Regional Plan Association works toward a better future for the tri-state region.
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Streets as Public Space

RPA has long advocated for prioritizing people over cars. We are now building momentum for large-scale, permanent changes to promote transit, biking, cycling, and walking on streets.

As cities continue to repurpose street space amidst the pandemic, RPA is building momentum for large-scale, permanent improvements to prioritize transit, biking, cycling, and walking and make streets safer for everyone. Building on decades of research and advocacy in support of pedestrians, we’re encouraging communities to expand on successful open streets and open dining initiatives, plan for more bus lanes and bike lanes, and empower local businesses.

Related News

Comments on NYCDOT’s permanent outdoor dining rules

Letter of Support for the City of Yes for Economic Opportunity

The New York Times

Parking in New York City Really Is Worse Than Ever

FOX 5 NY

Program to improve NYC street deliveries

amNY

Op-ed | New York has a problem at the curb. Here’s how we fix it.

Associated Press

NYC outdoor dining sheds were a celebrated pandemic-era innovation. Now, there’s a new set of rules

Statement on the passage of permanent outdoor dining legislation

The New York Times

New York City Is Poised to Make Outdoor Dining Permanent, With Caveats

Statement on NYC City Council Open Dining Legislation

Brooklyn Greenway Initiative Launches Innovative User Study of Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway

Crain's New York Business

Op-ed: MTA needs a new revenue model to achieve fiscal sustainability

AM New York

Op-Ed | It’s time for the City Council to make the Open Restaurant program permanent

StreetsBlogNYC

GREEN CURBS: Open Restaurant Supporters Want Some ​‘Parking’ Spots for Parklets

StreetsBlog NYC

How Electronic ​‘Eyes’ Will Patrol the Curb of the Future

StreetsBlog NYC

Massive Show of Support from Restaurant and Design Pros for a DOT-Led Open Restaurant Program

Open Letter re NYC DOT Oversight of Open Restaurants Program

Crain's New York Business

City back to work on permanent Open Restaurants plans following court ruling

StreetsBlog NYC

Open Restaurants Program Survives Legal Hurdle … For Now

Crain's New York Business

Speaker Adams wants dining sheds to depart the ​‘curb lane’ and move back to sidewalks

AM New York

Council Speaker Adams wants to curb outdoor dining’s street structures

Building Better Streets: Improving Capital Street Infrastructure Delivery for a Re-envisioned Right-of-Way

Doing construction work in New York City’s streets is complicated and costly. This report examines obstacles and offers solutions for delivering a more modern, multidimensional right-of-way.

building better streets

As COVID changes transportation, let’s make sure it changes for the better.”

Weinberger Rachel

Rachel Weinberger

Director, Research Strategy & Peter W. Herman Chair for Transportation

read the op-ed view full bio

Action

DOT Oversight of Open Restaurants

The Alfresco NYC coalition and 200 other signatories asked the New York City Council to leave oversight of the city’s Open Restaurants program with the Department of Transportation.

read the letter

Public Realm Improvements

RPA testified in support of three bills that would add public restrooms and more green space to the New York City’s public realm while developing a Greenway Master Plan.

read the testimony

Congestion Pricing Public Hearings

RPA continued to support the region’s historic effort to toll vehicles entering New York City’s central business district by testifying at the project’s several public hearings.

read our testimony
Alfresco NYC Awards Press Conference Kate Slevin

Alfresco NYC

RPA and partners launched a new coalition to recognize and reward the best open restaurants and open streets in New York City and publish best practice design guidelines for outdoor dining spaces.

see the alfresco award winners
Police In Bike Lane

Transportation-Led Recovery Agenda

RPA and fellow NYC transportation advocates published an equity-centered policy agenda for candidates that highlights the relationship between public space and social equity.

read the agenda

Mayor de Blasio's Surface Transportation Advisory Council

Members of Mayor de Blasio’s Surface Transportation Advisory Council including RPA President Tom Wright wrote an open letter urging the Mayor to implement a transportation plan for NYC.

read the letter

Streets Master Plan

RPA supported the passage of New York City’s Streets Master Plan and we continue to monitor its implementation.

read more

Research

Intro Chinatown

The Future of Outdoor Dining in New York City

The Alfresco NYC coalition collaborated with designers, advocates, and public realm stakeholders across the City to develop policy recommendations and design guidelines for the city’s permanent Open Restaurants program.
learn more
ROW Rendering 5

Re-Envisioning the Right-of-Way

New York City can use our 32,000 acres of roadway to prevent flooding and adapt to climate change, support transportation alternatives and better goods movement, and expand access to economic opportunity. Here’s how.
read more
29 Newark Bus Better Service Report copy

Better Service

Improving the Bus Network in New Jersey
NJ Transit has plans to make bus travel easier and more equitable for riders. More funding and better traffic policies can help achieve this.
read more
Bicycle Bike NYC 17

The Five Borough Bikeway

Critical infrastructure connecting New York City
We need an evolution in how we manage and use city streets. We need to develop a network of priority, high-capacity, protected bike lanes that serve as the heart of a comprehensive and cohesive bicycle network.
read more
Reimagining BQE Featured Image

Reimagining the BQE

Policy Options to Reduce Traffic on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway
This report seeks to expand the list of realistic alternatives for restoring the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE) as a safe, efficient corridor for moving people and goods.
read more
Parking Lot Shutterstock

Smart Parking Solutions

Alongside Pace Land Use Law Center and Tri-State Parking Initiative, RPA called for progressive parking strategies in this 2018 report such as lowering minimum parking requirements, pricing parking smartly, and establishing vehicle permit programs.
read more

Events

RPA Lab

Eric Adams Priorities Wikimedia Commons

Three Key Priorities For Mayor-Elect Eric Adams

Adams must expand access to housing, get New Yorkers back on transit, and restore faith in government.
read more
Flooded Subways

Improving Stormwater Management in the New York City Subway

How many subway entrances will flood during New York City’s next severe rain storm? We counted.
read more
Bikeways Detailed Small DZ v1 01

Tracking Progress Towards a Five Borough Bikeway

RPA updated maps from our Five Borough Bikeway report to track the city’s progress against our 425-mile vision.
read more
Commuters to CBD 01

Can the Transportation System Handle New York’s Return to Work?

How will we get people in and out of the Manhattan Central Business District post-COVID? We modeled and compared two plausible scenarios for the next six-to-nine months.
read more
Healthy Regions Planning Exchange Oakland Transit Equity

Oakland Offers Example of Transit Equity in Action

As part of RPA’s Healthy Regions Planning Exchange, Oakland DOT Chief Ryan Russo described his agency’s efforts to make equity a central component of its work, especially its street redesigns.
read more

From the Fourth Plan

RPA 4 RP 23 Street Design Priority

On City Streets, Prioritize People Over Cars

RPA’s Fourth Regional Plan called for New York City to dedicate 80 percent of street space to sustainable modes of transportation by 2040.

read more

From the Archive

1975 Pedestrianson Sidewalk

1975

Urban Space for Pedestrians

How do people walk in a city? This essentially is the subject of this report by Boris Pushkarev with Jeff Zupan. It examines how people navigate on a sidewalk or plaza, how much space they take up, and how much space they need. This was noteworthy in 1975 because so much analysis to-date focused on examining the habits of cars.
read more

Research Areas

TransportationGovernance

Location

ConnecticutNew JerseyNew York