Comptroller calls on support for Open Streets as the program shrinks

New York City Comptroller Brad Lander and City Councilmember Shekar Krishnan held a rally alongside the 34th Avenue Open Street Coalition and Alliance for Paseo Park in Jackson Heights. Eagle photo by Noah Powelson

By Noah Powelson

Open street season officially started last week, and elected officials stood with advocates in Queens to demand the city expand the program throughout the outer boroughs.

Last Friday, New York City Comptroller and mayoral candidate Brad Lander and Queens City Councilmember Shekar Krishnan held a rally on the open street of 34th Avenue in Jackson Heights, dubbed Paseo Park, calling for more investment in the program. According to a report from the comptroller’s office, Open Streets have seen an overall decline from their peak in 2021.

“Open Streets breathe life into our neighborhoods,” Lander said. “Open Streets turn that fleeting summer joy into safer spaces for kids to play, neighbors to gather, outdoor dining to thrive, even students to learn. But small volunteer groups cannot sustain the work to successfully operate open streets without more resources, support and clear guidelines from the city.”

The Open Streets program was first established during the COVID-19 pandemic and established hundreds of sites across the city that were designated as car free. The program continued post-pandemic, but its seen a steady decline in resources and staff. Most Open Streets sites are volunteer run and the pandemic-era funding sources have since been significantly diverted away from the program.

Data released in Lander’s report showed that there were 232 active Open Street sites in the city in 2024, a 30-site increase from 2023, but still significantly lower than the 326 sites that were active in 2021.

Most of those sites are located in Manhattan, which has more Open Streets than the Bronx, Queens and Staten Island combined. In 2024, Queens had 45 Open Street sites, while Manhattan had 87 and Brooklyn had 67.

Additionally, Open Street sites continue to shrink in size and operating hours. In 2020, when the program first began, an average Open Street site was 0.183 miles long. In 2024, the average was 0.124.

“During the height of the pandemic, our neighbors went on safely socially distanced walks together thanks to our 34th Avenue Open Street,” said Krishnan, who chairs the Council’s Parks Committee. “It was a lifeline for our community when we were the epicenter.”

“I’m proud that Paseo Park has remained a vital part of our district, but the Department of Transportation has to do more to support these programs and its partners,” he added.