“Outdoor dining was a lifeline for restaurants during the most challenging days of the pandemic and saved thousands of jobs while reimagining our street space as more accessible places to gather with our friends and neighbors safely,” said Maulin Mehta, New York Director, Regional Plan Association and co-leader of the Alfresco NYC coalition. ​“The AlfrescoNYC Coalition is grateful for the efforts put forth by the Chief Public Realm Officer, Adams’ administration and New York City Council to introduce a new bill to make this transformative program permanent. We are especially pleased to see caps on fees so all restaurants can participate, that rulemaking will enable iteration of the program, and that NYC DOT will continue to administrate as they have throughout the pandemic. While we would have loved to see a year-round program, we urge the City Council and Adams Administration to act swiftly to pass and implement this bill so we can move into the rulemaking phase and give restaurants and communities the certainty they need to make adjustments and plan for the future.”