<
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/25/nyregion/ny-open-streets-restaurants.html>
"New York City’s Open Streets program grew out of a clamor for more outdoor
space early in the coronavirus pandemic.
But the traffic-free zones also became a vital lifeline for struggling
restaurants and bars that embraced curbside dining.
Now, the economic impact of the initiative is being measured for the first time
in a new city report that finds that restaurants and bars on the most
successful Open Streets reported stronger sales than those on similar
commercial streets with car traffic — and in some cases, did better than they
did before the pandemic.
Some Open Streets even attracted new restaurants and bars during the first 18
months of Covid-19, when many businesses remained closed or limited their
operations.
“During the pandemic, New Yorkers clearly loved eating outdoors — but we now
also have empirical evidence of the positive role that dining on Open Streets
had on local neighborhood economies and our broader city recovery,” said Ydanis
Rodriguez, the city’s transportation commissioner."
Via
The Fixer November 2, 2022:
<
https://reasonstobecheerful.world/new-york-car-free-open-streets-businesses/>
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
