FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 28, 2020 

Contact: Megan Douglas, megan@anatgerstein.com, 347-580-2772 

In Midst of Open Restaurants Extension, New Yorkers for Parks Calls on City to Continue and Expand Open Streets for Public Use

Continuing Open Streets Permanently Will Address Inequities in Parks and Park Access, Support Health of New Yorkers

(New York, NY)—Adam Ganser, executive director of New Yorkers for Parks, the city’s only independent parks and open space advocacy organization, issued the following statement in response to Mayor de Blasio’s extension of the Open Restaurants initiative. 

"We applaud Mayor de Blasio for making the City's Open Restaurants initiative permanent. This initiative has changed NYC’s public realm and is an exciting step for NYC's economic future while fighting the pandemic and beyond.

We urge the Mayor and City Hall to extend that same creativity to the Open Streets program, which has designated miles of city streets for pedestrian only recreation. Continuing the program and strategically adding streets in areas of the city with little access to open space is a critical way to address the inequitable distribution of open spaces in New York City and mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

  The City should continue the public use of Open Streets indefinitely as a step towards improving the health and wellness of all New Yorkers.”

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About New Yorkers for Parks:

For over 100 years New Yorkers for Parks has been the independent champion for quality parks and open space for all New Yorkers. Through our research, advocacy, and the Daffodil Project, we work with communities and elected officials to promote and preserve quality open space across the city. We are a founding member of Play Fair, a multi-year campaign to protect and create jobs, and ensure open spaces receive essential maintenance and care, particularly in light of the increased use of parks during the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn more: www.ny4p.org or www.playfair.nyc