New York City Adds Play Streets To Nation-Leading Open Streets Initiative

Mayor Bill de Blasio today announced Play Streets, a new initiative to provide families with safe, structured activities on 12 Open Streets during weekdays, in partnership with the Fresh Air Fund, Building Healthy Communities and the Police Athletic League. The Administration is also continuing the expansion of its nation-leading Open Streets program, moving the City further toward the goal of 100 miles laid out in late April, while removing some underused locations in coordination with local elected officials and community partners.

“Young people deserve the chance to play freely in their neighborhoods while staying safe from CoViD-19, and Play Streets will go a long way toward easing the burden of a summer unlike any other,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “Rebuilding a fairer and better city means using our urban landscape creatively, and I am proud to build on the success of our Open Streets program by finding exciting and productive uses for city streets.”

At Play Streets locations, children will participate in independent crafting and art projects that include making kaleidoscopes, birdhouses, rhythm drums, and cloud climbers. Giant board games such as Connect 4 and Jenga will also be available. Sports drills will include basketball, frisbee, softball, Wiffle ball, kickball, and laser tag. Reading corners, dance classes, cardio and yoga exercises will also be provided. Street Lab, an NYC-based nonprofit that creates outdoor furniture and programming for public space, is providing 160 custom benches, and a new no-touch obstacle course called PLAY NYC. All programming is creatively designed to meet social distancing guidelines.

“As Open Streets continues to grow, providing New Yorkers with space to walk, bike, cool off, and enjoy outdoor dining, we are now proud to roll out Play Streetsfor children and their families in some of the City’s most CoViD-impacted neighborhoods,” said NYC DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg. “Thanks to Mayor de Blasio for his leadership and to our Play Streetspartners, including the Fresh Air Fund, Building Healthy Communities, the Police Athletic League and the Central Family Life Center.”

“Streets are meant to connect people to each other. The expansion of Open Streets demonstrates how we can continue to reimagine and transform our roads to better serve New Yorkers, keep our air cleaner with less polluting vehicles, and stay safer during the summer heat waves,” said Mark Chambers, Director of the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability. “The program announced today allows our young people to reengage the outdoors, their neighborhoods, and their communities.”

“The global pandemic has hit working families of color disproportionately hard, and our kids still need safe, active spaces for play within their communities,” said Mayor’s Action Plan for Neighborhood Safety Executive Director Renita Francois. “We are grateful to Mayor de Blasio, the Department of Transportation, the Police Athletic League, and the Fresh Air Fund for their partnership in opening our streets for young New Yorkers to enjoy their neighborhoods this summer.”

Play Streets locations will launch on a rolling basis beginning next week and will operate Monday through Friday through September 04, 2020. Hours vary by location, but will generally be from 10:00 a.m. to 05:00 p.m. and include streets adjacent to NYCHA developments as part of the Mayor’s Action Plan for Neighborhood Safety. Vehicles are not permitted to enter the streets during the hours of the full street closure. Organizing Partners will be responsible for setting up barricades and posting signage, as well as restoring the Open Street condition at the end of their programming. They will also post No Parking signage with days and times ahead of starting their activations.

Play Streets locations include:

Neighborhood	Boro	Street	From	To	Partner	Start Date	End Date	Days	Times
Sunset Park	BK	6^th Avenue	44^th Street	45^th Street	Fresh Air Fund	08/05/20	09/04/20	M, T, W, Th	10:00 a.m. – 04:00 pm
Crown Heights	BK	Park Place	New York Avenue	Kingston Avenue	Fresh Air Fund	08/03/20	09/04/20	M, T, W, Th	10:00 a.m. – 04:00 pm
Brownsville	BK	Blake Avenue	Powell Street	Mother Gaston Boulevard	PAL	07/27/20	09/04/20	M, T, W, Th	12:00 a.m. – 05:00 pm
Bushwick	BK	Humboldt Street	Moore Street	Varet Street	PAL	07/27/20	09/04/20	M, T, W, Th	12:00 a.m. – 05:00 pm
Quarry Ballfields/Belmont	BX	Oak Tree Place	Hughes Avenue	Quarry Road	Fresh Air Fund	08/03/20	09/04/20	M, T, W, Th	10:00 a.m. – 04:00 pm
Mt. Eden / Highbridge	BX	Cromwell Avenue	McClellan Street	Jerome Avenue	Fresh Air Fund	08/03/20	09/04/20	M, T, W, Th	10:00 a.m. – 04:00 pm
Harlem	MN	150^th Street	St. Nicholas Place	Edgecombe Avenue	Fresh Air Fund	08/05/20	09/04/20	M, T, W, Th	10:00 a.m. – 04:00 pm
Harlem	MN	129^th Street	Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard	Frederick Douglas Boulevard	PAL	07/27/20	09/04/20	M, T, W, Th	12:00 a.m. – 05:00 pm
Jackson Heights/Corona	QN	34^th Avenue	72^nd Street	74^th Street	Fresh Air Fund	07/30/20	09/04/20	M, T, W, Th	10:00 a.m. – 04:00 pm
Jackson Heights/Corona	QN	34^th Avenue	79^th Street	80^th Street	Fresh Air Fund	07/30/20	09/04/20	M, T, W, Th	10:00 a.m. – 04:00 pm
Jackson Heights/Corona	QN	34^th Avenue	92^nd Street	94^th Street	Fresh Air Fund	07/30/20	09/04/20	M, T, W, Th	10:00 a.m. – 04:00 pm
Stapleton	SI	Wright Street	Canal Street	Thompson Street	The Central Family Life Center	08/07/20	09/04/20	F	12:00 a.m. – 04:00 pm

Open Streets will be added in:

Local Partner Management
Partner	Boro	Street	From	To	Mileage
Good Shepherd Services	BK	Wolcott Street	Conover Street	Van Brunt Street	0.09
700 Jefferson Avenue Block Association	BK	Jefferson Avenue	Patchen Avenue	Malcolm X Boulevard	0.15
Judson Memorial Church	MN	Thompson Street	West 3^rd Street	Washington Square South	0.05
LES BID	MN	Broome Street	Allen Street	Ludlow Street	0.06
31^st Avenue Open Street Collective	QN	31^st Avenue	31^st Street	36^th Street	0.25
Rockrose	QN	Dutch Kills	Jackson Avenue	Sunnyside Yards	0.09
39^th Avenue Open Street Coalition	QN	47^th Street	39^th Avenue	Skillman Avenue	0.19
39^th Avenue Open Street Coalition	QN	49^th Street	39^th Avenue	Skillman Avenue	0.19
Streets Lab	SI	Wright Street	Canal Street	Thompson Street	0.04
TOTAL					1.11

Local Precinct Management
Neighborhood	Boro	Street	From	To	Mileage
Claremont	BX	169^th Street	3^rd Avenue	Webster Avenue	0.19
West Village	MN	Jane Street	Hudson Street	8^th Avenue	0.07
UES	MN	East 90^th Street	5^th Avenue	Madison Avenue	0.10
Port Richmond	SI	Henderson Avenue	Broadway	Alaska Street	0.16
Port Richmond	SI	New Street	Cottage Place	Jewett Avenue	0.09
TOTAL					0.61
TOTAL NEW OPEN STREETS					1.72

The following streets will be removed from the Open Streets program, and returned to normal vehicle traffic:

Boro	Street	From	To	Mileage
BX	Louis Nine Boulevard	Intervale Avenue	Southern Boulevard	0.13
BK	Prospect Park West	Garfield Place	3^rd Street	0.15
BK	Parkside Avenue	Park Circle	Ocean Avenue	0.56
BK	East 7^th Street	Caton Street	Ditmas Avenue	0.78
MN	29^th Street	Broadway	Madison Avenue	0.19
QN	Center Boulevard	57^th Avenue	Borden Avenue	0.23
QN	27 Street	43^rd Avenue	Queens Plaza North	0.16
QN	85 Street	25^th Avenue	30^th Avenue	0.13

TOTAL				2.77

Under Open Streets, pedestrians and cyclists are free to use the roadbed of each street. No through traffic is permitted, with remaining vehicle traffic limited to local deliveries, pick-ups/drop-offs, necessary city service, utility, and emergency vehicles only. Such drivers are alerted to be hyper-vigilant and to drive at 5 mph along these routes. Regular Open Streets operate from 08:00 a.m. to 08:00 p.m., with timing varying slightly depending on staff availability.

If you have questions about Open Streets or would like to request an Open Street in your community, please contact your NYC DOT Borough Commissioner’s office.

“Children in New York City need to be able to play outside in safe spaces now more than ever. The Fresh Air Fund is excited to serve children citywide as part of the new Open Streets: Play Streets program,” said Fatima Shama, executive director of The Fresh Air Fund. “On open streets across the city, Fresh Air Summer Spaces will provide opportunities for art, movement and recreation activities that will have children engaged within their communities, following all physical-distancing guidelines, and experiencing some of the joys of summer amid these challenging times.” “This is a unique moment to stand up for NYC kids, giving them a place to play and learn, while also expanding our city’s sense of what’s possible for streets and public space,” said Leslie Davol, Executive Director of Street Lab. “We’re all in, and we’re proud to play a role in supporting play streets.”

“The Police Athletic League is grateful for the City’s support in allowing us to provide safe recreational activities for youth this summer. PAL feels it is important to provide safe recreational options for young people, and our Play Street model allows us to do that. Health and safety for our participants and staff is our highest priority. We are looking forward to serving young people this summer,” said Frederick J. Watts, Executive Director of the Police Athletic League.