The prevailing Covid-19 pandemic has largely brought a permanence of instability and perturbation among humanity. People are experiencing one of the worst-hit disasters upon humankind and find it cumbersome to adapt to this reality. In the wake of this unprecedented havoc, it is essential to instill calm and restore the balance and order that was ravaged. The concept of Open Streets sprouted way back in the spring of 2020 when New York City was evidently the epicenter of the pandemic. The idea was to open large areas of streets in NYC available to its residents who are also naturally socially distancing themselves.
Over the course of months, the concept has picked up from there to further blocks across the city. On Wednesday Mayor Bill De Blasio announced plans regarding extending this concept of ‘Open Boulevards’, which would be an expansion of the existing program. The project is keen on attracting tourists to the area, while ensuring safety protocols have been met, hence the installation of landscaping and picnic tables, among others. This will be essentially carried out by the Department of Transportation and NYC & Company.
Over the coming weeks, 10 streets in NYC have been allocated to implement this new formation of ‘Open Boulevards’, with more streets set to follow. The Mayor is expected to pass it onto legislation and have it under action from Thursday, according to Yahoo News (https://news.yahoo.com/nyc-expands-open-streets-program-223400717.html ) The announcement was followed by a unanimous approval through votes by the City Council. There are largely accolades for this decision, among who Andrew Regie, the head of the NYC Hospitality Alliance stated that the implementation of Open Boulevards has regained back 100,000 jobs in the city. The timings of Open Boulevard, which is yet to be finalized, are largely categorized to select hours, principally on the weekends.