TOPLINE
New York Metropolis Mayor Invoice de Blasio introduced Monday that town will shut no less than 40 miles of streets to automobile site visitors to create extra outside area for New Yorkers throughout the coronavirus outbreak.
It’s town’s second try at shutting down automobile site visitors throughout the pandemic.
KEY FACTS
De Blasio mentioned the trouble will start with streets in and round parks, with the objective of finally reaching 100 miles because the climate warms up.
The transfer comes after a push from the Metropolis Council, which final week launched a invoice to open 75 miles of metropolis streets to present individuals higher entry to protected choices for outside recreation, particularly given the crowds in New York’s parks over the past a number of weeks.
As a part of the brand new initiative, some streets will shut utterly whereas others may have expanded sidewalks; de Blasio additionally mentioned town will develop bike lanes.
Metropolis Corridor will work with the Metropolis Council and the Division of Transportation to establish the neighborhoods the place streets will shut.
That is New York’s second try and open up main streets. Earlier this month, town deserted an 11-day pilot program to open up a number of dozen blocks to pedestrians, citing extreme strain on Police Division assets and enforcement points.
Massive quantity
That 40 miles is only a tiny fraction of the 6,000 miles of streets in New York Metropolis, the New York Occasions studies.
Key background
New York isn’t the primary metropolis to make use of this tactic throughout the pandemic. Earlier this month, Oakland, California, introduced plans to open up 74 miles of streets to pedestrians. The New York Occasions
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