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“Every neighborhood deserves safe, accessible, and vibrant plazas and Open Streets. This new funding recognizes the increased value of our streets as public space and this administration’s commitment to equity,” DOT Commissioner Rodriguez said.
By Forum Staff
City Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez on Tuesday announced up to $30 million toward a Request For Proposal (RFP) to create and sustain high-quality public spaces, like plazas and Open Streets, and support community partners in neighborhoods across the five boroughs.
The investment will support a new, expanded “Public Space Equity Program” to provide an innovative, wide-ranging set of tools and services in over 100 public spaces in under-resourced neighborhoods that do not otherwise have the means to support such locations. This represents a 233 percent increase from the original scope of 30 plazas receiving financial and maintenance resources through DOT’s public space equity efforts, first announced in 2015.
“Every neighborhood deserves safe, accessible, and vibrant plazas and Open Streets. This new funding recognizes the increased value of our streets as public space and this administration’s commitment to equity,” Rodriguez said.
DOT currently provides a range of resources to plazas and Open Streets through the DOT’s OneNYC Plaza Equity Program (OPEP) and Open Streets program. To achieve the goal of equitable public space throughout the City, DOT currently provides horticultural care, maintenance services, financial subsidies, and a host of technical assistance tools to public space partner organizations. Through a new RFP, DOT will be able to better meet the needs of the diverse variety of public spaces the agency now creates in addition to plazas, like Open Streets, Street Seats, and Shared Streets.
The new Public Space Equity Program will provide additional resources to support all the new types of public spaces and partners in New York City. The program will provide operational and maintenance support for a broader set of gateways and street designs, horticulture care, workforce development options, enhanced accessibility, streamlined inspections and reporting, technical assistance, community engagement services, partner networking and organizational development, grant writing, programming, and funding to support equitable, inclusive, community-driven public space. The program will focus on partners and locations in higher areas of need, with the agency continuing to work with local organizations that can directly support Open Streets where possible.
DOT will also convene several summits with all Open Street partners later this year to foster community and growth among participating organizations. The meetings will allow location partners to share experiences and discuss day-to-day operations with their peers and DOT. The summits will build on previous partner meetings both advocates and DOT helped organize in recent years. The first summit will be held on May 25 to discuss how to run an inclusive public space, covering themes of both physical and digital accessibility.
The agency remains committed to both expanding the Open Streets program with new locations while delivering permanent upgrades to existing locations. DOT is also implementing new Open Street Parking Regulations this year at 19 sites to help ensure streets are clear for successful activations.
Open Streets with permanent upgrades completed or planned in 2023:
Berry Street, Brooklyn
Beverley Rd, Brooklyn
N 15 St, Brooklyn
Underhill Avenue, Brooklyn
Vanderbilt Avenue, Brooklyn
W 9th Street, Brooklyn
Sharon Street, Brooklyn
W 22nd Street, Manhattan
Broadway, Manhattan
W 103rd St, Manhattan
Dyckman St, Manhattan
34th Avenue, Queens
31st Avenue, Queens
Open Streets with funded capital transformations in the planning process*:
34th Avenue, Queens
Woodside Avenue, Queens
Willis Avenue, the Bronx
Underhill Avenue, Brooklyn
Minthorne Street, Staten Island
Dyckman Street (Quisqueya Plaza), Manhattan
Broadway, Manhattan
*Projects represent more than $300 million in capital commitments
