New York, NY - The following statement can be attributed to Kate Slevin, Executive Vice President, Regional Plan Association.

“The Open Restaurants program has offered a crucial lifeline for thousands of small businesses across the five boroughs during the pandemic, helping repurpose and transform many of our streets into more vibrant, pedestrian-friendly spaces. We thank the City Council for their leadership in taking this step to promote a sustainable, long-term vision for the Open Restaurants program and re-orient public space in new York City to better serve communities.”