Fine-tuning on bus routing and other issues is occurring but Open Streets are a success story. Thanks to all who have made this an enduring NYC program.
Open streets that are limited and targeted when the weather is nice just like how street fairs have historically been is not a problem. That’s why the vast majority of members appreciate the program. But when you do what was done in certain gentrifying Brooklyn and Queens neighborhoods or try to cause problems like what existed on 103rd Street where parking was removed permanently at the behest of a wealthy donor to anti-car groups who owns a brownstone there, then you can lose support quickly.
Truly shocked that so many comments don’t even acknowledge that closing streets forces bus diversion and/or don’t care.
Congestion Pricing is coming and premised on need to use mass transit.
So why is NYC making it harder to use mass transit?
Open Streets was for Covid. But to continue and sabotage buses is not OK.
And why is 110-111 closed til midnight?
If you are a worker like at the hospital and need the bus at night, not ok to have to walk blocks further in the dark….
JAM, to clarify, our permit allows the Open Street until midnight on weekends but we have rarely gone that late. Typically, we go to 7 or 8pm in the summer.
There are no perfect solutions to the various challenges here. Compromise is key. We have shaved several months off our season in order to accommodate MTA routing and are in touch with the one neighbor we’ve heard from recently who had concerns.
Last week’s Swap & Shop block sale and Green Day gardening event were hugely popular and successful. This reflects the support we are fortunate enough to receive on an ongoing basis.
Come out and meet us sometime if you would like to discuss further. Maybe there are approaches we haven’t considered yet.
Being all in with the ban cars agenda is the best way to alienate support for open streets that are temporary such as the case here.
The closed streets in the DOT’s “Open Streets” program prevent my right as an elderly and disabled person to get the needed Uber, Lyft or paratransit to pick me up at my door when I call/order any of them.
As long as metal police gates and signs that intimidate & suggest dissuading hired car drivers to enter, drivers will NOT MOVE THEM to get to my door-will not drop me off at my home -will not take me to my doctors’ appointments. That’s the only way I can get around! By car!
That I’m forced to navigate -especially in inclement weather-to get to a corner on a long block-is cruel and ableist.
Are the disabled disposable? Is that what’s going on?
Have you no elderly loved ones? Disabled family or friends?