NYC Prepares for 2025 Open Streets Season
New York City is preparing for its 2025 Open Streets season, which will launch with car-free events on Earth Day. The initiative temporarily closes streets to vehicles to promote pedestrian and cyclist access. The program aims to create more public space and support local businesses throughout the city.
- The Open Streets program began as a temporary initiative in March 2020 to provide more space for social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic and was made permanent by legislation in May 2021. - A report by the NYC Department of Transportation found that restaurants and bars on Open Streets corridors saw sales increase 19% above their pre-pandemic baseline, while businesses on nearby streets without the program experienced a 29% decline. - Between 2020 and 2024, non-school Open Street locations added over 67,200 retail and restaurant jobs, with nearly 79% of that growth occurring in Manhattan. - The program reached its peak in 2021 with 326 participating streets; for the start of the 2025 season, the city announced an initial 127 locations. - Community partners, such as block associations and Business Improvement Districts, can apply to the Department of Transportation to manage an Open Street; the application for the 2026 season has a deadline of January 31, 2026. - The city's Public Space Equity Program (PSEP) supports partners in under-resourced neighborhoods, and in 2024, the DOT allocated $30 million to help these groups with maintenance and programming. - The DOT evaluates successful Open Streets for permanent upgrades; in 2024, eight locations received street improvements such as painted curb extensions and conversion into pedestrian plazas. - The initiative includes major annual events such as Summer Streets, which expands the program to all five boroughs, and Trick-or-Streets, which featured a record 137 car-free Halloween-themed events in October 2025.
