What are we thankful for?
Picture that traditional Thanksgiving scene - everyone’s sitting down with a big plate of their favorite foods in front of them. But before you can start eating, the whole group goes around the table and shares what they’re thankful for. Well, we’re not saving that for Thanksgiving day - we want to do it now, with you! We have so many things to be thankful for this year at Open Plans. And a lot of them are only possible because of our supporters and fellow advocates like you. So whether you’re cooking the traditional feast on Thursday, or planning for a quiet day in, we hope you’ll take a moment to join our team in gratitude for what we’ve built together this year.
Sara: Passing several important bills for safe streets
I’m so glad to say that we’re closing out 2022 with four new laws that will make New York State streets safer and more accessible for everyone.
Installing Complete Streets will be easier across the state thanks to a newly passed bill (although it's stalled in the Governor’s office and urgently needs to be signed into law before it expires at the end of the year! Sign the petition to urge Hochul to sign this bill before it’s too late).
Municipalities (outside NYC) can now set lower, life-saving speed limits.
Drivers education courses must now include lessons on sharing the road with vulnerable users like cyclists and pedestrians.
New York City won reauthorization of the speed camera program and expanded the operating hours to nights and weekends.
There’s more work to be done, but these are huge wins that will have immediate impacts on the safety of our streets, statewide. Passing these bills is the result of countless conversations with communities and elected officials, meetings with our New York State Safe Streets Coalition, and an entire day in Albany sharing the urgency of these issues with elected officials. I’m proud of the impact these successes will have and I look forward to even more progress in 2023!
Carl: Winning Street Improvement approval on 103rd
Streetopia and Open Plans have been working for years with local stakeholders on a vision to reimagine West 103rd Street and create a model for what a people-centered street can look like on the Upper West Side. This year our partners at DOT finally unveiled plans for a shared street that will include “public space amenities along the entire corridor,” “midblock painted pedestrian space,” and “gateway treatments to calm traffic” along West 103rd, from Riverside to Amsterdam. I’m especially thankful for the tireless work of KC Rice and Peter Frishauf, who were instrumental in initiating and driving this project; design firm Street Plans for their visioning and design expertise; the countless volunteers who helped move barricades and fill bubble machines; and the DOT for their commitment to following the community and redesigning this corridor.
Implementation was set to begin this month, and all blocks should be complete by spring 2023. I'm eager to see how these changes improve people's experience of the street and the neighborhood and especially excited to apply these lessons to more blocks on the UWS.
Jackson: Getting close and candid with Borough Presidents
I’m grateful for the candor, enthusiasm and dedication that Brooklyn and Queens Borough Presidents Antonio Reynoso and Donovan Richards shared with Open Plans this year. Both elected officials joined me, and community organizers, for on-camera conversations on an Open Street in their respective boroughs. Reynoso and Richards were honest about their hopes for public space in their borough and didn’t sugar coat the challenges they face. What resulted was a fun and fascinating look at the nuts and bolts of public space management - and a very clear picture of how community collaboration as at the heart of every thing they do. A must-watch for any Open Streets fan.
Michael: Learning from experts around the country
I've had the opportunity to speak with a bunch of great government administrators, legislators, and policy experts from around the country about how we can make our streets more livable. Learning about the creative ways that cities around the country deal with curb management, safe streets, and everything that makes streets livable is inspiring and enlightening! New York City can learn a lot from other cities, and it's important to keep an open dialogue in our pursuit to build a city that works for everyone.
Emily: Making new friends & colleagues
Starting at Open Plans in September has given me the opportunity to meet advocates from all different neighborhoods, with so many different stories to tell. Meeting new community partners and attending rallies has been fun and fulfilling; everyone is so welcoming and inclusive. This advocacy world is quite large and the possibilities for collaboration are endless! It’s been great meeting and learning from folks who are just as passionate about equitable public spaces as I am. I’m loving the chance to meet friends, empower neighbors, give New Yorkers the tools and information they need to make thoughtful decisions in their own communities.
Sabina: Securing car-free space for schools
My work at Open Plans this year has been all about building new relationships with school communities across the city (especially in Queens!) and it’s been wonderful to engage with so many dedicated and thoughtful administrators, teachers, parents, students, and organizers that love their school communities. Our goal is to guide these schools through the process of learning about and applying for car-free space near their school building. Officially called Open Streets for Schools, the DOT program is not as widespread as we believe it should be, especially in neighborhoods that need it the most. We know that the most dangerous streets in the city are those that bring students to and from school, so securing this protected space is vitally important. And it’s fun!
Chelsea: the new & improved 8th Avenue
I love walking - both as a way to get places and a way to enjoy the getting there. So I’m very grateful for the newly expanded space to walk along 8th Avenue. The 25-block redesign stretches up to 51st Street and combines expanded sidewalks with wider, protected bike lanes, bike corrals, and curbside trash containers. The sidewalks around Penn Station and Port Authority used to be so crowded that pedestrians spilled into bike and car lanes. It was dangerous for everyone and just generally unpleasant. Now these blocks feel well designed and much more accommodating to multiple users. Check out the Streetfilm to see how miraculous the transformation is! Our friends at CHEKPEDS have been working for years to get these blocks improved and this work is a direct result of their hard work and close collaboration with DOT and area BIDs. And similar improvements are coming soon to 9th Avenue!
Lisa: New Open Plans teammates
I’ve had the pleasure of welcoming many new incredible colleagues to the Open Plans team this year. In the debut year of our summer internship program, we were honored to work with four bright and energetic students. Their spirit and insight was contagious, and they gave the whole team an opportunity to approach our issues in new ways. At the end of the summer, we were lucky enough to continue working with one intern, Sabina Unni, to further advance her summer work - engaging with school communities to improve their access to public space.
Sabina is just one of five new staff members we’ve added to the team this year, adding expertise and depth in research, organizing, events and graphics to Open Plans. It’s been such a pleasure to see our team grow, adapt and connect to each other! Doing this work is such an honor; but to do it with people who willingly and generously share their curiosity, hard work, intelligence and huge hearts, is such a gift. I’m grateful for this team and this opportunity to grow and work together to make our beloved city even better.
From everyone at Open Plans, thank you for your support, dedication, vision and community. This work is worth doing because of you! And as you read, it’s truly a team effort.
Want to be a part of creating the next big change that we’ll be thankful for next year? Support Open Plans and give us the resources we need to work behind the scenes and in the streets, creating a more livable city.