Open Plans applauds new Open Restaurants bill codifying permanent program

Seasonal program forfeits potential in year-round option

Dining program should be part of holistic reimagining of city curb lane

NEW YORK, NY – Today City Council moved forward with a permanent Open Restaurants bill, codifying a seasonal program that will operate in the curb lane. DOT, the agency responsible for managing the ongoing dining program, will release permanent design guidelines at a later date. Restaurants are permitted to continue using their current dining structures until November 2024.

Statement from Sara Lind, Co-Executive Director at Open Plans:

“We are relieved and pleased that City Council has agreed on an Open Restaurants bill, enshrining a program that has saved businesses and enlivened New York’s curbspace for three years now. New York City’s outdoor dining culture has quickly become a fixture of modern city life. With this bill, business owners and DOT can finally move ahead together and begin a new, improved phase of the beloved Open Restaurants program.”

“Warming winter temperatures will continue to make outdoor dining feasible for most of the year and we believe giving the option for restaurants to participate year-round would offer the most value to businesses, diners, and City coffers. But with the clock ticking on the need for a permanent bill, City Council’s action is welcome news.”

“Thank you to Council Member Marjorie Velázquez and the entire administration for getting this done. We look forward to enjoying the new options this permanent bill affords New York City. Curbspace is public space, and it is fertile ground for new strategies that benefit a variety of New Yorkers. We will continue to advocate for the Open Restaurants program to be one part of a larger reimagining of our streets and curbs.”