Mayor Bill de Blasio on Thursday released a preliminary plan permitting restaurants to use open streets and parking spots for outdoor dining service, allowed during the New York City’s second phase of reopening. The mayor said the “Open Restaurants” program would streamline the process for restaurants to set up sidewalk seating, let restaurants to convert adjacent parking spots into seating, and allow seating areas on streets currently closed to cars. The city, which is preparing to enter phase one of reopening on Monday, could be ready for phase two in early July, according to the mayor.
“New York’s restaurants are part of what makes us the greatest city in the world. They’ve taken a hit in our fight against COVID-19–and there’s no recovery without them,” de Blasio said in a statement to NBC. “Our Open Restaurants plan will help these businesses maximize their customer base while maintaining the social distancing we need to beat this crisis once and for all.”
There are currently a total of 45 miles of open streets, about halfway to the city’s goal of 100 total miles. The Open Restaurants plan allows for restaurants to add seating areas on these streets, many of which sit next to city parks. The mayor on Thursday said new streets will be identified that are in commercial areas “with a high volume of restaurants.”
The program also streamlines the permitting process with the Department of Transportation and the Department of Consumer Affairs for restaurants to create sidewalk seating. For curbside restaurant seating, no permit will be needed if restaurants self-certify.
On Wednesday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said outdoor dining would now be allowed to open under phase two, instead of phase three as originally expected. According to state guidelines, outdoor tables must be spaced six feet apart, staff must wear face coverings, and customers must also wear face coverings when not seated.
Restaurants in the seven regions that have already entered phase two, including the Capital Region, Central New York, the Finger Lakes, the Mohawk Valley, the North Country, the Southern Tier, and Western New York, can reopen for outdoor dining on Thursday.
While de Blasio said the city will be entering phase two in early July, the governor has been moving regions into the next phase in two-week increments, which would be June 22 for the start of the city’s second phase.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announced that restaurants in the Garden State would be allowed to open for outdoor dining on June 15. In Connecticut, restaurants and hair salons got the green light from Gov. Ned Lamont to open on May 20.