Columbus Ave BID
NYC’s Open Streets season kicked off on Earth Day and is now in full swing, with 132 locations throughout the five boroughs being cordoned off for pedestrian activity on a weekly basis. More streets are expected to ‘open,’ but there are already a record number of participants since the initiative launched during the pandemic.
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Here are the three types of Open Streets (per the DOT):
- Limited Local Access: Streets designated for pedestrian and cyclist use during specified times each week. Vehicles can access the locations for “parking, collecting or dropping off passengers, making deliveries and loading, Access-A-Ride vehicle access, or emergency vehicle access. Drivers are advised to drive 5 MPH.”
- Full Closure: These are streets which are temporarily closed to all vehicles to “allow for a range of car-free activities that support local businesses, community organizations, and schools, to create a space for the public to gather. Emergency access and an emergency lane must be clear at all times for emergency vehicle access.”
- Full Closure: Schools: Street that is temporarily closed to vehicles to support schools for drop-off and pick-up operations, recess, and outdoor learning.
Here are this year’s Upper West Side Open Streets and the organizations managing them:
[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”#000000″ class=”” size=”14″] Amsterdam Avenue between Cathedral Parkway and West 111th StreetFull Closure
Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m.–12 a.m.
West 111th Street Block Association
w111thstreet.org or @w111thblockassociation on Instagram
[/perfectpullquote] [perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”#000000″ class=”” size=”14″] Amsterdam Avenue between West 106th Street and Cathedral Parkway
Full Closure
Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sundays from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Columbus Amsterdam Business Improvement District
columbusamsterdambid.org or @cabidnyc on Instagram.
[/perfectpullquote] [perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”#000000″ class=”” size=”14″] West 94th Street between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West
Full Closure: Schools
Monday-Friday from 7 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Columbia Grammar and Prep.
[/perfectpullquote] [perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”#000000″ class=”” size=”14″] Columbus Avenue between 68th and 77th streets
Full Closure
Sunday from 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Columbus Avenue Business Improvement District.
columbusavenuebid.org/openstreets/ or @columbusavebid on Instagram
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Open Streets was conceived by the Bloomberg Administration. During the pandemic it was suppose to be implemented in under served communities without green space. Instead, with the backing of Transportation Alternatives a multimillion dollar lobby backed by Mark Gorton the billionaire CEO Tower Research LLC, it has been forced on the most affluent areas of the UWS where he lives.
What a great idea. Give these geniuses a raise. After all, the UWS only has two huge parks.
The kids need more room to play. And if some gas-guzzling air-polluting planet-destroying cab, car, ambulance or fire truck needs to drive south through the 70s they can just use Bwy, WEA or CPW.
Why would anyone hang out on Columbus Avenue when Central Park is a block away?
This is just Transportation Alternates flexing its influence. Please vote out the politicians supporting TA.
Columbus is fun becuase it has a lot of restaurants and vendors, and is generally and predictably completely clogged with double and triple parked FreshDriect and amazon trucks throughout the day all the rest of the week. Kids and families come out and have fun, chalk the street, and they’re usually well-attended. The side street closures, however, espeically 103rd and Riverside, are beyond asinine, as these are literally adjacent to Riverside park and no one in their right mind wants to hang out on a steep hill side street instead of one of the most beautiful urban parks in the whole country. There’s also a lot of rent-regulated seniors with fixed incomes and street parked cars that can’t afford garaging. There the damage clearly ourweighs the benefit.
Can’t wait!
Arguably, the idea had some merit during the darkest days of the pandemic. Now, it’s just an idiotic, vestigial idea that serves no purpose, except to snarl traffic even more grotesquely than it would ordinarily be.
It’s a temporary street closure. Don’t be so dramatic
I like the one on Columbus. The fact that they did the 5mph limited access, and half the parking permanently gone on 103 and RIVERSIDE is insane. There are tons of seniors on RSD and many keep a modest vehicle and street park it becuae lots are out of reach financially.
Who among us wants to spend their lunch in the middle of 103th street on a rather steep hill instead of walking literally across the street into Riverside park? We petitioned and petitioned, and it was still implemented by these buffoons.
The idiocracy that is made up of limousine liberals (city council members/progressive socialist/bail reform supporters/free debit card supporters for illegal immigrants) and the TA money grabbing politicians(Heastie(s)) will eventually be the downfall of this city. Keep making it difficult to live on the UWS and more people will depart. This program is useless on Columbus Avenue and only causes more harm(traffic) than provides “space” – there is a reason why two of the largest parks were built in this neighborhood — SPACE!